Martin Luther: A Life

Martin Luther: A Life. By James A. Nestingen. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 2003. 112 pp. $9.99 (cloth).

Martin Luther: A Life is a concise yet easily readable biography of Luther that was published in conjunction with the recent movie on Luther released in the fall of 2003. The book includes some photos from the movie.

Nestingen, a Luther scholar who teaches at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, provides us with an incisive overview of Luther's life and the major issues that shaped his life and world. In the first chapter, Nestingen covers the early life of Luther, culminating in his "conversion experience" and the subsequent entrance into the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt, his trip to Rome, and his appointment to the faculty of theology at Wittenberg.

In the second and third chapters, Nestingen deals with the timing of the "reformation breakthrough" and the igniting of what he calls the "revolution." The author examines Luther's early lectures on the Bible, as well as the gradual piecing together of his "reformation" theology in his famous "95 Theses" and his great theological treatise, "The Heidelberg Disputation." We are also introduced to Melanchthon, who would become Luther's closest colleague and a counterbalance to him. Nestingen's description of the theological climate and the "theological rabies" of theologians is especially descriptive. The vehemence with which theologians would attack each other is often overlooked in such general biographies.

In the fourth and fifth chapters, Nestingen addresses the development of Luther's thought as the conflict became more public. The seminal treatises of 1520, including the "Babylonian Captivity of the Church," "The Freedom of a Christian," and "To the German Nobility," are accorded solid overviews. These chapters also discuss the papal bull against Luther and his reaction to it, the Diet of Worms, the political and ecclesial fallout for Luther and the reform movement, and the tentative beginnings of a new ecclesial structure. Again, Nestingen shows an experienced hand in providing an informative tour of this crucial era without minimizing or sentimentalizing these events.

After a chapter that deals with Luther's family Hie and his relationship to Katherina von Bora, Nestingen enters back into the discussion of liturgical renewal and ecclesial reform. In chapters 7 to 9, Nestingen shows a deft hand, providing a sufficiently detailed account without getting bogged down in detail.

In the final chapter, Nestingen recounts the waning years of Luther's life, including the unfortunate treatises against the Jews, the disintegration of the Schmalkald League formed by the Protesting Princes, Luther's illnesses, and finally his death.

Nestingen has packed a lot of information into this slim volume without glossing over the details. It is a very useful book to introduce pastors and parishioners to the life of Luther. The only critiques that might arise over this book would be from Luther scholars who would debate about some of the details of various characters and events, based on their own specific areas of research. While there are always aspects of the story of Luther that one could wish were also included in this easily readable volume, Nestingen has nevertheless wisely chosen the important kernels of the story of Luther's life and theology. The color photos included from the Luther movie of the same name are a bonus in this book.

GORDON A. JENSEN

Lutheran Theological Seminary

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Copyright Anglican Theological Review, Inc. Summer 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved