Finding Faith ... in a Martin Luther biography

Ok, Ok ... I know what you're thinking. ... He's seriously reviewing a dry biography of a dead theologian who lived some 500 years ago?

You're right. I am. ... And in many instances such as this I wouldn't begrudge you an eye roll. ... But hear me out.

Martin Luther was one of the most influential people in not only modern Western Christendom, but also in the politics of the Medieval period that shaped Northern and Southern Europe, the Near East and eventually the Americas. You cannot separate what happened politically in the 1500s from what happened with the Catholic Church, and Luther (and of course other reformers like him) was a major disruptive force to the Catholic Church.

No, Luther was not the first widely known reformer, but through a confluence of events, he became the most widely known reformer, the lightning rod, the spearhead so to speak. And so regardless of your thoughts on Christian doctrine, he was an important person in history.

A little backstory here is important: Martin Luther, who was born in 1483 and died in 1546, was a German professor of theology, pastor, composer, Augustinian monk, and one of the most important figures in the reformation.

Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507, despite the heated objections of his father. He came to reject several teachings and practices of the Catholic Church; in particular, he disputed the view on indulgences. Luther proposed an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in his "Ninety-five Theses" of 1517. Luther taught that salvation and, consequently, eternal life are not earned by good deeds but are received only as the free gift of God's grace through the believer's faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin.

His theology challenged the authority and office of the pope by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge, and he earned himself the ire of not only the pope, but also the emperor of the time, which put Luther's life in jeopardy for as many as 20 years.

To this day, followers of Luther's teachings are called Lutherans, though Luther insisted on "Christian" or "Evangelical" as the only acceptable names for individuals who professed Christ.

His translation of the Bible into the German vernacular (instead of Latin) made it more accessible to the laity, an event that 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. 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.

All in all, it's a fascinating history. ... But you know that as well as I do that a lot of theology books aren't written for a mass audience. Its a niche area of study today, and many might even argue that theology has outlived its usefulness. Trust me, as a seminarian and intern pastor, I can count many a person who has questioned my reasoning for pursuing becoming a pastor in a post-modern world.

And that is where "Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career," written by James M. Kittelson and Hans H. Wiersma, departs from most theology books. Sure, it certainly documents Luther's major works of theology as they impact his life, the church and European politics, and the writers do an excellent job of boiling the doctrine down to understandable terms. But the book doesn't focus on Luther's doctrinal work as much as they focus on his life. How his childhood years affect who he is; how the circumstances of his birthplace affect him; the troublesome relationship he had with his father; his path through university and eventually to becoming a doctor of theology, a pastor and a teacher.; his later marriage; and even the friends and enemies he accumulated along the way. The book is a detailed portrait of a man who struggled mightily with not only his religion but also how to properly defend a faith he so truly loved.

I love a good story as much as anyone. That's probably why I studied journalism. But what I know about writing is that if you can't tell the story in a way that grips people, the information you have to communicate is worthless. Well, Martin Luther is someone who cares about history, the church or even today's politics should know something about. But the beauty of Kittelson and Wiersma's book is that they take the "obilgatory-ness" out of the reading. ... Frankly, they just tell a good story, and its compelling on through the end.

On the Augsburg Fortress press website, the book is described: "Fair, insightful, and detailed without being overwhelming, Kittelson was able to negotiate a 'middle way' between the many directions of historical research and present a more complete chronological picture of Luther than many had yet portrayed."

Fair warning: The book is not new. It was first published by Fortress more than three decades ago. And it has been the standard biography of Martin Luther for thousands of students and pastors. So if you're going to learn a little something about the leading man who shaped Protestantism and the politics of Europe for half of the 16th century, then you might as well have fun doing it.

This book does that at a readable 250ish pages. There's more material that stretches the book to about 300 pages, but you might not be as interested in the timelines of his life, the indexes and other accompanying material.

It's hard to explain in just a few short words how this period of time, the Reformation reshaped Europe and thus the rest of the Western World that developed after it. So, for anyone who wants to feel that they know something about how it is as a society we go there, this is an important read. And the bonus is that authors Kittelson and Wiersma make it a fun and entertaining read as well. ... Go pick it up.