Tabletalk

Luther's Works #54

by Martin Luther

Luther's 'Divine Discourses' (as this book was known) stirred up so much anger in the Roman Catholic Church that all copies were ordered to be burnt under an edict by Pope Gregory XIII. One copy was found by Casparus Van Sparr in 1626, whilst building on a house once owned by his grandfather in Germany. The book was wrapped in a linen cloth treated with beeswax and buried in the ground - it was perfectly preserved. An English friend of Casparus, Captain Henry Bell, brought the book back to Britain and began the work of translation several times but never completed it. He received a vision of an old man who told him he would complete the translation. Two weeks later he was arrested and spent the next 10 years in jail during which time he completed the work and produced what we now know as 'Tabletalk'. This collection of informal comments was gathered together by Antony Lauterbach and John Aurifaber, who were very close to Luther towards the end of his life.

Genres: Theology, Christian, History, Religion, Philosophy, Christianity, Church History

484 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1967

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

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luther is a hoot. Outrageous, dogmatic, screwy, shrewd, bombastic, and the real thing. What a Christian that man was.

[Jared Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean. It's Martin Luther speaking gospel and talking smack around his friends and students. How could it be anything but awesome?

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edifying, encouraging, hilarious, spot-on, a little off, and occasionally whackadoodle. I'd like to revisit this sometime in print. With its brief entries, it'd be a perfect book for bathroom reading.

I am sore displeased with Blackstone Audio for claiming this edition is unabridged when entire sections were removed. Flat-out falsehood is uncool.

I don't want to criticize Bob Souer again, because it's not his fault, and he really is a capable reader, but whoever keeps choosing him to narrate books by men with Big Personalities should find a new job.

[Dwain Minor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Table Talk is not a book that is actually written by Luther. It is actually the "table talk" of Luther as recorded by students. At his home he would have discussions with students around the dinner table. This book is actually a compilation of things that Luther said in the table-talk discussions.

I enjoyed this book. It shines a light into Luther's thoughts as he is giving off the cuff comments to students. For the most part, the thoughts are very concise. So, it is oftentimes more like reading a book of quotations by Martin Luther, which I guess is what it is...

I enjoyed reading this book. If you enjoy reading Luther then I think you will enjoy it also.

[Mathias · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned that
- Luthers thought is not compatible with the generic romantic Mysticism cloathed in religious dogma and juridicial fiction that is prevalent in todays confessional christendom. Luthers thought is very much driven by the theology of the cross, i.e. beneficient suffering, participating in the scapegoat status

- Luther was very well versed in pagan philosophy and litterature, indicating that such knowledge is appropriate to understand protestant theology

- Luther has a high view of Western medicine and the vocation of physicians

- Luther has a high view of alchemy, i.e. the origin of Western natural science, as well as psychology of mythology in the tradition of jung and Freud. Luther is thetefore not at all congenial with confessional lutherans who rigidly and tendentiously makes claims about natural science without ever having spent any time trying tro grasp science (i.e. staying in the cognitive constructions of the prideful intellect, allowing neurosis to persist)

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

At its very best very helpful for Christian piety/edification, at it’s worst a collection of Luther’s tweets and Facebook posts.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warm, unguarded talk around the table with friends that gives a sense of the friendships and discussions that Martin and Katie were involved in.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this hidden at a used bookstore it’s a very tiny book. A pamphlet really that has some selections from Luther’s Tabletalk.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food, music, beer, and good company. And also, guests who’d write down every word. Martin Luther’s Table Talk is the result of an unusual set of circumstances: Luther, after a very long day’s work, would find himself the host to a bunch of friends, visitors, and students (boarders) who’d come for dinner. That’s a pretty large crowd: Martin and Katie had six children and fostered four more, and the evenings would be filled with music, hot food, and lively conversation. Did I mention that Katharina ran a brewery? And in these cozy, comfortable evenings, when the conversation turned to topics of theology, people were on hand to preserve Luther’s every word. So no pressure, right? The result of these candid comments, sometimes very brief, and removed from context, is a theology book unlike any other I’ve read. Witty, biting, and quite personal, this book is at turns insightful, funny, over-the-top, and even a little troubling. A remarkable portrait of a complicated man who is nevertheless completely honest and unrestrained in these pages. A fascinating read.

[Michael Jeffries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many good thoughts on scripture and life. Funny and interesting takes from Luther’s bold personality.

[Robert Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me great insight into the thinking of the greatest Protestant reformer, Martin Luther. It is a collection of the words of Luther, as recorded by his close associates. In it, you see his passion for the word of God and the gospel, his biting sarcasm toward the Catholic church, his prejudices against the Jews, his passion for prayer. Overall, a fascinating reflection of a flawed but faithful man of God.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, at times brilliant, opinionated, humble, sometimes sharp. This collection really lets you know the man Martin Luther. Also, I found the style relaxing enough that I could pick it up almost anytime and read it with ease - something I can't do with every book. Recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about the great reformer.

