To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, 1520: The Annotated Luther Study Edition

by Timothy J. Wengert, James M. Estes (Editor)

With great clarity and insight, James M. Estes illuminates Luthers call to secular authorities to help with the reform of the church in this important 1520 treatise. To combat Romes intransigent opposition to reform of any sort, Luther appealed to secular rulers to intervene and clear the way for ecclesiastical reform. This volume is excerpted from The Annotated Luther series, Volume 1. Each volume in the series contains new introductions, annotations, illustrations, and notes to help shed light on Luthers context and to interpret his writings for today.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Christian, German Literature, Christianity, Classics, Nonfiction

108 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1520

About the author

Timothy J. Wengert (PhD, Duke University) is Ministerium of Pennsylvania Professor, Reformation History, at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has pastored churches in Minnesota and Wisconsin, authored or edited twenty books, and written over one hundred articles.

Reviews

[Gurjot · Rating 3 out of 5]

can you tell i’m just adding books i read for school bcuz i REFUSE to lose my 2021 reading challenge. losing is not in my vocabulary...i am a WINNER!!

ANYWAYS...you should read this only bcuz Luther’s most admirable quality is his ability to conjure very descriptive insults for the Catholic clergy. my favourite is “coarse, unlettered asses and ignorant knaves”.

[Reagan Vernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a short introduction to Luther's grievances with the Catholic Church (accompanied by his suggestions for remedies). Luther is the type of writer who you should read every once in a while to remind yourself what they really said. Luther's words are a delight to read.

His cadence and clarity are striking. Sometimes you come away in disagreement, and other times, entirely convinced- regardless, I am always left with a simple, quiet "wow."

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Luther is fairly easy to read. This book gives a good understanding of his thoughts, reasoning and priorities.

[William Lockett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I forget how much of an almost stereotypical baby boomer Luther sounds like in his writing.

[sch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jun 2015. Hearty good sense. Entertaining. Some doubtful argument. Used Wace and Buchheim's edition, the bulk of which is excerpted in Classics of Western Thought Series: Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation, Volume II.

Nov 2016. Rereading to teach; less doubtful than I remember.

[JR Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second reading. First reading was under the wonderful Aaron Denlinger of Reformation Bible College, Senior Historical Theology I believe. Second reading, 11-2-17 for Reformation Day. Good stuff. Not the most precise of the reformers, but the one who wrote with the most conviction. It makes for good reading.

Read the edition that was included in Volume 36 of the Harvard Classics, 1st edition.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin Luther’s Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (1520) appears in volume 36 of The Harvard Classics, alongside his 95 Theses (1517) and On Christian Liberty (1520). Luther was the father of the Protestant Reformation, and in this pamphlet, he attacked many problems in the Roman Catholic Church of his era. Luther was far from the loyal monk he was back in 1517. He went so far as denying the spiritual authority of the Pope and proposing a radical change in the hierarchy of the church in Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation. The writing here is strong, succinct, and persuasive.


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[Image: Cover of the Delphi Classics’ The Harvard Classics]

Citation:
Luther, M. (2018). Address to the Christian nobility of the German nation (R.S. Grignon, Trans.). In C. W. Eliot (Ed.), The Harvard classics [eBook]. Delphi Classics. https://www.delphiclassics.com/shop/t... (Original work published 1520)

SuperSummary Editorial Team. (2025, February 26). “Ninety-Five Theses Study Guide.” SuperSummary. www.supersummary.com/ninety-five-thes...

Title: Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation
Author(s): Martin Luther (1483-1546), R.S. Grignon (translation)
Year: 1520
Series: The Harvard Classics (1909): Volume 36 - Delphi Complete Harvard Classics and Shelf of Fiction
Genre: Nonfiction - Religion & Religious Criticism
Date(s) read: 4/10/25
Book 75 in 2025
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[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A political treatise from early sixteenth-century that provides an excellent example of cunning rhetoric.Written by an Augustinian monk with an agenda of curtailing financial abuse and pastoral neglect within the Catholic Church, it lays out a strong case of moral legitimacy to do something its audience already desires for baser reasons.

The thesis more or less boils down to "The centralized Church organization is not effectively running the church, so you nobles should take their stuff because you'd run things so much better, since you're all way more awesome." Appeals to ego, frustration at outsiders, and moral justification to cover the appealing prospect of taking more stuff. Punchy rhetoric all laser-focused on the intended audience: powerful German nobility with the wherewithal to defy the Vatican's potent heft.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luther at his easiest to read. This work is recommended for how well it covers the ecclesiastical and political issues of the time, and how it helps develop the context for the Wittenberg door, the HRE, the devouring behemoth of Rome coming out of the Middle Ages, and even some of the groundwork for the eventual nationalistic movements in the 18th and 19th centuries. Beyond the letter itself, the history at the beginning of this edition was well-edited to be thorough in providing a backdrop without becoming a pedantic snoozefest.

[James Ruley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short work by Luther, addressed to the German nobility, addresses steps that the “German nation” should take in response to the abuses of the Catholic Church. The first section of this book details abuses of the church, while the second suggests ways of reforming those abuses. Practical, and relatively entertaining for a work by Luther, this work provides a solid glimpse into his mental state in 1520.

