Martin Luther's Easter Book

by Martin Luther, Roland H. Bainton (Editor)

This powerful book of passages from Martin Luther's Easter sermons portrays the reformer's lasting thoughts on faith, human imperfection, salvation through grace, and the wonder of God. The sermons explore events from Holy Week through the Resurrection. They combine marvelous insights with inspiring calls to action that are so characteristic of the great reformer: "The resurrection consists not in words, but in life and power."

Genres: Church History, Theology

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German monk, theologian, university professor and church reformer whose ideas inspired the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of Western civilization.

Luther's theology challenged the authority of the papacy by holding that the Bible is the only infallible source of religious authority and that all baptized Christians under Jesus are a spiritual priesthood. According to Luther, salvation was a free gift of God, received only by true repentance and faith in Jesus as the Messiah, a faith given by God and unmediated by the church.

Luther's confrontation with Charles V at the Diet of Worms over freedom of conscience in 1521 and his refusal to submit to the authority of the Emperor resulted in his being declared an outlaw of the state as he had been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. Because of the perceived unity of the medieval Church with the secular rulers of western Europe, the widespread acceptance of Luther's doctrines and popular vindication of his thinking on individual liberties were both phenomenal and unprecedented.

His translation of the Bible into the vernacular, making it more accessible to ordinary people, had a tremendous political impact on the church and on German culture. It furthered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation of the English King James Bible. His hymns inspired the development of congregational singing within Christianity. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage within Protestantism.

Much scholarly debate has concentrated on Luther's writings about the Jews. His statements that Jews' homes should be destroyed, their synagogues burned, money confiscated and liberty curtailed were revived and used in propaganda by the Nazis in 1933–45. As a result of this and his revolutionary theological views, his legacy remains controversial.

Reviews

[Stephen D Mezzapesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

snippets from Luther's sermons.

[Richard Bicknase]

This was a quick and enjoyable read.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was set to give this book 5 stars until I reached the final few sections. The parts on the resurrection were underwhelming retelling of the Easter story. The parts that were not a retelling were short and the editor showed how Luther changed his thoughts on good works which seemed disjointed in this context. I'm don't for certain but believe Luther had said amazing mind blowing things in his sermons about the resurrection and they should have been included.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic insights to sustain the faith from Luther using selections from his various writings and sermons on events leading up to Holy Week, the Lord's Supper, Jesus' arrest and trial, Crucifixion, and Resurrection.

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of pastoral meditations on Easter from Martin Luther's sermons. A great selection for family devotions.

[Samuel Bierig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, this was such a heartening read. If you can stumble across it somewhere like I did...tolle lege.