"This book attempts the nearly impossible: to explain and understandably how and why Martin Luther became a promininet theologian who is still studied and appreciated. No one has read everything he wrote or everything that has been written about him; the sources and interpreatations are countless. The"complete" critcal edition of his writings, know as the Weimar Editon and started in 1883, the four-hundrethe anniversary of Luther's birth, is still not complete. So far, it contains more than one hundred volumes. The American Edition of his writings in English has fifty-five volumes, and some of its translations are outdated. Since this book is an introduction for English readers, the American Edition has been quoted and cited, although in some cases a passage has been translated differently or rendered in inclusive language. The bibliography contains mostly sources in English."-from the Preface.
Abingdon Pillars of Theology is a series for the college and seminary classroom designed to help students grasp the basic and necessary facts, influence, and significance of major theologians. Written by noted scholars, these books will outline the context, methodology, organizing principles, primary contributions, and key writings of people who have shaped theology as we know it today.
