Luther: Man Between God and the Devil - Softcover

Oberman, Heiko A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385422784 ISBN 13: 9780385422789

Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1992

Synopsis

Luther: Man Between God And The  Devil is the definitive biography of the central  figure of the Protestant Reformation. Published  in 1982 in Germany to great acclaim, the book  portrays the controversial reformer in the context of  his own time. Oberman argues that Luther is more  the medieval monk than history has usually  regarded him. Haunted by the devil, Luther saw the  world, Oberman claims, as a cosmic battleground between  God and Satan. It is this battle with the devil  that provides the key to understanding the man.  This is a classic in biography and an indispensable  work for all interested in one of the greatest  figures of Western history.

About this title

Review:

'The late Heiko Oberman was a formidable Reformation scholar and Luther's biography...makes a welcome re-appearance in paperback.' -- Derek Wilson, BBC History Magazine, August 2006

From the Back Cover:

“When Martin Luther challenged the ruling powers of his time, the movement he initiated changed the social, political, intellectual and religious structures of western history. But what did Luther intend, and what did he actually accomplish? Heiko Oberman, internationally recognised as one of the most distinguished historians of the Reformation, addresses these questions in this readable book. Presenting a vivid portrait of a man too often portrayed as a saint or a devil, Oberman shows how Luther – passionate, courageous and stubborn – simultaneously aroused fierce loyalty in his admirers and violent antagonism among his enemies.
ELAINE PAGELS

“Oberman rivets attention on Luther as he was. He prods the reader to set aside views mediated by tradition and prejudice. Yet, paradoxically, by locking Luther in the past and showing us our distance from him, he unlocks a truer Luther for the present; Luther’s passionate commitment and dynamism are freshly provocative. Oberman’s hallmark is to combine rigorous historical scholarship with theological sensitivity. The book is a milestone in Reformation studies.”
SUSAN MOORE, 'Scotsman'

“Oberman makes such good sense of the man that all other attempts to explain him, as a maniac, or a martyr to constipation, or as a saint, seem trivial by comparison.”
ERIC CHRISTIANSEN, 'Spectator'

“This remarkable study, combining learning, realism, and literary adroitness, brings us close to Luther. Above all, it conveys Luther’s power: the intensity of his faith, the coherence of his thought, the force of his personality.”
NEW YORKER

“This magnificent biography...is teeming with ideas and is altogether worthy of its great, gutsy subject.”
HARRY REID, 'Glasgow Herald'

“If the world is to gain from Luther it must turn to the real Luther – furious, violent foul-mouthed, passionately concerned. Him it will find in Oberman’s book, a labour of love.”
GEOFFREY ELTON, 'Journal of Ecclesiasical History'

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0385422784
• ISBN 13: 9780385422789
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400