cover image The Unreformed Martin Luther: A Serious (and Not So Serious) Look at the Man Behind the Myths

The Unreformed Martin Luther: A Serious (and Not So Serious) Look at the Man Behind the Myths

Andreas Malessa, trans. from the German by Matthew L. Hillman. Kregel, $16.99 trade paper (176p) ISBN 978-0-8254-4456-2

Malessa (What Is There to Celebrate?!) punctures the seriousness surrounding Martin Luther with a lighthearted glimpse of the famed priest and theologian in this book timed for the 500th anniversary of the dawn of Protestantism. In a series of chapters that can function as standalone vignettes, Malessa corrects popular misconceptions that have sprouted up around Luther. For instance, he was not a “jolly monk knocking back steins of home brew,” but a man who condemned drunkenness. Neither did his wife travel to him in a fish barrel, though she brought herring with her to her wedding. Luther, however, truly was not fond of the Church’s mercenary trade of providing favors to donors—and, sadly, really was an anti-Semite. Malessa’s cheerful approach makes this a refreshing alternative to overly reverent Luther biographies, but the book’s humor suffers from the translation into English: Luther is a particularly German hero, and the debunking loses some of its impact when the folklore is unfamiliar. Nevertheless, it’s entertaining, and Malessa tucks solid information into an easy-to-read format. (July)