A Man Named Martin, Part 1: The Man

This opening volume in a multi-part biography of Martin Luther (1483-1546) draws on comments from scholars and authors to present a compelling story of Luther's journey as a religious reformist. One of the more interesting details covered here concerns Luther's many years of enduring various forms of physical misery in order to perform penance for perceived spiritual weaknesses. Penance was a cornerstone of Catholic doctrine in the 15th and 16th centuries, and Luther would go so far as to become an Augustinian monk and ordained priest in order to compensate for his alleged sins. But his worldly experiences as a priest, increasing doubt about penance as a sacrament, and mounting disillusionment with papal corruption—especially the Vatican's selling of dispensations to avoid punishments in Purgatory—turned him into a reformer. His infamous “Ninety-Five Theses” of 1517 (which, contrary to popular belief, were probably not nailed to a church door) helped usher in the Protestant Reformation, establishing Luther as a hero in his native Germany and the scourge of Rome. Luther would be excommunicated and declared a heretic, but his rebellious ideas would make him one of the most influential thinkers in the history of Christianity. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)