The Ninety-Five Theses and Other Writings

For the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, a new translation of Martin Luther's most famous works by leading Luther scholar and pastor William Russell

This volume contains selections from Martin Luther's most evocative and provocative writings, freshly translated, for the 21st century. These documents, which span the Reformer's literary career, point to the enduring and flexible character of his central ideas. As Luther's reform proposals emerged, they coalesced around some basic priorities, which he delivered to wide-ranging audiences--writing for children, preaching in congregations, formulating academic treatises, penning letters to family and friends, counter-punching critics, summarizing Biblical books, crafting confessions of faith, and more. This book demonstrates that range and provides entry points, for non-specialists and specialists alike, into the thought and life of the epoch-defining, fascinating, and controversial Martin Luther. With attention to the breadth of his literary output, it draws from his letters, sermons, popular writings, and formal theological works. This breadth allows readers to encounter Luther the man: the sinner and the saint, the public activist and the private counselor, the theologian and the pastor. These writings possess a practical, accessible arc, as Luther does not write only for specialists and church officials, but he applies his chief insights to the "real-life" issues that faced his rather wide variety of audiences.

William Russell, pastor and scholar, serves Augustana Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he investigates the life and work of Martin Luther. With the Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and the M.Div. from Luther Seminary, Russell has authored/edited eight books and dozens of articles. A sought-after speaker, he has addressed audiences from Canada to Brazil, Malaysia to Puerto Rico, Oslo to Cape Town. He currently serves as president of the American Academy of Religion, Upper Midwest Region. Married to Ann Svennungsen, they have three grown children and two grandchildren.