Luther

This Companion provides an accessible introduction to Martin Luther for students of theology and history and everyone interested in the life, work and thought of the first great Protestant reformer. Historians and theologians present a complete picture of Luther's major writing themes and the ways in which his ideas spread and continue to be important. The Companion is oriented to those with little or no background in Luther studies, as well as teachers and specialists.

Perhaps no work of Martin Luther's so captures the revolutionary zeal and theological boldness of his vision as The Freedom of a Christian. Yet, it is not easily accessible today. Mark Tranvik's new translation of Luther's treatise brings alive the social, historical, and ecclesial context of Luther's treatise.

Key Features:

An informative Introduction that lays out the context of Luther's writing

A modern, student-friendly translation of the text of Luther's Letter to Pope Leo X and The Freedom of a Christian

Frequent headings to guide the student's reading and comprehension

Student-oriented notes to explain theological controversies and terms

A glossary of key theological and ecclesial terms

A map of Reformation Europe in the 16th Century

Ten black and white illustrations

A short "For Further Reading" list

This is the first of a set of student guides to key Reformation treatises by Martin Luther, concentrating on those most widely used in college settings.

Martin Luther is often thought of as a world-shaking figure who defied papacy and empire to introduce a reformation in the teaching, worship, organization, and life of the Church. Sometimes it is forgotten that he was also a pastor and shepherd of souls. Collected in this volume are Luther's letters of spiritual counsel, which he offered to his contemporaries in the midst of sickness, death, persecution, imprisonment, famine, and political instability. For Luther, spiritual counsel was about establishing, nurturing, and strengthening faith. Freshly translated from the original German and Latin, the letters shed light on the fascinating relationship between his pastoral counsel and his theology.

Theodore G. Tappert taught Church History at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also translated Pia Desideria by Philip Jacob Spener and The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Luther's impact on theology and history was monumental, his writing was prodigious, his character was complex. The need for a critical overview of Luther's life and work, particularly concerning his writings and theology, is now met in Bernhard Lohse's comprehensive introduction.

Beginning with an overview of Luther's world, Lohse summarizes the course of the reformer's life, highlighting the findings of Luther research and the question that still surround the figure about whom "we know more . . . than we do about anyone else in the sixteenth or any earlier century."

Attention is given to al of the major writings, their relative importance, genre, and historical context. Lohse expertly guides the reader through significant issues in Luther's theology and discusses landmark contributions to the interpretation of Luther. Editions, translations, and other aids for the study of Luther are clearly described and a select bibliography of related works in English is appended.

Martin Luther is known for challenging the Roman Catholic church; yet reading God's Word was what Luther considered his primary task. Though he is often portrayed as reading the Bible with a bare approach, Todd R. Hains considers how Luther's interpretation of the text was actually guided by the church's established practice of hermeneutics.

First and foremost a doctor of Sacred Scripture, Martin Luther lectured and preached on the Bible for more than 30 years. His work as a reformer of the Christian Church is incomprehensible apart from his work as a Bible teacher. From his first lectures on the Psalms and Romans, to his monumental series on Galatians, his sermons on Matthew and John, and his final lecture series on Genesis, Luther returned the attention of God's people to His Word and the centrality of Christ's saving work.

The excerpts in Martin Luther's Basic Exegetical Writings span Luther's career. The accompanying introductions place each work in its historical context and provide an overarching narrative of Luther's academic, pastoral, and personal life from 1515 to 1546. The chronological arrangement of the excerpts allows the reader to observe both the development and remarkable consistency of Luther the exegete, theologian, and reformer.

Martin Luther's Basic Exegetical Writings is a user-friendly introduction to his interpretation of Scripture, theological concerns, and pastoral insights. This anthology of Luther's lectures and sermons will serve both the classroom and the Church and will be a valued addition to any home library.

Forty years of in-depth research on Martin Luther's theology uniquely qualifies Oswald Bayer to present this comprehensive introduction to Luther's thought, written for those lacking an academic background in theology.

Bayer's noteworthy study explores the basics of Luther's understanding of theology, discussing his response to the "philosophy of science" tradition, the formula by which he studied theology, and the basic philosophy that informed him. Bayer then takes Luther's stance on Christian dogmatics and ethics and applies it to our own theological understanding in the modern age. With such a complete Lutheran dogmatic concept -- the first of its kind offered -- the stunning inner consistency of Luther's theology and its ease of application to contemporary studies become unmistakably clear.

Brecht here describes the years in which the distinctive aspects of the Reformation took shape. During this time four difficult conflictsthe Peasants' War, the interchange between Luther and Erasmus, debates on the Lord's Supper, and the rise of Anabaptist groupsstrengthened the need to fashion new orders for govering the church and the need to develop new patterns for worship and the instruction of youth. Luther the theologian was occupied with problems of politics, economy, law, and education. In addition, his own life was altered by his marriage.

'This is a feast for theologians, historians and Christian counselors. Pietsch examines 21 of Luther's "letters of comfort" to explore Luther's pastoral care for souls suffering with depression. Pietsch uses interdisciplinary tools of inquiry artfully to examine the letters, Luther's pastoral care approaches and the history of the "melancholy tradition". The practice of seelsorge emerges as an amalgam of art, spiritual gift, and understanding of affliction, all resting comfortably within the authority of scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. Pietsch's volume is a significant contribution to spiritual care literature, underscoring the conviction of the early church that individual soul care is an essential response to serve those who despair. Offering pivotal pastoral care insights that are often lost, discredited or entirely absent in the work of caring for those who suffer with depression, Pietsch concludes that Luther has given us excellent tools to examine, learn and to teach as we assist souls to find hope, strength and healing in the gospel of Jesus Christ.' Professor Beverly Yahnke Concordia University Wisconsin Executive Director of Christian Counsel, Doxology Lutheran Centre for Spiritual Care and Counsel.