The Life of Martin Luther

Wilhelm Rein

• Publisher: Bonhopai Books
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781779794123
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: British History
• Index: History

The Life of Martin Luther by Wilhelm Rein is a lucid and reverent portrait of one of history's most transformative figures — the monk who defied an empire and gave voice to the conscience of the modern world. Written by a distinguished German educator and scholar, this biography captures both the spiritual drama and the human depth of Luther's life: his struggles with faith, his defiance before princes and popes, and his unshakable conviction that truth must stand above all earthly power.

Rein's narrative moves with clarity and warmth from Luther's humble beginnings in Eisleben and his thunderous awakening in Wittenberg to the great turning points of the Reformation — the Ninety-Five Theses, the Diet of Worms, the translation of the Bible, and the creation of a movement that reshaped Europe. Yet beyond the great events, Rein reveals Luther's inner world: the doubts, the courage, the humor, and the moral fire that made him not merely a theologian, but a man of unyielding conscience.

 Unlike many academic treatments, The Life of Martin Luther speaks with the accessibility and devotion of a teacher writing for thoughtful readers. Rein's portrayal celebrates not only Luther's religious significance but also his cultural and educational legacy — his belief in literacy, individual responsibility, and the sacred dignity of the common man. The result is both history and inspiration: a book that reminds us how one man's faith could kindle the light of reform and freedom across centuries. 

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• PREFACE.
• CHAPTER I.—AGAINST INDULGENCES.
• CHAPTER II.—LUTHER’S YOUTH.
• CHAPTER III.—LUTHER IN THE MONASTERY AT ERFURT.
• CHAPTER IV.—LUTHER AS PROFESSOR IN WITTENBERG.
• CHAPTER V.—LUTHER AND THE PAPAL AMBASSADORS.
• CHAPTER VI.—THE DISPUTATION AT LEIPSIC.
• CHAPTER VII.—CONCERNING THE BAN OF EXCOMMUNICATION.
• CHAPTER VIII.—LUTHER BURNS THE PAPAL BULL OF EXCOMMUNICATION.
• CHAPTER IX.—LUTHER BEFORE THE EMPEROR AT WORMS.
• CHAPTER X.—LUTHER ON THE WARTBURG.
• CHAPTER XI.—THE TROUBLES AT WITTENBERG.
• CHAPTER XII.—LUTHER’S RETURN TO WITTENBERG.
• CHAPTER XIII.—THE PROGRESS OF THE REFORMATION.
• CHAPTER XIV.—DARK CLOUDS.
• CHAPTER XV.—LUTHER’S MARRIAGE.
• CHAPTER XVI.—LUTHER’S REFORMATORY ACTIVITY.
• CHAPTER XVII.—THE CONFERENCE AT MARBURG.
• CHAPTER XVIII.—THE DIET AT SPIRE.
• CHAPTER XIX.—LUTHER IN COBURG CASTLE.
• CHAPTER XX.—THE DIET OF AUGSBURG.
• CHAPTER XXI.—UNTIL THE DEATH OF JOHN THE CONSTANT.
• CHAPTER XXII.—PREPARATIONS FOR A COUNCIL AND ATTEMPTS AT UNION.
• CHAPTER XXIII.—LUTHER IN SMALCALD.
• CHAPTER XXIV.—THE CLOSING YEARS OF LUTHER’S LIFE.
• CHAPTER XXV.—THE DEATH OF MARTIN LUTHER.
• OPINIONS UPON LUTHER
• CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER.