Martin Luther in Context

Martin Luther remains a popular, oft-quoted, referenced, lauded historical figure. He is often seen as the fulcrum upon which the medieval turned into the modern, the last great medieval or the first great modern; or, he is the Protestant hero, the virulent anti-Semite; the destroyer of Catholic decadence, or the betrayer of the peasant cause. An important but contested figure, he was all of these things. Understanding Luther's context helps us to comprehend how a single man could be so many seemingly contradictory things simultaneously. Martin Luther in Context explores the world around Luther in order to make the man and the Reformation movement more understandable. Written by an international team of leading scholars, it includes over forty short, accessible essays, all specially commissioned for this volume, which reconstruct the life and world of Martin Luther. The volume also contextualizes the scholarship and reception of Luther in the popular mind.

Part I. Life and Education: 1. Luther: a life of successful struggle Adam L. Wirrig; 2. Luther's family and home life Sabine Hiebsch; 3. Education in early sixteenth-century Europe Christopher Carlsmith; 4. Monastic life and monastic theology in early modern Germany Tarald Rasmussen; 5. The University of Wittenberg Jonathan Mumme; Part II. Religious and Intellectual Context: 6. Western Christianity in 1500 Kenneth J. Woo; 7. Late medieval piety: St Anne, Martin Luther, and the Salvific journey Beth Allison Barr; 8. Late medieval theology Gordon Jensen; 9. Calls for reform before Martin Luther Euan Cameron; 10. Penance and indulgences Ronald K. Rittgers; 11. Luther and the papacy Ralph Keen; 12. Northern humanism and its impact David H. Price; 13. Martin Luther and the printing press Allyson F. Creasman; Part III. Social and Cultural Context: 14. The Holy Roman Empire David Luebke; 15. The Imperial Diet in the 1520s Christopher W. Close; 16. The German Peasants' War Michael G. Baylor; 17. Origins of the Schmalkaldic League W. Bradford Smith; 18. The Turks Gregory J. Miller; 19. Women and gender Amy E. Leonard; 20. Apocalypticism in the sixteenth century Lawrence P. Buck; 21. Jews and Judaism Stephen G. Burnett; 22. Luther's artists Larry Silver; 23. Persecution, martyrdom, and flight in Luther's Europe Timothy J. Orr; Part IV. People: 24. Martin Luther's magisterial defenders David M. Whitford; 25. Luther's Catholic opponents Michael Tavuzzi; 26. Charles V Violet Soen; 27. Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt Martin Kessler; 28. The Wittenberg circle Michael J. Lohrmann; 29. Huldrych Zwingli Rebecca A. Giselbrecht; Part V. Themes in Luther's Thoughts: 30. The 'Solas' of the Reformation Anna Vind; 31. Law and gospel Kirsi Stjerna; 32. Luther's theology of the cross Steven D. Paulson; 33. Erasmus: humanist and theologian Greta Grace Kroeker; 34. Two kingdoms/political theology Jarrett A. Carty; 35. Implementing reform Volker Leppin; Part VI. Works: 36. Luther's treatises and polemics Hans Wiersma; 37. Martin Luther's university lectures and biblical commentaries Mickey L. Mattox; 38. Luther's sermons, catechisms, and worship aids Timothy H. Maschke; 39. Luther´s table talk Ingo Klitzsch; 40. The Luther Bible Arnoud Visser; 41. German and Latin editions of Luther's works Vincent Evener; 42. English editions of Martin Luther's works Alyssa Lehr Evans; Part VII. Reception: 43. The Anabaptists Brian C. Brewer; 44. John Calvin and Calvinism R. Ward Holder; 45. The English Reformation Susan Wabuda; 46. Discord and concord: from the Wittenberg Reformation to Lutheranism Matthias Pohlig; 47. Luther as a German hero John A. Maxfield.

David M. Whitford is Professor of Reformation Studies at Baylor University, Texas. He is the author of A Reformation Life (2015), The Curse of Ham in the Early Modern Era: The Bible and the Justification for Slavery (2009), and Luther: A Guide for the Perplexed (2010). He is an editor of The Sixteenth Century Journal.