Martin Luther Popular Books

Martin Luther Biography & Facts

Martin Luther (; German: [ˈmaʁtiːn ˈlʊtɐ] ; 10 November 1483– 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and Augustinian friar. He was the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation, and his theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism. Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. He came to reject several teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church; in particular, he disputed the view on indulgences. Luther attempted to resolve these differences amicably, first proposing an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in Ninety-five Theses, which he authored in 1517. In 1520, Pope Leo X demanded that Luther renounce all of his writings, and when Luther refused to do so, excommunicated him in January 1521. Later that year, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V condemned Luther as an outlaw at the Diet of Worms. When Luther died in 1546, Pope Leo X's excommunication was still in effect. Luther taught that salvation and, consequently, eternal life are not earned by good deeds; rather, they are received only as the free gift of God's grace through the believer's faith in Jesus Christ, who is the sole redeemer from sin. Luther's theology challenged the authority and office of the pope by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge, and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify Luther's wider teachings are called Lutherans, though Luther opposed the name, believing that those who professed faith in Christ should be called "Christian" or "Evangelic". Luther's translation of the Bible into German from Latin made the Bible vastly more accessible to the laity, which had a tremendous impact on both the church and German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the writing of an English translation, the Tyndale Bible. His hymns influenced the development of singing in Protestant churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora, a former nun, set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant clergy to marry.In two later works, Luther expressed anti-Judaistic views, calling for the expulsion of Jews and the burning of synagogues. These works also targeted Roman Catholics, Anabaptists, and nontrinitarian Christians. Based upon his teachings, despite the fact that Luther did not advocate the murdering of Jews, some historians contend that his rhetoric contributed to the development of antisemitism in Germany and the emergence, centuries later, of the Nazi Party. Early life and education Birth and early life Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483 to Hans Luder (or Ludher, later Luther) and his wife Margarethe (née Lindemann) in Eisleben, County of Mansfeld, in the Holy Roman Empire. Luther was baptized the next morning on the feast day of Martin of Tours. In 1484, his family moved to Mansfeld, where his father was a leaseholder of copper mines and smelters and served as one of four citizen representatives on the local council; in 1492, he was elected as a town councilor. The religious scholar Martin Marty describes Luther's mother as a hard-working woman of "trading-class stock and middling means", contrary to Luther's enemies, who labeled her a whore and bath attendant.He had several brothers and sisters and is known to have been close to one of them, Jacob. Education Hans Luther, Martin's father, was ambitious for himself and his family. He was determined to see Martin, his eldest son, become a lawyer. He sent Martin to Latin schools in Mansfeld, then Magdeburg in 1497, where he attended the Brethren of the Common Life, a school operated by a lay group, and Eisenach in 1498. The three schools focused on the so-called "trivium": grammar, rhetoric, and logic. Luther later compared his education there to purgatory and hell.In 1501, at age 17, Martin entered the University of Erfurt, which he later described as a beerhouse and whorehouse. He was made to awaken at 4 a.m. for "a day of rote learning and often wearying spiritual exercises." He received his master's degree in 1505.In accordance with his father's wishes, Luther enrolled in law but dropped out almost immediately, believing that law was an uncertain profession. Luther instead sought assurances about life and was drawn to theology and philosophy, expressing interest in Aristotle, William of Ockham, and Gabriel Biel. He was deeply influenced by two tutors, Bartholomaeus Arnoldi von Usingen and Jodocus Trutfetter, who taught him to be suspicious of even the greatest thinkers and to test everything himself by experience.Philosophy proved to be unsatisfying to Luther because it offered assurance about the use of reason but none about loving God, which Luther believed was more important. Reason could not lead men to God, Luther felt, and he thereafter developed a love-hate relationship with Aristotle over Aristotle's emphasis on reason. For Luther, reason could be used to question men and institutions, but not God. Human beings could learn about God only through divine revelation, he believed, leading him to view scripture as increasingly important.On 2 July 1505, while Luther was returning to university on horseback following a trip home, a lightning bolt struck near him during a thunderstorm. He later told his father that he was terrified of death and divine judgment, and he cried out, "Help! Saint Anna, I will become a monk!" He came to view his cry for help as a vow that he could never break. He withdrew from the university, sold his books, and entered St. Augustine's Monastery in Erfurt on 17 July 1505. One friend blamed the decision on Luther's sadness over the deaths of two friends. Luther himself seemed saddened by the move. Those who attended a farewell supper walked him to the door of the Black Cloister. "This day you see me, and then, not ever again," he said. His father was furious over what he saw as a waste of Luther's education. Monastic life Luther dedicated himself to the Augustinian order, devoting himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, pilgrimage, and frequent confession. Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair. He said, "I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailer and hangman of my poor soul."Johann von Staupitz, his superior, concluded that Luther needed more work to distract him from excessive introspection and ordered him to pursue an academic career. On 3 April 1507, Jerome Schultz, the Bishop of Brandenburg, ordained Luther in Erfurt Cathedral. The following year, in 1508, Luther began teaching theology at the University of Wittenberg. He received two bachelor's degrees, one in biblical studies on 9 March 1508, and another in the Sentences by Peter Lombard in 1509. On 19 October 1512, he was awarded his Doctor of Theology. University of Wittenbe.... Discover the Martin Luther popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Martin Luther books.

