Biographies of Martin Luther are certainly not lacking. James Kittelson has provided a biography that “fills in the gaps,” not only concerning aspects of Luther’s life but also of his theology and the events surrounding his development as a reformer.

One of the confusing issues to many in our era is how Luther and others could read the same Bible verses that we so clearly see today, that show our salvation is not by any of our works but only because of the atoning death of Jesus Christ. Luther read Romans 1:17 and Ephesians 2:8-9, but was blinded by the theology of the late Middle Ages. God was a demanding judge who expected people to become righteous or pure by their own efforts. Humans were indeed sinners, and they added to their sin by blaming God “for having established his laws in the first place.”

While Jesus was righteous, He was also seen as merciful. It was up to man to change God from being a righteous judge to being merciful by acts of love, repentance, confession, and faith. Luther was a man who tried to do his best earning his way into heaven, but the more he struggled, the more his conscience tormented him. The Holy Spirit had to open up his mind and heart to discover the truth of the Bible.

This rich text helps us to understand Luther with the historical narrative of the events of his day. The competing ideologies of his day, including diverse teachings such as Erasmus and his humanistic approach and on the other side the scholastic teachers of classical Catholic theology with its heavy reliance upon Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, all had to be thoughtfully evaluated and eventually discarded.

Luther was a complex man. He is often described as crude, forceful, stubborn, unwilling to compromise, and anti-Semitic. Kittelson addresses several of these issues and neither excuses his behavior nor condemns him. Instead, he reflects upon a deep study of Luther’s own words to understand him. On the issue of anti-Semitism, Luther is seen as first a man of his times who reflected the terrible hatred of the Jews by many of his day, but also how he rejected and attacked anyone who had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and still refused to believe.

This biography rewards the reader with the background needed to understand many of the reasons for the Reformation and about the man, Martin Luther, who is credited with the re-establishment of biblical Christianity.

Dr. Timothy Skramstad
Adjunct Professor, AFLTS
Plymouth, MN

NOTE: For this 2016 revised edition, editor Hans H. Wiersma has made an outstanding text even better. The research is updated, and the text is revised throughout, with images, bibliographies, and timelines to enhance the experience. It’s a great volume, greatly improved.

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