Luther and the Reformation of the Later Middle Ages
Luther and the Reformation of the Later Middle Ages
Looking for an examination copy?
This title is not currently available for examination. However, if you are interested in the title for your course we can consider offering an examination copy. To register your interest please contact collegesales@cambridge.org providing details of the course you are teaching.
$151.00
USDIn 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, an act often linked with the start of the Reformation. In this work, Eric Leland Saak argues that the 95 Theses do not signal Luther's break from Roman Catholicism. An obedient Observant Augustinian Hermit, Luther's self-understanding from 1505 until at least 1520 was as Brother Martin Luther, Augustinian, not Reformer, and he continued to wear his habit until October 1524. Saak demonstrates that Luther's provocative act represented the culmination of the late medieval Reformation. It was only the failure of this earlier Reformation that served as a catalyst for the onset of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. Luther's true Reformation discovery had little to do with justification by faith, or with his 95 Theses. Yet his discoveries in February of 1520 were to change everything.
- Offers a radically new interpretation of Luther's early development, going beyond a confessional approach to Luther
- Proposes a new view of the relationship between the later Middle Ages and the Reformation, allowing the reader to understand the Reformation historically
- Offers a new interpretation of the onset of the Reformation in Germany
- Readers will gain an understanding of the theological components of the Reformation in the context of political developments
Reviews & endorsements
'This is a learned and tightly written work which shows a panoramic mastery of medieval sources and of Luther’s developing theology, situated firmly in the theological context of the later Middle Ages. Original language texts are provided in the footnotes for Saak’s translations. These, with the extensive bibliography, make this a solid resource for scholars.' Donald K. McKim, Journal of Ecclesiastical History
'This is an ambitious book that moves between general discussions of the era and the specifics of scholarship in Luther. Further, it ultimately delivers on its promise of offering a compelling view of late medieval Augustinianism, the diverse intellectual sources of Luther’s own thought, and the unfolding of this in the narrative of Luther’s transition from Brother Martin to the Reformer Luther.' Matthew Vanderpoel, Sixteenth Century Journal
Product details
April 2017Hardback
9781107187221
410 pages
235 × 158 × 27 mm
0.73kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. The Reformation of the later Middle Ages
- 2. Seeking God's mercy: living the Augustinian life
- 3. Discoveries and breakthroughs
- 4. Luther's ways of thought
- 5. Brother Martin, Augustinian
- 6. Mother Church and the Pope
- 7. The woe of the world: Luther from Friar to Reformer
- 8. The failure of the Reformation.
