Martin Luther

A Spiritual Biography

Herman Selderhuis

wheaton, illinois

Martin Luther: A Spiritual Biography

Copyright © 2017 by Herman Selderhuis

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

This book is translated from the original Dutch version, Luther: Een mens zoekt God, by Herman Selderhuis, © 2016 by Uitgeverij De Banier in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.

Cover design: Josh Dennis

Cover image: Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg, Germany / Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy / Bridgeman Images

First printing 2017

Except when found within a quotation, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-5694-4

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-5697-5

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-5695-1

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-5696-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Selderhuis, H. J., 1961– author.

Title: Martin Luther : a spiritual biography / Herman Selderhuis.

Other titles: Luther. English

Description: Wheaton : Crossway, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016058580 (print) | LCCN 2017032809 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433556951 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433556968 (mobi) | ISBN 9781433556975 (epub) | ISBN 9781433556944 (hc)

Subjects: LCSH: Luther, Martin, 1483–1546.

Classification: LCC BR325 (ebook) | LCC BR325 .S45413 2017 (print) | DDC 284.1092 [B] —dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016058580

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Contents

Timeline of Luther’s Life

List of Illustrations

Introduction

1 Child (1483–1500)

2 Student (1501–1505)

3 Monk (1505–1511)

4 Exegete (1511–1517)

5 Theologian (1517–1519)

6 Architect (1520–1521)

7 Reformer (1521–1525)

8 Father (1525–1530)

9 Professor (1530–1537)

10 Prophet (1537–1546)

Primary Sources and Literature

General Index

Scripture Index

Timeline of Luther’s Life

1483 November 10: Born in Eisleben, Saxony

November 11 (The Feast of St. Martin): Baptized in the St. Peter and Paul Church of Eisleben

1484 Moves with family to Mansfeld

1490 Starts at the Latin school of Mansfeld

1497 Sent by his parents to a school in Magdeburg

1498 Allowed to move to Eisenach, where he attends the priests’ school associated with St. Georgenkirche

1501 Begins his legal study in Erfurt

1505 Early 1505: Completes his master’s degree and begins his actual study of law in Erfurt

July 2: Caught in a terrible thunderstorm and promises to become a monk

July 17: Enters the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt

1507 Consecrated ...