Luther's Wittenberg World
The Reformer's Family, Friends, Followers, and Foes
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Augsburg Fortress
- Published: 2018
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Publisher's Description
In conversations about the Reformation, the name Martin Luther towers above all others. And rightly so. His work, vision, and writings set Christianity on a course of events that would forever change the way that most believers live and understand their faith. And yet, the Reformation was far more than Martin Luther. Around Luther were hundreds of people—fellow teachers and priests, politicians, artists, printers, and spouses—without whose activity and work the Reformation would have progressed much differently. These women and men make up Luther’s Wittenberg world, and there is much to be learned from engaging their work. In this monumental work, Robert Kolb introduces us to those individuals. Engaging and informative essays on the social, political, and economic realities of the sixteenth century frame brief introductions to over two hundred supporting “cast members” whose lives played out around Martin Luther. Comprehensively illustrated, with maps, bibliographies, and other resources, Luther’s Wittenberg World is a treasure.
Endorsements (3)
“Robert Kolb has written widely and imaginatively on the Lutheran Reformation. In this text, he challenges the false idea that Martin Luther was a solitary hero who worked independently of church and society. While acknowledging Luther's genius, Kolb presents a much more accurate picture of the period by providing incisive biographical sketches of the many men and women–supporters, resistors, and those in the middle–who were swept up in the reform. Readers of this book will be rewarded with a much richer understanding of the upheavals that convulsed sixteenth-century Europe.”
“This work will broaden significantly the reader’s understanding of Martin Luther and of the varied people who helped shape him and his movement. Providing a concise yet comprehensive overview of persons linked to Luther, this work ranges widely, discussing those who associated with Luther, influenced Luther, were influenced by him, carried on his teachings (in often varied ways), or opposed them. Short biographies, grouped according to the ways in which people related to Luther, aid the understanding of the often complex links between Luther and his fellow reformers, academic colleagues, ruling authorities, students, friends, and foes. The reader may even experience the happy surprises that come from discovering previously unconsidered connections.”
“Both informative and fun to read, Luther’s Wittenberg World is a verbal photo album of the reformer’s life, presenting brief portraits of his family, friends, colleagues, opponents, and successors. It highlights Luther’s many contacts with both men and women, fellow reformers and foreign scholars, political figures and printers. The book is a handy reference for students, pastors, and anyone interested in the many individuals whose names appear in Luther’s letters and published works.”
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