Confessional Lutheran
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2017
- Messages
- 867
- Age
- 51
- Location
- Northern Virginia
- Gender
- Male
- Religious Affiliation
- Lutheran
- Political Affiliation
- Moderate
- Marital Status
- Divorced
- Acceptance of the Trinity & Nicene Creed
- Yes
In this very personably written tome, Mr. Metaxas takes us on a grand tour not only of Luther's life, but the history of his family and the conditions around him that made the Glorious Reformation possible. This book is written from a very Lutheran point of view, in that truth takes first priority. Metaxas sifts through the documented events of Luther's life and he separates fact from fiction quite clearly. In the beginning, he takes us on a tour of the Luther household in Mansfeld, which is a veritable treasure trove of sixteenth- century Saxon memorabilia. Martin's father, Hans, was no plodding peasant, but a mining entrepreneur who was partially financed by his in- laws, the Lindemanns, who themselves were minor gentry of the area.
The influence of the Renaissance in this period was all pervasive. In fact, Luther's family name was Ludher ( which might suggest somebody of a less than reputable reputation) which he'd changed ( in the classical spirit of the time) to Eleutherios, which is actually a Greek term meaning " the liberated one." After a time, he'd condensed " Eleutherios" to " Luther" and by this name, he and his family were identified. Metaxas not only goes over Luther's personal history, but he also goes over the histories of his acquaintances, friends and even his rivals, both Roman and Radical.
Luther is presented as a man tormented by an unappeasable conscience, who in his turn plagued his Father Confessor, Johann von Staupitz, who figured that a life of academia might be able to help Luther overcome his pedantic scrupulosity.
The book covers Luther's education, his monastic background and his subsequent career in Biblical studies. The man obviously had a busy life, but somehow he'd managed ( with the help of some compatriots) to find the time to launch a Reformation between his studies and his lectures. The book also covers the reactions of the general public, first the Saxon and later the European public, to Luther's gradually evolving teaching, first from that of a humble ( well, sort of) Augustinian monk who was later ordained a priest to a Reformer bent on exposing and rooting out the errors he found being promulgated by the Roman hierarchy. Metaxas also had a few choice words for the Medici Pope, Leo X, whose pontificate was the sixth of six rather worldly and corrupt Popes who followed one right after the other. Metaxas brings us to the ornate halls of the Vatican and Pope Leo's attitude that the Reformation wouldn't last three weeks, but would be overcome, either by persuasion or flames.
Would you believe me if I said that Luther had absolutely no desire to split from the church, nor did he want to take the better part of Northern Europe with him? He wanted an academic discussion on what he perceived as ecclesiastical abuse in the buying and selling of Indulgences to finance the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Gutenberg's Printing Press and the absence of copyright laws meant that Luther's posting on the door of the Schlosskirche, or the Castle Church in Wittenberg ( and his mailing of his Theses to the Archbishop of Mainz and the latter's forwarding of the document to Rome) would be copied, translated into German and disseminated throughout the literate populace of Electoral Saxony. Once the deed was done, though, Luther wasn't about to back down. Of course, the powers that were were furious.
Luther wasn't exactly happy with the spiritual state of his local Saxons or with what he saw as the rampant corruption and mockery of God and His Word that he found on the streets of Rome during his only venture outside his native Saxony as a young monk. he certainly felt that changes were needed. He found ready allies among the faculty of Wittenberg and the two men who became closest to him were Phillip Melanchthon ( born Schwartzerdt) and Justus Jonas. Metaxas makes it a point to let the reader understand that it wasn't only a few people who protested the power and influence of the Roman Church, but many among nobles and peasantry alike saw local cash flow going steadily out of the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire and into the papal coffers. They also noted that people ordained to be the spiritual shepherds of the people seemed more interested in living lives of luxury than tending their flocks. Luther's writings became powder kegs that ignited into a Peasant Rebellion that Luther could not control.
Led by Thomas Muntzer, this uprising led to hundreds of deaths ( including that of the apocalyptic and quite probably insane Muntzer) and Luther himself encouraged the princes and noble to show no mercy to the rebels, but to cut them down. As the ashes cooled, Luther's opponents lost no time in putting the responsibility for the rebellion squarely on Luther's shoulders. Throughout his life, Martin Luther would speak of the Two Kingdoms, that of the church and that of the state. Luther maintained that both were ordained of God and that by no means should one rebel against the state using Christianity as a pretext. Of course, Luther felt that the institutional Roman hierarchy had strayed so far from the simple faith of Jesus and the Apostles that it needed a complete overhaul. He didn't consider himself a rebel or the one responsible for fracturing the Christian Church, but laid that responsibility squarely at the feet of Pope Leo X, Johann von Eck and the hierarchy. In fact, Luther wrote a response to the Bull of his excommunication and in that response declared the Pope and his supporters excommunicate.
