If you want to find out where modern Christianity comes from, this is your source book. Well, documented, fiercly objective, and no overly unnnecessary words. Dr. Bainton has managed to make a subject that could bore readers to death, totaly fascinating reading. Every person who considers him/her self a Christian should read this. It should be on the shelf right next to their Bible.

If you want the overview of the history of the Christian Church by a writer of great skill and sincerity, this is the right book for you. No footnotes. Not a lot of scholarly depth. But what it does have is a lively prose style and a very good selection of events to tell the story of the Church. Christians should know at least something of the history of the Church. Bainton's book will serve as an excellent starting place.

Time magazine labeled this book "the most readable Luther biography in English." This description isn't exactly flattering, but nonetheless, I did find this biography of Martin Luther "readable." In fact, I very much enjoyed this book.

Martin Luther is truly an amazing man. For those that know little or nothing about Luther, I would highly recommend this book. The book traces the life of Luther, from his 95 theses criticizing the Catholic church and the papacy to the Leipzig debate to the Diet of Worms. Along the way, Bainton outlines in detail the players and ideas of the Reformation. All angles of the movement are considered, including the different sects that break off from Luther's movement and also the ideas of Erasmus.

The parts of the biography that I most enjoyed were about Luther's personal life. Luther had a wonderful family and home that he led, and it was very interesting to read about his relationship with his wife and children. The chapter about Luther's struggle for faith and his bouts with depression was also very intriguing. The theme and title of the book is "Here I Stand," and by reading this book one becomes fully aware of how hard it was for Luther to stand up for what he believed, but also that what he stood up for is truly amazing and unbreakable.

Martin Luther is a monumental figure who lived during complex, tumultuous times, but Bainton delivers a biography that portrays his subject in a clear and concise manner.

The first part of this book deals with Luther's days as a monk, his crisis of faith, and the development of his theology that ultimately led to his break from Rome, spearheading the Reformation. The central portion of the book deals with the conflict with Rome, appropriate emphasis being given to the Diet of Worms. The greatest strength of this book is that the events of Luther's life, his words, and his work are always presented within their greater context. Not only is the Lutheran movement followed, but also much attention is given to the state of the Catholic Church during Luther's lifetime. Also given their proper attention are competing Protestant movements, humanism (particularly as pertaining to Erasmus), Anabaptism, the Peasant Revolt, and German nationalism.

Much of the book is of course spent discussing the theological issues that were at stake. As I read these passages a mental picture of a triangle emerged, with the three points being God, Man, and Church. Bainton does a good job of explaining how Luther, Rome, and other parties differed in their views as to the nature of each of these three entities, and more importantly how they differed in their views as to how these points of the triangle properly related to one another - God to Man, Man to Church, and Church to God (the three sides of the triangle if you will). My one complaint is that occasionally when discussing the finer theological points, Bainton will inject his opinion in such a way that it is difficult to tell if that opinion is shared by Luther. In those sections the book reads more like the transcript of a sermon than a biography.

The latter stages of the book get away from the conflict with Rome, and explore the contributions Luther made to the building of the new Protestant traditions. I enjoyed this section thoroughly because, after all, simply tearing down the old is no big trick; it's the creation of something new, something better that is the real test. Luther's contributions in translating the Bible to German, his writings, his musical compositions and other endeavors are all well covered by Bainton.

One note about Abingdon Classics: these are small paperbacks with very fine print. So if you have difficulty with small print, get the other paperback version or the hardback.

One final note: The bit about the triangle is purely my own invention; Bainton's discussion is not nearly so hackneyed. It's just how I got a handle on the issues, and how I could best discuss the theological passages of the book.

This biography is the most accurate and unprejudiced ever written on Luther (and I have read dozens of them). Bainton provides very lucid and vivid historical settings, events, people, and such surrounding the life of Luther. What is more, Bainton is quite fair-minded with regard to Luther's personal traits; I get tired of reading other biographers who try to psychoanalyze Luther and draw conclusions about his thinking based on pure speculations. Bainton renders a fair assessment of perhaps why, based on historical settings and events which were occurring during Luther's day, as to why he perhaps did and said some of the things he did.

Bainton really draws his reader into the life of Luther by carefully unfolding historical events which led up to the reformation and events that helped to shape Luther's thinking during and following the Reformation. The book is also nicely lavished with engravings and illustrations which helps the reader get a better understanding of what Bainton is trying to communicate. Moreover, the book contains a very exhaustive bibliography to help the reader branch out into further research and reading.

This book is written in a chronological format from Luther's birth to his death, and every major event which occurred between. This text is certainly a must for anyone who wants a better understanding of Martin Luther. Moreover, it is also a crucial text for anyone wanting a better understanding of the Reformation. I cannot begin to describe the depth and breadth of this work. I highly recommend this text!!!!

This is an example of what the fruits of scholarship should yield: careful, concise, clear, simple but uncompromised prose, moving from insight to insight, nothing gratuitous. If only such a book were available for every period in cultural history. Bainton renders the phenomena surrounding the Reformation so lucidly; really, in its own careful way, a small masterpiece.

A very boiled down book with unique vocabulary showing the interaction between the Roman Catholics, Luther, Calvin and the Anabaptists in the 16th Century and the impact on political, economic and family life.

Bainton describes the breach between Luther and Roman Catholicism. The major figures are Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Erasmus, Knox, and Cranmer. He utilizes compare and contrasts on doctrines and positions; such as, justification by faith, predestination, separation of church and state.

Carl L. Possehl

As is the case with almost all of Bainton's books, this book is very well written, easy to follow, and contains a good amount of historical facts and evidence. This text is very well researched, just take a look at the bibliography. However, the reader should keep in mind that this is a type of survey text, not a text with a specific target topic in mind within the Reformation; though Bainton does detail several key elements which he believes helped to shape the overall movement in Europe. Moreover, the Forward (by Jaroslav Pelikan) itself is worth the price of the book.

Bainton covers all the major figures, movements, creeds, Papal Bulls, positions, assertions, and historical settings which occurred during the Reformation. Some detail is left our (for further research), but for a survey text on the Reformation, this is one of the best!

Bainton begins with Luther (who is the core source of the Reformation) in Germany and then expands out into other areas and People who help to promulgate the ideas of Luther. He discusses the various movements such as Calvinism, Lutheranism, the Anabaptists, etc. Bainton also discusses the political atmosphere of the Reformation and details the ideas of nobility and political figures within the Reformation who either hindered or aided the movement. Finally, Bainton discusses the economic situations of various areas, its effects and ramifications of the Reformation.

Overall, this is a wonderful survey text to wet the appetite of the reader regarding the Reformation. Bainton has very easy to read writing style and he keeps his audience's attention well. If you are interested in the Reformation and have yet to really dig deep into the issues, then this is a great place to start. If you are seasoned researcher of the Reformation, I still believe you will glean some wonderful gold nuggets of facts and information from this text.