Martin Luther



Martin Luther was a German theologian in the sixteenth century whose teaching against purgatory and indulgences inspired the Reformation and lead to the Protestant split from the Roman Catholic Church. Luther translated the Bible into his native German language and the hymns he wrote sparked the development of congregational singing in Christianity. He has been one of the most influential people since the time of Jesus, the father of Reformation.

Birth and Early life
Martin Luther was born to Hans Luder (later changed to Luther) and Margarethe Linderman on the 10th of November, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany, which was then a part of the Holy Roman Empire. He was baptised as a Catholic the next morning, on the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours.

Martin had several brothers and sisters, and because he was the eldest, his father wished for him to become a lawyer.

Books about Luther
The following is a list of books about Martin Luther:
 * 1) Patrick F. O'Hare, Facts About Luther, Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1987. 356 p. ISBN 0895553228.
 * 2) Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: a Life of Martin Luther, New York: Penguin, 1995, c1950. 336 p. ISBN 0452011469.
 * 3) Martin Brecht, Martin Luther, James L. Schaaf, trans. Philadelphia : Fortress Press, c1985-1993. 3 v. ISBN 0800628136, ISBN 0800628144, ISBN 0800628152.
 * 4) Hans J. Hillerbrand, ed. The Reformation: A Narrative History Related by Contemporary Observers and Participants. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1979.
 * 5) Peter Manns, Martin Luther: An Illustrated Biography,
 * 6) John M. Todd, Luther: A Life, Crossroad Publishing Company, 1982. Also at
 * 7) Uwe Siemon-Netto, The Fabricated Luther: the Rise and Fall of the Shirer myth, Foreword by Peter L. Berger. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, c1995. ISBN 0570048001.
 * 8) Luther's Works, 55 volumes of lectures, commentaries and sermons, translated into English and published by Concordia Publishing House and Fortress Press, 1957; released on CD-ROM, 2001.

Movies and theatre about Luther
The following are a list of movies and plays about Martin Luther:
 * 1) 1953: Martin Luther, theatrical film, with Niall MacGinnis as Luther; directed by Irving Pichel. Academy Award nominations for black & white cinematography and art/set direction. Re-released in 2002 on DVD in 4 languages.
 * 2) 1973: Luther, theatrical film (MPAA rating: PG), with Stacy Keach as Luther.
 * 3) 1992: Where Luther Walked, documentary directed by Ray Christensen.
 * 4) 2001: Opening the Door to Luther, travelogue hosted by Rick Steves. Sponsored by the ELCA.
 * 5) 2002: Martin Luther, a historical film from the Lion TV/PBS Empires series, with Timothy West as Luther, narrated by Liam Neeson and directed by Cassian Harrison.
 * 6) 2003: Luther, theatrical release (MPAA rating: PG-13), with Joseph Fiennes as Luther and directed by Eric Till. Partially funded by American and German Lutheran groups.

Links

 * Wikipedia - Martin Luther
 * Writings of Luther and contemporaries, translated into English
 * Project Wittenberg, an archive of Lutheran documents
 * Full text of the 95 Theses
 * Full text of the Smalcald Articles
 * Full text of the Small Catechism
 * Full text of the Large Catechism
 * Exerpts from Against the Murderous, Thieving Peasants
 * Online information on Luther and his work
 * KDG Wittenberg's Luther site (7 languages)
 * Lutherhalle (Luther Museum), Wittenberg
 * Martin Luther – ReligionFacts.com
 * Martin Luther – PBS movie
 * Martin Luther: The Reformer Travelling Exhibition
 * New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge article on "Luther, Martin"


 * Christianity -> Famous Christians -> Theologians and Evangelists
 * Christianity -> Denominations -> Protestantism
 * Christianity -> Church history -> Reformation