[Julia Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Dr. Mike Clinginpeel's fault that I read this book. He keeps referring to books in his sermons or at meetings that I think I must read. There are many significant and thoughtful statements in these notes from the discussions Luther had with his students and friends. I would like to have further discussions by having a group examine some of the statements.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luther would have been fun to have a beer with. This invaluable book lets us see what that would have been like for real.

[Dane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an above-average collection, though not quite so thorough. Some selections are simply meh, while others are great.

[Walter Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candid comments from a man who changed Christianity—and the world—forever.

[Bruce Gumbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you profess to be a Christian and have not read this book then you are missing out. This is a must read for anyone who professes to be Christian.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gave a helpful snapshot of Martin Luther's beliefs and personality.

[Nathan Ormond · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sort of like reading the rants of your old racist grandpa

[Hank Pharis · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are several different editions of this out there in different formats. As I understand it there are 6 volumes of Table Talk in the German edition. This one categorizes comments made by Luther under some 26 topics. This is helpful as an introduction to his casual conversations and ideas about different topics. However this is done much more exhastively in What Luther Says by Edward Plass or more moderately by Hugh Kerr in A Compend of Luther's Theology. But this version of Table Talk is a good place to start.

(Note: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book. 3 = Very good; 4 = Outstanding {only about 5% of the books I read merit this}; 5 = All time favorites {one of these may come along every 400-500 books})

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a large variety of topics (many having to do with doctrine and biblical issues), Martin Luther’s thoughts and dinner conversations have been recorded by several unnamed colleagues and students. His speaking style is direct, contains some humor, and shows the passion he felt on issues separating him from Catholics, Muslims (referred to as “Turks”), and Jews. He also had opinions about some of his fellow Reformers. Reading this book reminds you that Martin Luther spent formative hours as a Catholic; and after he stepped outside the monistic life to become a critic, he remained a man with a great deal of love for others’ souls.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luthers table chat recorded by his students . There is a lot here about what made him tick - some lovely theological musing with beautiful mediation on Christ’s passion and nuanced views on free will and justification. As the reformation seeks to place faith and scripture centre stage again there are fierce pastoral concerns . Luthers faults are here too, and though they would not have been u nusual back then they jar horribly now , though with historical figures one always has to take the good and the bad.

Overall I really enjoyed listening to this on my walk to work despite the American narration not being great.

[Pig Rieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I only listened to this one on Audible.

The book consists of Luther’s friends compiling 500 quotes of the reformer from his conversations and informal speeches. In this sense, the work is less of a book and more of a behind the scenes reference to Luther’s thoughts. As always with the former monk, the themes of justification, faith, human inability, law & gospel, and the devil come to the forefront.

A fun book, but I would recommend reading some other material by Luther to understand the ideas expressed here more thoroughly and in context.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are the collections of the talks that Luther would have around his table with really anyone who would listen. Some would ask questions, others would just observe, but it seemed to be a pretty popular place to be. It read almost like Luther's Twitter, where most comments were off the cuff and as such without much tact. Some conversations and answers were pretty good. Others were pretty wild. All of them were interesting.

[Jeremy Counts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read looking into the various teachings of Martin Luther to his students. On the one hand, I found myself laughing on multiple occasions due to his quick-witted humor and snarky remarks, and on the other deeply moved and encouraged by his vehement teaching of Sola Fide. Reading this really gives you a picture of what he was like.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read looking into the various teachings of Martin Luther to his students. On the one hand, I found myself laughing on multiple occasions due to his quick-witted humor and snarky remarks, and on the other deeply moved and encouraged by his vehement teaching of Sola Fide. Reading this really gives you a picture of what he was like.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Luther was not only a great theologian but a witty and seemingly very entertaining host. I can't express how much I would have loved being a part of a dinner at the Luther household.

It is well worth the read and I would recommend that everyone read it at least once in their life. I know I will definitely purchase a harcover copy and reread parts as often as I can.

[Mary A. Waalkes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zero editing and nearly unreadable

There has been no attempt to clean up words that copied poorly to the page. One example suffices as the Kindle
version is rife with errors. "He i aniseed from" which the context suggests should be "he vanished from." I'm glad I didn't spend any more than I did, and will delete it from my Kindle.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Purchased April 2004? 2007? Started reading this January and finished August 1, 2019.
Interesting perspectives coming from 500 years ago and very different cultural and world context. 95 Theses included as appendix.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luther in his writing is wonderful enough, but this is a record of his private conversations on spiritual topics from around the dinner table (hence the title). The simplicity and candor with which Luther spoke should inspire us today to be speak of spiritual matters in our everyday lives.