[Thordur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hér finnur maður Martein Lúther æstan með alveg ótrúlega skrautlegu orðavali hvar Páfinn í Róm fær það alveg gjörsamlega óþvegið, sem og allir kardínálar og prelátar.

Fyrir hvern sem er sem hefur á annað borð áhuga á guðfræði, ellegar hefur lokið einhverju prófi í henni þá er þetta alveg kjörið lesefni og stórskemmtilegt.

Textinn sem maður er að lesa hérna er góður, enginn meinbugur á honum, engar stafsetningarvillur eða léleg íslenska, og ekki sjáanlegt að hann sé þýddur.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reformation priesthood

The book was semi political, for this book written in the Era of Reformation of church. The content was more on priesthood and its connections with the countries which pro with catholicism.

[Arlomisty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!

[Kolter Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luther writes very well here.

[Kevin Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found in this treatise a great gateway, although limited, into Luther's mind and thinking and eve feelings for his nation. He addresses to the nobility of the nation and all o the ills that have come upon them from falling into the hands of Rome. His passion is seen in his words, sometimes made me feel what I thought he was feeling as he penned them.

Although there is a great deal of theological discussion and exegetical, there is also a great deal of politics and economics. I was astonished by the power of persuasion in Luther's words. He truly was a brilliant mind. But he was also humble to recognize that in some areas other people might be more qualified than him to speak, which he mentioned several times.

If yo are interested in history and the life of Luther, this will help you a great deal.

[Carlyn Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously written in a different time and place, yet the admonitions ring clear. A great read on how to address current issues with the insight of Scripture.

[Bookshark · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's probably no surprise that I enjoyed this more than reading Augustine or Aquinas; you can really see some of the radical elements that will come to shake the Western world in this text. There were a few things I learned about Luther's ideas from this text that were new to me. For instance, this call for the princes to oppose the church and call a new council is clearly contrary to everything I've been told about how Luther only wanted to "reform" the Church. True, the reformation he is calling for is not a call for schism, but it also demands far more than mere reform. What it actually calls for is the abolishment of the Roman Catholic Church, the dethroning or even killing of the Pope, the re-founding of a new church in its place with a new internal organization and set of rules, and a new relationship between political and religious authority (including subjecting church officials to criminal sanction when they violate the law, up to and including the Pope). To say that he sought only "reformation" gives him scant cover when he's saying the Pope is the anti-Christ, commenting on killing 20 Popes being better than their own lives of unrepentant open sin, and calling for the German nobility and all of the "heretical" sects to unite to take a stand against the "tyrannical" Church economically and militarily. Moreover, I didn't realize how fundamental priestly chastity was to the property relations of the Church, and thus how radical Luther's call for allowing priests to marry really was. Finally, I didn't realize how deeply embedded the ideas of spiritual freedom, self-determination, and even democracy were in his thought. It's one thing to affirm the priesthood of all believers over the interpretive supremacy over the Church, which clearly challenges only Church authority; but he also calls for the right to defy any power, papal or imperial, actively rather than just passively. There are clear political implications to his affirmation of our God-given liberties and right to resist tyranny, and even if he doesn't explicitly draw them out, I can certainly see how this presages later thinkers and why the German nobility might be concerned by some aspects of his work even if they were pleased by other aspects. On that note, it seemed a little imprudent to criticize the nobility if his goal was to actually win them over, but I suppose he couldn't let that go as a man of principle standing against the political realists of his day.

[Robert Tessmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting historical work. The book helped me to "get into the mind" of Luther and try to understand the world he live in and the goals he had in mind. It is a short read and I found it very easy to understand.

The year 1520 saw the publication of the three great documents which laid down the fundamental principles of the Reformation. In the "Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation," Luther attacked the corruptions of the Church and the abuses of its authority, and asserted the right of the layman to spiritual independence.

[Scott Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Martin Luther's works is always an insightful exercise, both into the mind of this historical giant and into the evolution of the social, ecclesiological and theogical thinking that was occurring in the 16th century. His thoughts on the marriage of the clergy which dominate the second half of this volume are intriguing and remind readers of the force of emotion that accompanied such issues throughout history.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone interested in Reformation history, this is a must read. Luther is a bit too political for my liking, though hearing him talk about his nations political situation is fascinating. The first chapter on the three walls of Romanism is timeless and classic. I cheered!

[Cody Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didactic and simple. His hyperbole and melodrama, though, were extremely entertaining. If you are thinking of reading this, a drinking game would be to take a drink every time Luther calls the pope the Antichrist. I had to read this book for class.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book needs to be read by ministers, political, and academic leaders alike. There is much to be learned from this writing that befits our current generation across religious, governmental, academic and economic parameters.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Martin's easy to understand metaphors and analogies. He blows the pope in context out of the water here. Also, you can see how MLK was inspired by him simply by reading this theology. Empowering.

[Priyanka · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great read if you are interested in theology. This book opens a number of discussions. As a Catholic, I have many differing opinions from Luther but I still appreciate this book due to its significance in the rise of Protestantism in the early 15th century.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't read this edition; I have my own PDF. Read again for prelims on March 4-5, 2015.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book I think you can see the nucleus of the most important ideas of human freedom in the modern world; I think it's likely that the "priesthood of all believers," "sola Scriptura," and the idea that individuals could interpret Scripture by the grace of the Holy Spirit manifested politically as the idea of enfranchised individuals choosing leaders from among themselves under constitutional governments.