Martin Luther stands as one of the most significant figures in Western history. His distinction as the father of the Protestant Reformation is augmented by his innovative use of new technology (the printing press), his translation of the Christian Bible into the vernacular, and his impact upon European society. Born in 1483 to middle-class parents in Saxony, eastern Germany, he became an Augustinian monk, a priest, a professor of biblical literature, a reformer, a husband and father. He died in 1546 after having witnessed the birth of a renewal movement that would result in a profound shift in faith, politics, and society. He has been both praised and vilified for what he preached and wrote. His thought continues to influence all Christians and to animate the movement that bears his name.
Roland H. Bainton was the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School, where he taught for forty-two years. His many well-known titles include Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (1950); The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century (enl. ed. 1985); Martin Luther's Christmas Book (Augsburg Books, 1997) and Easter Book (Augsburg Books, 1997); and the recently reissued volumes Women of the Reformation: In France and England (Fortress Press, 1973) and Women of the Reformation: From Spain to Scandinavia (Fortress Press, 1977).
