Martin Luther (Men of Faith)
Book Reviews aim to provide succinct, thoughtful summaries of books I have read. They contain quotes from the book, thoughts from others, and also some thoughts of my own. Typically they will be structured in the following order: author, introduction, message and purpose, remarkable chapter, and conclusion. This review will cover Martin Luther (Men of Faith), the fascinating story of the frightened young monk who became the "Father of the Reformation."
Author
Mike Fearon
Introduction
Martin Luther (Men of Faith) is a biography of Martin Luther, the German theologian whose writings and life ushered in the Protestant Reformation. It's an insightful and pleasant read into the life of one of the most famous Christians in history. The book was written as a young person's guide to the life of Martin Luther, but has since commended itself to far wider readership and is one of the most comprehensive overviews of Luther's incredible life.
Message and Purpose
Martin Luther lived a truly fascinating and bold life. Martin Luther (Men of Faith) takes us on a fourteen-chapter journey from birth to death; from frightened boy to father of the Reformation; from sinner to saint:
Chapter One: The Frightened Boy
Chapter Two: The Frightened Youth
Chapter Three: The Frightened Student
Chapter Four: The Frightened Monk
Chapter Five: The Frightened Teacher
Chapter Six: An End to Fear
Chapter Seven: The Wittenberg Door
Chapter Eight: Escape From Augsburg
Chapter Nine: The Leipzig Debate
Chapter Ten: The Burning of the Bull
Chapter Eleven: Diet of Worms
Chapter Twelve: Kidnapped!
Chapter Thirteen: Backlash
Chapter Fourteen: Father of the Reformation
Written in a way that is pleasant reading for teenagers and mature Christians alike, Martin Luther (Men of Faith) shows us that if God can use Martin Luther—who went from a cowardly, frightened boy hiding beneath his bedsheets into an absolute world-changer—how might God use you?
Remarkable Chapter
Perhaps the most notable and famous act of Martin Luther is when he nailed his ninety-five theses to the church door in Wittenberg. Chapter seven, which discusses the lead-up to this event, was particularly interesting to learn about what propelled Luther to fight back against the Catholic church. This chapter, especially, pulls no punches regarding the schism created by Luther to staunchly oppose Catholicism's use of penitents, which were essentially financial negotiations with God:
"The trouble with the true biblical position, based on the teachings of Christ, and which Martin embraced, was that the church couldn't make any money out of it! Of course, Christ had never intended that being one of His followers should be financially rewarding. But for hundreds of years, corrupt popes had had other ideas."
The chapter concludes with the theses being nailed to the Wittenberg door:
"Taking his hammer and nails and a copy of the Ninety-five Theses, Martin set to work. Little did Martin realize how forcefully he was pounding those nails. The reverberation would be felt throughout Europe and would change the course of history."
Conclusion
Almost five centuries after his passing, Martin Luther is still widely regarded as one of the most truly Godly men to have ever lived. Many theologians believe he did more to put the Christian Church back on track than any other man and more books have been written about him than any other person, with the exception of Christ. Martin Luther (Men of Faith) makes for great reading and is a wonderful overview of the legendary man of Martin Luther.