Margins
The Theologia Germanica of Martin Luther book cover
The Theologia Germanica of Martin Luther
1992
First Published
3.88
Average Rating
134
Number of Pages
Martin Luther said that he owed more to the Theologia Germanica than to any other book, next to the Bible and the writings of Saint Augustine. Luther popularized this work by an unknown fourteenth-century German author who focuses on the "divine life," which is directed or guided by the "true light" of God. A primer in Catholic mysticism, it offers an abundance of insightful spiritual advice, written in simple language and relevant to all Christian denominations. This edition features an informative historical introduction by the translator.
Avg Rating
3.88
Number of Ratings
140
5 STARS
31%
4 STARS
33%
3 STARS
31%
2 STARS
4%
1 STARS
1%
goodreads

Author

Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Author · 71 books

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German monk, theologian, university professor and church reformer whose ideas inspired the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of Western civilization. Luther's theology challenged the authority of the papacy by holding that the Bible is the only infallible source of religious authority and that all baptized Christians under Jesus are a spiritual priesthood. According to Luther, salvation was a free gift of God, received only by true repentance and faith in Jesus as the Messiah, a faith given by God and unmediated by the church. Luther's confrontation with Charles V at the Diet of Worms over freedom of conscience in 1521 and his refusal to submit to the authority of the Emperor resulted in his being declared an outlaw of the state as he had been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. Because of the perceived unity of the medieval Church with the secular rulers of western Europe, the widespread acceptance of Luther's doctrines and popular vindication of his thinking on individual liberties were both phenomenal and unprecedented. His translation of the Bible into the vernacular, making it more accessible to ordinary people, had a tremendous political impact on the church and on German culture. It furthered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation of the English King James Bible. His hymns inspired the development of congregational singing within Christianity. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage within Protestantism. Much scholarly debate has concentrated on Luther's writings about the Jews. His statements that Jews' homes should be destroyed, their synagogues burned, money confiscated and liberty curtailed were revived and used in propaganda by the Nazis in 1933–45. As a result of this and his revolutionary theological views, his legacy remains controversial.

548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved