Martin Luther: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) - Softcover

Hendrix, Scott H.

  • 3.45 out of 5 stars
    211 ratings by Goodreads
 
9780199574339: Martin Luther: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0199574332 ISBN 13: 9780199574339
Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2010

Synopsis

When Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses (reputedly nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg), he unwittingly launch a movement that would dramatically change the course of European history. This superb short introduction to Martin Luther, written by a leading authority on Luther and the Reformation, presents this pivotal figure as historians now see him. Instead of singling him out as a modern hero, historian Scott Hendrix emphasizes the context in which Luther worked, the colleagues who supported him, and the opponents who adamantly opposed his agenda for change. The author explains the religious reformation and Luther's importance without ignoring the political and cultural forces, like princely power and Islam, which led the reformation down paths Luther could neither foresee nor influence. The book pays tribute to Luther's genius but also recognizes the self-righteous attitude that alienated contemporaries. The author offers a unique explanation for that attitude and for Luther's anti-Jewish writings, which are especially hard to comprehend after the Holocaust.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author

Scott H. Hendrix is Professor Emeritus of Reformation History at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is a past president of the Society for Reformation Research.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Publication date
2010
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0199574332
ISBN 13 
9780199574339
Binding
Paperback
Edition number
1
Number of pages
126
Rating
  • 3.45 out of 5 stars
    211 ratings by Goodreads