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Reviewed by:
  • Luther’s Spirituality
  • David M. Whitford (bio)
Luther’s Spirituality. Edited and Translated by Philip D.W. KreyPeter D.S. Krey. Preface by Timothy J. Wengert. Classics in Western Spirituality. Mahwah, NY: Paulist Press, 2007. 296 pp. $27.95.

Martin Luther and spirituality. Those two concepts do not seem to run off the tongue as easily as Luther and justification, Luther the Reformer, or Luther the controversialist. And yet, it is fitting to finally have a volume in this wonderful series devoted to a titan in the history of western Christianity. As one reads this volume, it becomes very apparent that Luther was concerned about the spiritual life of his followers, his family, and his own soul.

In contemporary Luther studies, the locus of Seelsorge has become an important entrée into the study of Luther’s theology and the motivations that drove his efforts at reform. Luther’s concern for the care of souls animated his calls for reformation and largely help explain why he was less concerned with moral purity within the church than he was with theologically sound doctrine. This book helps bring the care of souls to light through a wonderful selection of Luther’s own writings.

The complete edition of D. Martin Luthers Werke runs to more than 80 large folio volumes. Given that amount of source material, how can one select the most appropriate sources to bring to light Luther’s spiritual life and counsel? One could easily fall into the trap of looking to Luther’s most famous works, The Freedom of the Christian or To the German Nobility for example. However, the most famous may not be the most evocative. The editors of this volume wisely turned to the counsel of one of the twentieth century’s greatest Luther scholars—Professor Heiko Oberman. Oberman helped select the sources and helped provide the framework for their presentation. The book begins with selections that help contextualize Luther’s spirituality within the late medieval era. Oberman believed that Luther was a man of the late medieval era rather than the early modern, and the selections in this section lend veracity to that claim. The second section focuses its aim on Luther’s attempts to foster a new spiritual life for his students and followers. It is one thing to call for reform, it is something entirely different to try and construct a new vision of the church. This section highlights Luther’s attempts to set a new course in the spiritual life of the individual and the church. The final section is really less a new section than an extension of the second. In the third section, the editors (and Oberman) have focused on Luther and prayer. How did Luther teach people to pray? What kinds of prayers did Luther write? In this final section, Luther the humble man before God and the teacher come through most clearly.

This volume is a welcome addition to a lacuna in Luther studies and spirituality. It is not, however, without its difficulties. The “General Introduction” is a fine introduction to aspects of Luther’s spirituality but is not truly an introduction to this volume. The editors did not write the General Introduction, and the author would remain anonymous save for a single line in the Foreword (x) and a signature line at the end of the essay. Because the editors did not write the introduction, it does not truly introduce the sections that follow it. For example, it does not maintain the framework of the volume. Perhaps recognizing this, the editors then offer their own brief introductions to each section and many of the individual works. The effect is to leave the reader a bit confused about what one is reading and why [End Page 237] they are important. Unfortunately, this lack of coherence depreciates the value of the book.

David M. Whitford
United Theological Seminary
David M. Whitford

David M. Whitford is Professor of the History of Christianity at United Theological Seminary. He has written extensively on Martin Luther. He is editor of the new Reformation and Early Modern Europe: A Guide to Research (Truman State University Press, 2008). dwhitford@united.edu

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