Throughout Luther's life, he'd have to live in hiding, he'd have to counter the attacks of men such as Desiderius Erasmus and King Henry VIII of England and he would be utterly dependent on the goodwill of noblemen such as the Elector of Saxony for his own survival. His marriage to Katharine von Bora ( dispelling another myth, Metaxas informs us that no herring barrels were involved in the escape of nuns who were converted to the Evangelical faith from their convent) was itself a theological statement and " a blow both to Satan and the Antichrist." Luther calmed down somewhat after this marriage, but he still had to write vigorously to defend and explain his theologies and to counter the claims of other Reformers such as Ulrich Zwingli of Switzerland who denied the efficacy of the sacraments.
Metaxas takes us to the birth of the Large and Small Catechisms, the Diet of Augsburg and the Confession and Apology that came of that as well as the Articles of Smalkald, which Luther wrote to make absolutely clear his position on the Church, the State, Justification by God's grace through faith, the work of God through the Sacraments and his affirmation of the historic, Christian Church that he thought, together with his allies, to return to the pure teaching of the Law and Gospel. Luther and Kathie lived in what was once the Black Cloister and raised a large family. They also boarded students and Kathie was an extremely industrious and productive life partner for the Reverend Father Dr. Martin Luther. She teased him and he teased her, but it seems that it was all in fun. Luther also kept preaching, lecturing and writing.
After awhile, all that began to take its toll both physically and spiritually. Luther was still given to fits of anger and constipation, he suffered from an abscess in his leg and his health suffered from his years and the many burdens he carried. He wrote some vicious things against the Jews, the Anabaptists and the Sacramentarians ( Zwinglian/ Calvinists), encouraging the rulers to rid themselves and Germany of the presence of those he considered heretical. At the end of his life, with Justus Jonas and his sons at his side, he reaffirmed his faith and died quietly in Eisleben, his birthplace, where he traveled to broker a peace in a miner's dispute. At the Elector's command, Martin Luther's body was escorted back to Wittenberg and buried in front of the pulpit of the Castle Church.
Luther's actions have reverberated throughout time and made a priority of freedom of conscience. Luther also advocated for universal education and acknowledged the everyday holiness of the common worker, declaring that every Christian was a priest and every vocation a calling just as holy as those that clergy receive. He declared that there was One Universal Church that the elect of every human denomination was a part of, although in those denominations holy and unholy people alike rubbed shoulders. Luther spoke of the vitality of faith in the life of the Christian and how faith was strengthened by using the sacraments, through which God worked to transform His people.
In conclusion, Luther was one of the world's most influential people, but that influence was neither sought after nor even expected. Luther considered himself to be bringing the Gospel back to the people, not coming up with any new doctrines, such as the Anabaptists or the Reformed Christians had done. He condemned the efforts of people and institutions to explain what are essentially mysteries of God that human reason simply cannot penetrate. His faith, his passion and his work changed the world.
The influence of the Renaissance in this period was all pervasive. In fact, Luther's family name was Ludher ( which might suggest somebody of a less than reputable reputation) which he'd changed ( in the classical spirit of the time) to Eleutherios, which is actually a Greek term meaning " the liberated one." After a time, he'd condensed " Eleutherios" to " Luther" and by this name, he and his family were identified. Metaxas not only goes over Luther's personal history, but he also goes over the histories of his acquaintances, friends and even his rivals, both Roman and Radical.
Luther is presented as a man tormented by an unappeasable conscience, who in his turn plagued his Father Confessor, Johann von Staupitz, who figured that a life of academia might be able to help Luther overcome his pedantic scrupulosity.
The book covers Luther's education, his monastic background and his subsequent career in Biblical studies. The man obviously had a busy life, but somehow he'd managed ( with the help of some compatriots) to find the time to launch a Reformation between his studies and his lectures. The book also covers the reactions of the general public, first the Saxon and later the European public, to Luther's gradually evolving teaching, first from that of a humble ( well, sort of) Augustinian monk who was later ordained a priest to a Reformer bent on exposing and rooting out the errors he found being promulgated by the Roman hierarchy. Metaxas also had a few choice words for the Medici Pope, Leo X, whose pontificate was the sixth of six rather worldly and corrupt Popes who followed one right after the other. Metaxas brings us to the ornate halls of the Vatican and Pope Leo's attitude that the Reformation wouldn't last three weeks, but would be overcome, either by persuasion or flames.
Would you believe me if I said that Luther had absolutely no desire to split from the church, nor did he want to take the better part of Northern Europe with him? He wanted an academic discussion on what he perceived as ecclesiastical abuse in the buying and selling of Indulgences to finance the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Gutenberg's Printing Press and the absence of copyright laws meant that Luther's posting on the door of the Schlosskirche, or the Castle Church in Wittenberg ( and his mailing of his Theses to the Archbishop of Mainz and the latter's forwarding of the document to Rome) would be copied, translated into German and disseminated throughout the literate populace of Electoral Saxony. Once the deed was done, though, Luther wasn't about to back down. Of course, the powers that were were furious.
