Author: Martin Luther
Genre: Non-Fiction, Historical Theology
Release Date: August 8, 2017
In 1517, an unknown Augustinian monk, informed by his growing belief that salvation is by faith alone, published and distributed a stark criticism of papal abuses in the Catholic Church. In doing so, Martin Luther lit the spark for what would become the Protestant Reformation.
What became known as the “95 Theses” was a series of statements expressing concern with corruption within the church, primarily the selling of “indulgences” to the people as a means of releasing them from acts of penitence.
For the five hundredth anniversary of Luther’s revolutionary writing, This volume combines each thesis with an excerpt from one of his later works to provide a convenient way to understand the ideas and concepts that became the seeds of the Protestant Reformation.
Print out a fun Luther mask here.My Thoughts Being from a church that does not trace it's roots to the Protestant Reformation, I knew very little about Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. As a kid, I heard it incorrectly and thought they were talking about a rhyming word to 'theses' and wondered why on earth someone would put that on a church door and even more, why they'd celebrate it! I was intrigued with the opportunity to review this book as it would give me the chance to see what Martin Luther was all about. I liked how the book gave each of the points that Martin Luther gave and then a corresponding piece of writing by Martin Luther that would explain what that point was about. I did find it somewhat hard to read given that they constructed their sentences somewhat differently and used language we aren't accustomed to using now. Also, being unfamiliar with the Catholic church and their doctrines and practices, it made it harder to follow. I know that Martin Luther is known for the ideas that the Bible is the sole authority for what we believe and that we are saved through faith alone, but I wasn't able to tell which of the 95 theses were the ones that corresponded to those ideas. I was surprised to realize that Martin Luther believed in purgatory. This is something I do not believe since Paul said in II Corinthians 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, so as soon as a Christian dies, they go to Heaven. Overall, it was a interesting book to read and have in the library.
About the Author
Martin Luther (1483–1546) was a German monk, priest, professor of theology, and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the sale of indulgences, the church’s practice of selling pieces of paper that guaranteed freedom from God’s punishment for sin. In 1517, Luther directly confronted this and other papal abuses by publishing his “95 Theses.” In 1534, Luther published a complete translation of the Bible into German.
Guest Post from Whitaker House Publishing
In 1517, a thriving new industry was sweeping northern Germany. Begun a few centuries earlier, its reappearance in the 16th century was perhaps the cleverest abuse of church power to date. Church officials strapped for cash decided to offer remission from the punishment for sins, or “indulgence,” to German believers in return for a commensurate amount of money. The slick church salesmanship of indulgences incensed one young priest, who believed that faithful Christians were being manipulated and the Word of God misinterpreted. He wrote a pamphlet comprised of 95 claims that he hoped would inspire scholarly debate. Titled Disputation of Dr. Martin Luther Concerning Penitence and Indulgences, it went down in history as “The 95 Theses.”
Most historians believe that Martin Luther did not intend to spark a public debate. It was written in Latin, the language of scholars, and pinned to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church which served as a “bulletin board” of sorts, where Luther knew fellow theologians would see it and perhaps engage in a discussion on the topic.
Luther’s pamphlet, however, was not another piece of paper flapping in the wind. Someone translated into German, and distributed it to the public with the help of a recent invention—the printing press. Luther tried to retrieve his work, but the damage was done. Within weeks, the debate that began in Wittenberg spread throughout Germany, and within months, all of Europe.
Five hundred years later, Whitaker House presents each of Luther’s 95 Theses paired with an excerpt from his many writings. Not every excerpt directly relates to the accompanying thesis, but we endeavored to select passages in which Luther was expounding on the same subject. Where further explanation was thought necessary to contextualize his words, a footnote is included. We hope you find 95: The Ideas That Changed the World an accessible and fascinating look into the ideas of this groundbreaking priest who stood up for God’s Word, the grace of the gospel—and made history.
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Giveaway:
To celebrate the tour, Whitaker House is giving away
Grand Prize: 95: The Ideas That Birthed the Reformation by Martin Luther, KJVER Sword Study Bible/Personal Size Large Print-Burgundy Genuine Leather ($60 value), Whitaker House/Anchor Coloring Book.
First Place: 95: The Ideas That Birthed the Reformation by Martin Luther, “This is The Day” ceramic mug from Christian Arts Gifts, Whitaker House/Anchor Coloring Book
Second Place: 95: The Ideas That Birthed the Reformation by Martin Luther, Whitaker House/Anchor Coloring Book!!
First Place: 95: The Ideas That Birthed the Reformation by Martin Luther, “This is The Day” ceramic mug from Christian Arts Gifts, Whitaker House/Anchor Coloring Book
Second Place: 95: The Ideas That Birthed the Reformation by Martin Luther, Whitaker House/Anchor Coloring Book!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c517
"95: The Ideas That Birthed..." is available in paperback:
- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Whitaker House (August 8, 2017)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 162911961X
- ISBN-13: 978-1629119618
- Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
and in Kindle edition:
- File Size: 2261 KB
- Print Length: 192 pages
- Publisher: Whitaker House (August 8, 2017)
- Publication Date: August 8, 2017
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
- Language: English
- ASIN: B071DQJN5D
I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received.
1 comment:
Had to laugh about your childhood hearing of "theses" :) I didn't grow up in a church that dealt with Luther either, but now I'm a Lutheran church organist, so I've learned a bit more. I too recently learned that Luther believed in purgatory -- I always tend to think of Lutherans being sort of a "middle step" between Catholics and "regular" protestants. Interesting review -- thank you!
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