Best Seller Martin Luther Books of 2024

  • The Collected Works of Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    The Collected Works of Martin Luther

    Martin Luther

    This meticulously edited Martin Luther collection includes: Biography: Martin Luther by John Acton Works: Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences (95 theses) The Bond...

  • Works of Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Works of Martin Luther

    Martin Luther

    Luther's writings were now circulated most widely, reaching France, England, and Italy as early as 1519, and students thronged to Wittenberg to hear Luther, who had been joined by ...

  • Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther

    Lyndal Roper

    From “one of the best of the new [Martin Luther] biographers” (The New Yorker), a portrait of the complicated founding father of the Protestant Reformation, whose intellectual assa...

  • Natchez Burning synopsis, comments

    Natchez Burning

    Greg Iles

    From #1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles comes the first novel in his Natchez Burning trilogywhich also includes The Bone Tree and the upcoming Mississippi Bloodan epic ...

  • Selections from the Table Talk of Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Selections from the Table Talk of Martin Luther

    Martin Luther

    An interesting read on Luther's theology and review of events going on during the beginning of his part of the REformation.

  • Malcolm X synopsis, comments

    Malcolm X

    Manning Marable

    Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History and a New York Times bestseller, the definitive biography of Malcolm XHailed as "a masterpiece" (San Francisco Chronicle), M...

  • The FBI and Martin Luther King, Jr. synopsis, comments

    The FBI and Martin Luther King, Jr.

    David J. Garrow

    The author of Bearing the Cross, the Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of Martin Luther King Jr., exposes the government’s massive surveillance campaign against the civil rights lea...

  • His Truth Is Marching On synopsis, comments

    His Truth Is Marching On

    Jon Meacham & John Lewis

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An intimate and revealing portrait of civil rights icon and longtime U.S. congressman John Lewis, linking his life to the painful quest for justice in...

  • Begin Again synopsis, comments

    Begin Again

    Eddie S. Glaude JR.

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A powerful study of how to bear witness in a moment when America is being called to do the same.”Time James Baldwin grew disillusioned by the failure of...

  • Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther

    Eric Metaxas

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Metaxas is a scrupulous chronicler and has an eye for a good story. . . . full, instructive, and pacey.” The Washington PostFrom #1 New York Times bestsel...

  • Martin Luther King, Jr. synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Marshall Frady

    "a quick introduction to the life of a great American" The New York TimesAn inspiring portrait of the incredible life and lasting influence of Dr. Martin Luther KingMarshall Frady...

  • Works of Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Works of Martin Luther

    Martin Luther

    Presents critiques of four works of the Nobel Prizewinning civil rights leader and guides readers through the process of analyzing them from different critical angles, including mo...

  • The Small Catechism of Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    The Small Catechism of Martin Luther

    Martin Luther & Robert E. Smith

    This short and engaging document, translated by Robert E. Smith, has Martin Luther giving advice on how to teach the Ten Commandments and other Christian doctrines to children.

  • The Man Who Had a Dream - Martin Luther King synopsis, comments

    The Man Who Had a Dream - Martin Luther King

    Alan Concannon

    This short book covers the main aspects of Martin Luther King’s life and death fighting for Civil Rights in America. King studied and used many philosophies of the great writer Tol...

  • Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther

    Martin Luther & John Dillenberger

    The development of Martin Luther's thought was both a symptom and moving force in the transformation of the Middle Ages into the modern world. Geographical discovery, an emerging s...

  • I am Martin Luther King, Jr. synopsis, comments

    I am Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Brad Meltzer & Christopher Eliopoulos

    The eighth biography in this New York Times bestselling series features one of America's greatest civil rights heroes, Martin Luther King, Jr. (Cover may vary)As a child,...

  • Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther

    Catherine MacKenzie

    What made an ordinary monk become a catalyst for the Reformation in Europe in the 1500s? What were the reasons lying behind his nailing of 95 theses against the practice of indulge...

