August 14, 2017
This is a highly readable, fast-paced biography of Luther with some peculiar omissions. Metaxas follows a fairly basic chronological path, starting with Luther’s childhood and ending with his death. While Metaxas ostentatiously announces his work as going “beyond the myth”, there seems to be little new here, and Metaxas’s claims to originality are mostly backed by his commentary on the work of previous historians (particularly Erik Erikson) rather than by his own new interpretations of historical material. Metaxas admirably sets the scene for the later convulsions within the church now known as the Protestant Reformation: Luther’s rise to prominence in Wittenberg, Germany; his disillusionment with the church; the posting of his theses; the Leipzig debate; and the Diet of Worms. But the book also notably downplays some of the more contentious aspects of Luther’s work, including his diatribes against Jews, which are given fewer than 10 pages, and Luther’s council to Philip of Hesse regarding his bigamous marriage, which isn’t mentioned at all. These blank spaces make it difficult to see Metaxas’s work as a critical evaluation of Luther and render this volume of doubtful use to scholars. General readers may enjoy the cheerful tone of Metaxas’s writing.
September 1, 2017
A meaty autobiography of the Reformation leader.Metaxas (If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty, 2016, etc.) brings his flair for epic biography that was on such impressive display in his 2010 book, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Despite a glut of Luther biographies surrounding the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Metaxas offers something different and special. As in many other works about Luther, the author follows his life chronologically and covers much familiar ground. However, he manages to concentrate on certain aspects of Luther's life and times that set his work apart. Metaxas expertly introduces the many key players in Luther's saga in ways that make them understandable and unique to lay readers; notably, he realizes that places are often personae, and he treats the places of the Luther story as characters to be understood for the roles they played. The author relies heavily on primary sources, trusting his audience to read along with him in these documents. Unlike many biographers, Metaxas includes the full text of all 95 Theses (the key to the Reformation's birth) in the middle of the book, devoting nine pages to them. Elsewhere, readers find an entire letter to Pope Leo X, who excommunicated Luther, and lengthy excerpts from other key source material. Most importantly, Metaxas shares rarely told stories about his subject, adding depth to an understanding of his life. He spends dozens of pages retelling Luther's decision to marry and the details of his married life, details that are often a mere mention in other biographies. Finally, the Metaxas flair for dramatic language is on full display: "It is indeed as though every medieval mountain were uprooted and the whole Potemkin range of them cast into the heart of the sea....The curtain was whisked back and the papal Oz exposed as a fraud, frantically pulling his ecclesiastical levers." Perfect for lay readers who want something more than a mere introduction to Luther.
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November 15, 2017
The 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation has spawned a plethora of books, including several biographies of the movement's founder, Martin Luther. In addition, there are several classics such as Roland Bainton's Here I Stand. Metaxas (Bonhoeffer; Amazing Grace) adds to these by attempting to capture the motivations and impact of this larger-than-life figure in a volume that will appeal to general readers. Key to Metaxas's effort is relaying the facts of Luther's life while dispelling some of the myths. Rather than delving too deeply, the author clearly explains the basic theological issues and even some of the political climate behind the theological debates. He sums up Luther's impact by stating "the quintessentially modern idea of the individual...the more recent ideas of pluralism, religious liberty, and self-government all entered history through the door that Luther opened to the future in which we now live." The author shows the human side of Luther by relaying his foibles and emotions but does not examine in depth some of the problem areas, such as his treatment of the Anabaptists and others who disagreed with his theology. VERDICT Anyone interested in religious history will thoroughly enjoy this readable biography. Highly recommended.--Ray Arnett, Anderson, SC
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