Luther the Reformer
ISBN: 9781506416861
Platform/Publisher: Project MUSE / Augsburg Fortress Publishers
Digital rights: Users: Unlimited; Printing: Chapters; Download: Chapters
Subjects: Theology Doctrinal; Lutheran Church; Reformation;

For nearly thirty years, James M. Kittelson's Luther the Reformer has been the standard biography of Martin Luther. Like Roland Bainton's biography of the generation before, Kittelson's volume is the one known by thousands of students, pastors, and interested readers as the biography that gave them the details of this dramatic man and his history.

The accolades were well deserved. 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.

For this revised edition, Hans H. Wiersma has made an outstanding text even better. The research is updated, and the text is revised throughout, with an emphasis on retaining the tone and pace of the original. Additionally, the volume has an entirely new map and image program, updated bibliographies, improved timelines, and other features to enhance the reading experience.

It's a great volume, greatly improved.


James M. Kittelson was professor of church history at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. He was the author of several books. He died in 2003.



Hans H. Wiersma is associate professor of religion at Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a widely respected teacher and the coauthor and contributor to the popular Crazy Book (2009) and Crazy Talk (2008) volumes, both from Fortress Press.

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