  • Dear Martin synopsis, comments

    Dear Martin

    Nic Stone

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD FINALIST ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME   After a traffic stop turns violent at the hands of the p...

  • Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther

    Martin E. Marty

    Called 'The most influential interpreter of American religion' by Bill Moyers, renowned historian and Lutheran pastor Martin Marty portrays the religious reformer Martin Luther as ...

  • Go Set a Watchman synopsis, comments

    Go Set a Watchman

    Harper Lee

    #1 New York Times Bestseller“Go Set a Watchman is such an important book, perhaps the most important novel on race to come out of the white South in decades."   New York ...

  • Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther

    Scott H. Hendrix

    The sixteenthcentury German friar whose public conflict with the medieval Roman Church triggered the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther was neither an unblemished saint nor a si...

  • All About Martin Luther King Jr synopsis, comments

    All About Martin Luther King Jr

    McConnon's Kids

    The first grade class at Mabel Hoggard Elementary School shares highlights of life of Martin Luther King Jr.

  • Martin Luther King Jr. synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther King Jr.

    Cheri Merwin

    Martin Luther King Jr. still impacts our lives today. A class of second graders took the time to research, study, learn about this great leader. This is what they discovered about ...

  • The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr. synopsis, comments

    The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Martin Luther King Jr. & Clayborne Carson

    A collection of the most wellknown and treasured writings and speeches of Dr. King, available for the first time as an ebookThe Essential Martin Luther King, Jr. is the ultimate co...

  • The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. synopsis, comments

    The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Clayborne Carson

    With knowledge, spirit, good humor, and passion, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. brings to life a remarkable man whose thoughts and actions speak to our most burning...

  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. synopsis, comments

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

    Mrs. McConnon's

    Mrs. McConnon’s first grade class shares information about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

  • A Lesson for Martin Luther King Jr. synopsis, comments

    A Lesson for Martin Luther King Jr.

    Denise Lewis Patrick

    In this Level 2 ReadytoRead story, young Martin Luther King Jr. is having some problems with his best friend, Bobby. First, they are going to different schools this year. Next, Bob...

  • Hellhound on His Trail synopsis, comments

    Hellhound on His Trail

    Hampton Sides

    NATIONAL BESTSELLEREdgar Award NomineeOne of the Best Books of the Year: O, The Oprah Magazine, Time, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, St. Louis PostDispatch, Sa...

  • Martin Luther King, Jr., on Leadership synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther King, Jr., on Leadership

    Donald T. Phillips

    Read the detailed and absorbing chronicle of Martin Luther King's leadership during the most tumultuous period in America's recent pastfeaturing a foreword by Dr. Bernice King.Mart...

  • The Hymns of Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    The Hymns of Martin Luther

    Martin Luther

    These hymns inspire the development of congregational singing in Christianity.

  • Reading Comprehension for 5th Grade - Martin Luther King Jr. Theme synopsis, comments

    Reading Comprehension for 5th Grade - Martin Luther King Jr. Theme

    Courseware Solutions Inc

    Reading Comprehension for 5th Grade Martin Luther King Jr. Theme is a collection of five stories about Martin Luther King Jr. for students in 4th to 6th grade. The stories include...

  • Great Speeches by African Americans synopsis, comments

    Great Speeches by African Americans

    James Daley

    Tracing the struggle for freedom and civil rights across two centuries, this anthology comprises speeches by Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther Ki...

  • Meet Martin Luther King, Jr. synopsis, comments

    Meet Martin Luther King, Jr.

    James T. de Kay

    Learn about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with this revised edition of the popular Random House Step Up(TM) Biography of the great civilrights leader and advocate for pe...

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Keep The Dream Alive. synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther King Jr. Keep The Dream Alive.

    McConnon's Kids

    Mrs. McConnon’s first grade class shares information about the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

  • Martin Luther synopsis, comments

    Martin Luther

    John Schofield

    Martin Luther was so angered by the sale of indulgences (pardons for sins granted by the Pope) that, in 1517, he nailed ninetyfive arguments for reform of the Roman Catholic Church...

  • Coming of Age in Mississippi synopsis, comments

    Coming of Age in Mississippi

    Anne Moody

    The unforgettable memoir of a woman at the front lines of the civil rights movementa harrowing account of black life in the rural South and a powerful affirmation of one person’s a...

  • Where Do We Go from Here synopsis, comments

    Where Do We Go from Here

    Martin Luther King Jr. & Vincent Harding

    In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., isolated himself from the demands of the civil rights movement, rented a house in Jamaica with no telephone, and labored over his final manusc...