The late Heiko A. Oberman was professor of medieval,
Renaissance, and Reformation history at the University of
Arizona.
"This remarkable study, combining learning, realism, and literary
adroitness, brings us close to Luther. Above all, it conveys
Luther's power: the intensity of his faith, the coherence of his
thought, the force of his personality."—New Yorker
"This magnificent biography . . . is teeming with ideas and is
altogether worthy of its great, gutsy subject."—Harry Reid, Glasgow
Herald
"If the world is to gain from Luther it must turn to the real
Luther—furious, violent, foul-mouthed, passionately concerned. Him
it will find in Oberman’s book, a labour of love."—G. R. Elton,
Journal of Ecclesiastical History
"Oberman rivets attention on Luther as he was. He prods the reader
to set aside views mediated by tradition and prejudice. Yet,
paradoxically, by locking Luther in the past and showing us our
distance from him, he unlocks a truer Luther for the present;
passionate commitment and dynamism are freshly provocative.
Oberman's hallmark is to combine rigorous historical scholarship
with theological sensitivity. The book is a milestone in
Reformation studies."—Susan Moor, Scotsman
"Oberman makes such good sense of the man that all other attempts
to explain him, as a maniac, or a martyr to constipation, or as a
saint, seem trivial by comparison."—Eric Christiansen,
Spectator
"The late Heiko Oberman was a formidable Reformation scholar and
Luther’s biography, originally published 24 years ago, makes a
welcome re-appearance in paperback. . . . This is a better
account of the 16th-century Luther than of his legacy. The author
presents us with a man who saw this world as a battlefield over
which God and the devil fought. That is the arena we must enter if
we want to understand the man who helped shape our modern
world."—Derek Wilson, BBC History Magazine
"When Martin Luther challenged the ruling powers of his time, the
movement he initiated changed the social, political, intellectual
and religious structures of western history. But what did Luther
intend, and what did he actually accomplish? Heiko Oberman,
internationally recognized as one of the most distinguished
historians of the Reformation, addresses these questions in this
readable book. Presenting a vivid portrait of a man too often
portrayed as a saint or a devil, Oberman shows how
Luther—passionate, courageous and stubborn—simultaneously aroused
fierce loyalty in his admirers and violent antagonism among his
enemies."—Elaine Pagels
"This is the biography of Luther for our time by the world’s
foremost authority."—Steven Ozment, Harvard University
"This remarkable study, combining learning, realism, and
literary adroitness, brings us close to Luther. Above all, it
conveys Luther's power: the intensity of his faith, the coherence
of his thought, the force of his personality."-New Yorker
"This magnificent biography . . . is teeming with ideas and
is altogether worthy of its great, gutsy subject."-Harry Reid,
Glasgow Herald
"If the world is to gain from Luther it must turn to the real
Luther-furious, violent, foul-mouthed, passionately concerned. Him
it will find in Oberman's book, a labour of love."-G. R. Elton,
Journal of Ecclesiastical History
"Oberman rivets attention on Luther as he was. He prods the
reader to set aside views mediated by tradition and prejudice. Yet,
paradoxically, by locking Luther in the past and showing us our
distance from him, he unlocks a truer Luther for the present;
passionate commitment and dynamism are freshly provocative.
Oberman's hallmark is to combine rigorous historical scholarship
with theological sensitivity. The book is a milestone in
Reformation studies."-Susan Moor, Scotsman
"Oberman makes such good sense of the man that all other
attempts to explain him, as a maniac, or a martyr to constipation,
or as a saint, seem trivial by comparison."-Eric Christiansen,
Spectator
"The late Heiko Oberman was a formidable Reformation scholar and
Luther's biography, originally published 24 years ago, makes a
welcome re-appearance in paperback. . . . This is a better account
of the 16th-century Luther than of his legacy. The author presents
us with a man who saw this world as a battlefield over which God
and the devil fought. That is the arena we must enter if we want to
understand the man who helped shape our modern world."-Derek
Wilson, BBC History Magazine
"When Martin Luther challenged the ruling powers of his time, the movement he initiated changed the social, political, intellectual and religious structures of western history. But what did Luther intend, and what did he actually accomplish? Heiko Oberman, internationally recognized as one of the most distinguished historians of the Reformation, addresses these questions in this readable book. Presenting a vivid portrait of a man too often portrayed as a saint or a devil, Oberman shows how Luther-passionate, courageous and stubborn-simultaneously aroused fierce loyalty in his admirers and violent antagonism among his enemies."-Elaine Pagels
"This is the biography of Luther for our time by the world's foremost authority."-Steven Ozment, Harvard University
In Oberman's startling portrait of Martin Luther, we meet an obstinate monk of volcanic temperament, for whom Christ and the Devil were equally real. ``Luther proclaimed the Last Days, not the modern age,'' asserts this University of Arizona history professor. The rebellious monk, we learn, called himself doctor, preacher, or professor, but never ``reformer,'' and never spoke of his movement as the ``Reformation.'' His achievement lay in ``horizontalizing'' Christian ethics by proclaiming that good works are crucial for survival in a threatened world. This weighty study gives full attention to aspects of Luther's career that other biographers have sought to minimize, such as his savage attacks on Jews and his scatological invective against the Devil. Oberman brings us closer to the real Luther. Illustrated. (Feb.)
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