How Luther Became the Reformer

Christine Helmer author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Westminster/John Knox Press,U.S.

Published:26th Mar '19

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

How Luther Became the Reformer cover

No story has been more foundational to triumphalist accounts of Western modernity than that of Martin Luther, the heroic individual, standing before the tribunes of medieval authoritarianism to proclaim his religious and intellectual freedom, Here I stand! How Luther Became the Reformer returns to the birthplace of this origin myth, Germany in the late nineteenth century, and traces its development from the end of World War I through the rise of National Socialism. Why were German intellectualsespecially Protestant scholars of religion, culture, and theologyin this turbulent period so committed to this version of Luthers story? Luther was touted as the mythological figure to promote the cultural unity of Germany as a modern nation; in the myths many retellings, from the time of the Weimar Republic forward, Luther attained world-historical status. Helmer finds in this construction of Luther the Reformer a lens through which to examine modernitys deformations, among them anti-Judaism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Catholicism. Offering a new interpretation of Luther, and by extension of modernity itself, from an ecumenical perspective, How Luther Became the Reformer provides resources for understanding and contesting contemporary assaults on democracy. In this way, the book holds the promise for resistance and hope in dark times.

"By contrasting the two Luthers, Helmer gives the reader greater insight into the man, his mind-set, and his goals. She presents a refreshing perspective that allows the reader to view Luther, the Reformation(s), Protestantism, and modernity in a new light—one without Luther as its prime mover. Moreover, she poses the question, what if the Catholic Church had embraced Luther's reforms (i.e., Luther as the Catholic reformer)—what, then, would be the fate of modernity? By skillfully situating Luther in his time, this book gives the reader a holistic view of his life and work, making it an excellent addition to the scholar ship on Luther and an essential book for advanced undergraduate and graduate classes." – Religious Studies Review * Religious Studies Review *

ISBN: 9780664262877

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

178 pages