Selected Writings of Martin Luther 1517 - 1520

by Martin Luther, Theodore G. Tappert (Editor)

Initially selected forty years ago by Luther master Theodore G Tappert, "Selected Writings of Martin Luther" makes available again a superb collection, in an attractive and affordable edition of four volumes, now beautifully presented as a boxed set, an ideal gift for celebrating seminary graduation, ordination, clergy anniversaries, and more. Here are Luther's most important and influential writings - from his (1517) 95 Theses to his last Prefaces to the Bible - compiled chronologically into four volumes: his early writings (1517-1520), the fruitful years of controversy (1520-1523), the years of consolidating and shaping the Reform (1523-1526), and his mature work (1529-1546).Built from the translations prepared for "Luther's Works: American Edition", this selection presents whole works in their historical setting. While emphasizing the classic works, this collection includes the full variety of Luther's literary and religious writing: polemical and irenic, satirical and contemplative, academic and devotional. This attractive set will function as a ready reference, a wonderful gift, a way for students and lay persons to read the original documents in authoritative translation, and a marvelous means of encountering the man himself.

478 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2007

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

[Scott Kohler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, what can you say about writings that shook the world? I can’t say that all of the treatises in this volume are equally interesting to a 21st century reader, but I will say the following: 1) Luther’s personality comes through in everything he writes, and his is a very entertaining voice; 2) I learned a lot about the assumptions and issues of the early 16th century from reading these pieces; and 3) Some of this collection—especially the Treatise on Good Works—contains really valuable biblical/pastoral reflection.

As with Calvin, we shouldn’t substitute hearing about these reformers for reading them.