The Theology of Martin Luther

Rating:
Summary: The Best One Volume Introduction To Luther's Theology
Review: I don't have this book in English. I have it only in Chinese. In some ways, the meanings of the words comes out even clearer in Chinese. But that's that.

Where I come from, Christian bookshops hardly carry much books by Luther or even on Lutheran theology. Actually, bookshops around here hardly carry any good theology books with substance. People here lap up the latest marshmallow-devotional and/or pop-psychology-self-help garbage but not good theology. Again, that's that.

Now on to the book itself:

Althaus have always been recognised as providing us with the standard textbook on Luther's Theology. In some ways, many (myself included) prefer reading Althaus' Luther than Luther's Luther! What I mean is this - Luther's writings covered such a large spectrum of differing theological perspectives and here, Althaus synthesizes his writings under appropriate subject headings to let the readers see how Luther's mind works. But instead of merely giving the readers his own views on those same subjects, Althaus includes thousands of quotations direct from Luther's writings and sermons (thus allowing Luther himself to speak to the reader - albeit in a more systematic manner!).

Highly recommended primer on Luther. Read this first. Then seek out the actual works of Luther.

Rating:
Summary: This is one of the best books I have read on theology
Review: I have long admired Martin Luther and his history in the Reformation. I became deeply interested in Luther's theology when I began to grasp "his" Theology of the Cross vs. The Theology of Glory. My own spiritual journey took a deeper more meaningful road when Luther's theology pointed me back to Christ as my all-sufficient savior. This book is well written and easy to follow. I have read many theology books that lose you along the way, but this is concise and very understandable. Often times the book goes deep and I put it down to ponder and meditate on Christ as Luther so clearly communicates his fullness and glory. For me this book / Luther's theology has returned my focus on Christ as the originator and completer of my faith.

Rating:
Summary: This is one of the best books I have read on theology
Review: I have long admired Martin Luther and his history in the Reformation. I became deeply interested in Luther's theology when I began to grasp "his" Theology of the Cross vs. The Theology of Glory. My own spiritual journey took a deeper more meaningful road when Luther's theology pointed me back to Christ as my all-sufficient savior. This book is well written and easy to follow. I have read many theology books that lose you along the way, but this is concise and very understandable. Often times the book goes deep and I put it down to ponder and meditate on Christ as Luther so clearly communicates his fullness and glory. For me this book / Luther's theology has returned my focus on Christ as the originator and completer of my faith.

Rating:
Summary: A Superb Text
Review: This is a comprehensive and systematic survey of the theology of Martin Luther. While Luther himself never wrote a systematic theology text, he did, nonetheless, write enough material for a researcher to gather and assimilate such a text. This is the very thing Paul Althaus accomplished in this text.

Althaus is considered by many to be a foremost authority in Reformation studies. This text certainly bears that out. Althaus presents the main theological questions of Luther in precise and clear fashion. Moreover, Althaus provides plenty of direct quotes from Luther's works to support the theological views presented. I believe that Althaus intended to remain true to Luther's original thought without attempting to add his own opinion's which might otherwise alter what Luther meant in each topic.

This work is richly footnoted with Luther's original works, and other's who have commented on Luther's works. The text itself is divided into two parts-part one is the 'Knowledge of God' and part two is 'God's Work.'-yet each of these parts has subchapters dealing with topics such as the general and proper knowledge of God, the theology of the cross, faith, reason, the Holy Scriptures, law and gospel, the Trinity, and much, much more.

This would be a great text for anyone who collects and reads systematic theology texts, who wants a greater understand of what Luther espoused and taught, anyone studying the Reformation, and for anyone who is studying theology. It is well written and accessible to the lay person and scholar alike. I highly recommend this book!