Luther wasn't exactly happy with the spiritual state of his local Saxons or with what he saw as the rampant corruption and mockery of God and His Word that he found on the streets of Rome during his only venture outside his native Saxony as a young monk. he certainly felt that changes were needed. He found ready allies among the faculty of Wittenberg and the two men who became closest to him were Phillip Melanchthon ( born Schwartzerdt) and Justus Jonas. Metaxas makes it a point to let the reader understand that it wasn't only a few people who protested the power and influence of the Roman Church, but many among nobles and peasantry alike saw local cash flow going steadily out of the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire and into the papal coffers. They also noted that people ordained to be the spiritual shepherds of the people seemed more interested in living lives of luxury than tending their flocks. Luther's writings became powder kegs that ignited into a Peasant Rebellion that Luther could not control.
Led by Thomas Muntzer, this uprising led to hundreds of deaths ( including that of the apocalyptic and quite probably insane Muntzer) and Luther himself encouraged the princes and noble to show no mercy to the rebels, but to cut them down. As the ashes cooled, Luther's opponents lost no time in putting the responsibility for the rebellion squarely on Luther's shoulders. Throughout his life, Martin Luther would speak of the Two Kingdoms, that of the church and that of the state. Luther maintained that both were ordained of God and that by no means should one rebel against the state using Christianity as a pretext. Of course, Luther felt that the institutional Roman hierarchy had strayed so far from the simple faith of Jesus and the Apostles that it needed a complete overhaul. He didn't consider himself a rebel or the one responsible for fracturing the Christian Church, but laid that responsibility squarely at the feet of Pope Leo X, Johann von Eck and the hierarchy. In fact, Luther wrote a response to the Bull of his excommunication and in that response declared the Pope and his supporters excommunicate.
Throughout Luther's life, he'd have to live in hiding, he'd have to counter the attacks of men such as Desiderius Erasmus and King Henry VIII of England and he would be utterly dependent on the goodwill of noblemen such as the Elector of Saxony for his own survival. His marriage to Katharine von Bora ( dispelling another myth, Metaxas informs us that no herring barrels were involved in the escape of nuns who were converted to the Evangelical faith from their convent) was itself a theological statement and " a blow both to Satan and the Antichrist." Luther calmed down somewhat after this marriage, but he still had to write vigorously to defend and explain his theologies and to counter the claims of other Reformers such as Ulrich Zwingli of Switzerland who denied the efficacy of the sacraments.
Metaxas takes us to the birth of the Large and Small Catechisms, the Diet of Augsburg and the Confession and Apology that came of that as well as the Articles of Smalkald, which Luther wrote to make absolutely clear his position on the Church, the State, Justification by God's grace through faith, the work of God through the Sacraments and his affirmation of the historic, Christian Church that he thought, together with his allies, to return to the pure teaching of the Law and Gospel. Luther and Kathie lived in what was once the Black Cloister and raised a large family. They also boarded students and Kathie was an extremely industrious and productive life partner for the Reverend Father Dr. Martin Luther. She teased him and he teased her, but it seems that it was all in fun. Luther also kept preaching, lecturing and writing.
After awhile, all that began to take its toll both physically and spiritually. Luther was still given to fits of anger and constipation, he suffered from an abscess in his leg and his health suffered from his years and the many burdens he carried. He wrote some vicious things against the Jews, the Anabaptists and the Sacramentarians ( Zwinglian/ Calvinists), encouraging the rulers to rid themselves and Germany of the presence of those he considered heretical. At the end of his life, with Justus Jonas and his sons at his side, he reaffirmed his faith and died quietly in Eisleben, his birthplace, where he traveled to broker a peace in a miner's dispute. At the Elector's command, Martin Luther's body was escorted back to Wittenberg and buried in front of the pulpit of the Castle Church.
Luther's actions have reverberated throughout time and made a priority of freedom of conscience. Luther also advocated for universal education and acknowledged the everyday holiness of the common worker, declaring that every Christian was a priest and every vocation a calling just as holy as those that clergy receive. He declared that there was One Universal Church that the elect of every human denomination was a part of, although in those denominations holy and unholy people alike rubbed shoulders. Luther spoke of the vitality of faith in the life of the Christian and how faith was strengthened by using the sacraments, through which God worked to transform His people.
In conclusion, Luther was one of the world's most influential people, but that influence was neither sought after nor even expected. Luther considered himself to be bringing the Gospel back to the people, not coming up with any new doctrines, such as the Anabaptists or the Reformed Christians had done. He condemned the efforts of people and institutions to explain what are essentially mysteries of God that human reason simply cannot penetrate. His faith, his passion and his work changed the world.
