The Making of Martin Luther takes a provocative look at the intellectual emergence of one of the most original and influential minds of the sixteenth century. Richard Rex traces how, in a concentrated burst of creative energy in the few years surrounding his excommunication by Pope Leo X in 1521, this lecturer at an obscure German university developed a startling new interpretation of the Christian faith that brought to an end the dominance of the Catholic Church in Europe. Luther’s personal psychology and cultural context played their parts in the whirlwind of change he unleashed. But for the man himself, it was always about the ideas, the truth, and the Gospel.
Focusing on the most intensely important years of Luther’s career, Rex teases out the threads of his often paradoxical and counterintuitive ideas from the tangled thickets of his writings, explaining their significance, their interconnections, and the astonishing appeal they so rapidly developed. Yet Rex also sets these ideas firmly in the context of Luther’s personal life, the cultural landscape that shaped him, and the traditions of medieval Catholic thought from which his ideas burst forth.
Lucidly argued and elegantly written, The Making of Martin Luther is a splendid work of intellectual history that renders Luther’s earthshaking yet sometimes challenging ideas accessible to a new generation of readers.
Richard Rex is professor of Reformation history at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Queens’ College. His books include Tudors: The Illustrated History and Henry VIII and the English Reformation. He lives in Cambridge.
"Rex’s nuanced account of Luther’s theology, steeped in deep learning and wry humour, demands attention."—Susannah Monta, Times Literary Supplement
"Richard Rex's new book, The Making of Martin Luther, is brilliant in exposing the hair-raising character of his theology."—Melanie McDonagh, The Spectator
"Readable, free of jargon, and entertaining. . . . This is a book that teaches. Its value lies in presenting briefly and pointedly what is distinctive about Luther’s theological development rather than repeating the partisan caricatures of his thought and role produced by later generations of both his detractors and his followers."—Bradley A. Peterson, Reading Religion
"A quick read packed with lots of good information, The Making of Martin Luther is a nice jumping-off point for Luther scholarship, whether you’re a believer/theologian or a secularist/agnostic/atheist."—Manhattan Book Review
"Brilliantly written. . . . A remarkably sympathetic portrait of the Reformer, and . . . possibly the best concise study of Luther’s early reforming career that I have read."—Carl R. Trueman, First Things
"Reading this book was a rewarding experience."—Susan C. Karant-Nunn, Journal of Ecclesiastical History
"A remarkable piece of writing that will have an enduring influence. With shrewd and canny insights, powerful prose, and wit, Richard Rex offers a persuasive and provocative tour through the early years of the Reformation."—Bruce Gordon, author of John Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion": A Biography
"One of the most interesting and original studies of Luther that I've read in my career. Combining deep learning and analytical rigor with a wry sense of humor, Rex breaks through the crust of endlessly repeated scholarly narratives and interpretative assumptions that have long been taken for granted. The Making of Martin Luther is an important book."—Brad S. Gregory, author of The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society
