Martin Luther95: The Ideas That Birthed the Reformation

A great edition of a historical document

This book is an introduction to Luther's writings, specifically the theses that precipitated the Reformation. The format of the book is such that a thesis is given then a relevant quote from a later work of Luther follows. The added quotes are usually from works written about three years later. They add some additional insight to the concerns Luther had with the state of the church in 1517.The format of the book was not as clear as it could have been. In the digital edition I read, the thesis was not set off in different type. I had to consult another source to make sure only the first paragraph in each section was the thesis. The quotes that follow each thesis are identified only by the title of the source document. No page numbers are given. This became problematic for me when I noticed the same paragraph appearing in two places. It begins, “Little children are saved only by faith...” (Loc 988/1827 and 1576/1827) The source is listed merely as “Table Talk.” The succeeding paragraphs differ so one or both quotes left something out. There was no way for me to check out the context of these passages or any of the other ones.The works of Luther, in general, may be of limited impact for today's evangelical Christians. For example, thesis 29 deals with purgatory. In the associated quote, Luther wrote, “The existence of purgatory I have never denied. I still hold that it exists... I find in Scripture that Christ, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Job, David, Hezekiah, and some others tasted hell in this life. This I think was purgatory... I myself have come to the conclusion that there is a purgatory...” (Loc 625/1827) Some of the statements may be confusing to contemporary readers. Thesis 71, for example: “He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be anathema and accursed.” (Loc 1321/1827) And then thesis 76: “We affirm … that papal pardons cannot take away even the least of venial sins, regardless of guilt.” (Loc 1411/1827)Nonetheless, there are some insights from Luther that contemporary readers would do well to pay attention to. One is the sense of terror over sin that Christians should exhibit. Sorrow, contrition, penitence, mortification of the flesh – those are concepts we don't hear much from the evangelical pulpit. In thesis 40, “True contrition seeks and loves punishment...” (Loc 807/1827) How would that preach today?Luther's sincere criticisms of the practices of his day are still relevant. Luther was dismayed that the clergy let sinning Christians off with a financial payment. True remorse was not required. Clergy and believers would do well to review Luther's 95 in light of their own spiritual practices.I do recommend this book to those who want to know more of Luther and his influence on the church at that time. Potential readers must remember that the book contains Luther's works alone, without insightful contemporary commentary.I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.

My dad was a baptist preacher and I was raised very strict. I don’t remember once hearing about Martin Luther being mentioned once in the church. As I’ve gotten older, I have heard a bit about this man, but not enough to carry a conversation about. I found the book to be quite intriguing but hard to follow at times. I contribute that to my lack of knowledge of this man. I admire him for standing up for his faith and acknowledging that there was some unsavory things going on in the church. I wonder how many of us would be as bold as him? I have always been taught that if it can’t be backed up by the Bible, it is not true. Over the years I have been cautious as to what pastors say. I may not always agree with them, but if I can find scripture that backs up what they are saying, then I know it is from God.Martin Luther was the type that would not stand for deceit and corruption he felt was going on in the church in the 1500s. In this book is his thoughts of where the church should be and what the Word said. I read the book and wanted to mention a few things he said that caught my attention. In “Theses “ 43 he talks about how we need to remind ourselves “ that our sins are forgiven , that we have the Spirit of Christ, that we are beloved children of God, we should be ever so happy and grateful to God.” Where we fail is when we walk in fear and doubt and forget that God loves us unconditionally. I need to remind myself of that daily.In “Theses “53 I found it to be very powerful. As we sit in church and listen to the pastor, are we remembering that God ordained him to speak the Words that God ? “Therefore we must not separate or part God and man, according to our natural reason and understanding .” When the pastor speaks I want to soak in His Word and hear His voice. I think we get wrapped up in the man behind the pulpit and forget that he is a messenger for God. We sometimes put pastors on a pedestal and start to worship him instead of God.I really enjoyed the book and found there to be many nuggets of truth through out the book. Readers may not agree on everything Martin Luther wrote , but I think it is worth reading with open ears and a open heart to see where his faith was. He doesn’t mince words and speaks with authority and truth. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about a man who “dared to question a practice of the Roman Catholic Church .”I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.