Waibel, Martin Luther - A Brief Introduction To His Life And Works

Abstract

Martin Luther remains an intriguing and confounding figure: He confronted- head on-issues that concern us still, and we haven't stopped debating his significance. Now we have a new biography that has some value for teachers and students but is ultimately disappointing. Among its virtues are its brevity, student-friendly explanations (e.g., of purgatory and indulgences), and a 23-page annotated appendix of Luther's writings; it is also strong on theology. But it offers no new information or interpretations, the narrative is based on a combination of secondary sources and select printed documents, and key subjects and views are either ignored or given short shrift, which is not surprising in so brief a book. There are flashes of sophisticated understanding, especially on theological distinctions and issues (e.g., the significance of the 95 Theses and key treatises), but in other places the text is short on analysis and nuance. For example, Luther's decision to become a monk instead of a lawyer, following his narrowly escaping being struck by lightning, is explained simply by his need to keep the vow - made as he cowered in fear - whereas the addition of context would have explained more; Luther's debt to his predecessors is minimized; the discussion of "justification by faith" slights the significance of Luther's appending "alone" to the concept.