The Making of Martin Luther
Published on 10. October 2017
Book
Hardback
296 pages
978-0-691-15515-9 (ISBN)
Description
A major new account of the most intensely creative years of Luther's career The Making of Martin Luther takes a provocative look at the intellectual emergence of one of the most original and influential minds of the sixteenth century. Richard Rex traces how, in a concentrated burst of creative energy in the few years surrounding his excommunication by Pope Leo X in 1521, this lecturer at an obscure German university developed a startling new interpretation of the Christian faith that brought to an end the dominance of the Catholic Church in Europe. Luther's personal psychology and cultural context played their parts in the whirlwind of change he unleashed. But for the man himself, it was always about the ideas, the truth, and the Gospel. Focusing on the most intensely important years of Luther's career, Rex teases out the threads of his often paradoxical and counterintuitive ideas from the tangled thickets of his writings, explaining their significance, their interconnections, and the astonishing appeal they so rapidly developed.
Yet Rex also sets these ideas firmly in the context of Luther's personal life, the cultural landscape that shaped him, and the traditions of medieval Catholic thought from which his ideas burst forth. Lucidly argued and elegantly written, The Making of Martin Luther is a splendid work of intellectual history that renders Luther's earthshaking yet sometimes challenging ideas accessible to a new generation of readers.
Yet Rex also sets these ideas firmly in the context of Luther's personal life, the cultural landscape that shaped him, and the traditions of medieval Catholic thought from which his ideas burst forth. Lucidly argued and elegantly written, The Making of Martin Luther is a splendid work of intellectual history that renders Luther's earthshaking yet sometimes challenging ideas accessible to a new generation of readers.
Reviews / Votes
"Rex's nuanced account of Luther's theology, steeped in deep learning and wry humour, demands attention."---Susannah Monta, Times Literary Supplement "Richard Rex's new book, The Making of Martin Luther, is brilliant in exposing the hair-raising character of his theology."---Melanie McDonagh, The Spectator "Readable, free of jargon, and entertaining. . . . This is a book that teaches. Its value lies in presenting briefly and pointedly what is distinctive about Luther's theological development rather than repeating the partisan caricatures of his thought and role produced by later generations of both his detractors and his followers."---Bradley A. Peterson, Reading Religion "A quick read packed with lots of good information, The Making of Martin Luther is a nice jumping-off point for Luther scholarship, whether you're a believer/theologian or a secularist/agnostic/atheist." * Manhattan Book Review * "Rex's brilliantly written biography of Luther goes from the cradle not to the grave but to the immediate aftermath of the Diet of Worms. The thread he sees as giving spiritual and intellectual unity to this period of Luther's life is the quest for certainty. . . . Considering Rex's own passionate Roman Catholicism, this is a remarkably sympathetic portrait of the Reformer, and it is possibly the best concise study of Luther's early reforming career that I have read."---Carl R. Trueman, First Things "Reading this book was a rewarding experience."---Susan C. Karant-Nunn, Journal of Ecclesiastical History "[Rex] puts forward a history of Martin Luther's progress to intransigent reformer so excellent that both admirers and critics of Luther's achievement must agree this is the best-researched, acutely observed, deeply pondered, and objectively reported account of his shattering of the Medieval Church as an uncontested European-wide phenomenon."---Patrick Madigan, Heythrop Journal "The quincentenary of Martin Luther's 95 Theses producecl a flurry of excellent books in 2017 and Richard Rex's The Making of Martin Luther is another such example. The Making is not in any way a traditional biography. The major accomplishment here is that Rex offers readers a fascinating, concise, and provocative overview of arguably Luther's most important years from his penning the 95 Theses (1517) to his Ore the Bondage of the Witt (1525)."---Christopher Petrakos, Anglican and Episcopal HistoryMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New Jersey
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Weight
539 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-691-15515-9 (9780691155159)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Richard Rex
The Making of Martin Luther
E-Book
09/2018
1st Edition
Princeton University Press
€18.49
Available for download
Person
Richard Rex is professor of Reformation history at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Queens' College. His books include Tudors: The Illustrated History and Henry VIII and the English Reformation. He lives in Cambridge, England.