There have been many biographies of Martin Luther written since this Pillar of the Faith changed the course of his religious day. Another more recent work has emerged by Herman Selderhuis in 2017, Martin Luther: A Spiritual Biography. As the title implies, this author’s account especially emphasizes the spiritual aspect of Luther’s life rather than giving great concern to historical detail. Because of that, it can be more engaging and appealing to the layperson as well as to the theologian.

Selderhuis, professor of church history at Theological University Apeldoorn in the Netherlands and president of the Reformation Research Consortium, follows many threads in Luther’s life, threads that appear in chapter after chapter of this book. One major thread is the all-consuming attention that Luther gives to evil forces. Beginning in Chapter One, the author elaborates on the belief of Luther’s childhood environment, where, according to popular notion, Devils were everywhere (page 21). Luther carried that persuasion through some of his agonizing experiences: fighting the Devil as a monk in the monastery, dealing with many of those in leadership positions, struggling with the constant ailments that tormented him, throwing the ink bottle at the Devil when in forced hiding (supposedly a bit of folklore), and standing up to face the revolution that was rising up during the reformation. He had no reservations in pointing out Muntzer and Carlstadt as “both representing the Devil in person” (page 202). He also believed the teachings of the Zwickau prophets were of the Devil (page 173), and the German Peasant’s Revolt was also the work of the Devil (page 194).

Another thread discussed by the author was the temperament of the Reformer. Numerous times Luther was frustrated to the point of displaying anger both in speech and action. Selderhuis offered one example; “I hate Erasmus. I hate him with all of my strength,” said Luther (page 208). That statement was not the only expression of his sometimes-violent emotion, as the accounts of Luther’s engagement with some of the secular and religious authorities clearly shows. The author says, to no surprise of the reader, “Luther was a problem. Luther was frequently stubborn and undiplomatic, even with allies” (page 19).

Selderhuis clearly expresses his belief that Luther was of the pacifist mindset, sharing with the reader Luther’s statement, “Christ does not use the sword, but hangs from the cross” (page 203). The Reformer was an advocate of civil disobedience, not violent protests. When Muntzer was beheaded because of his outright encouragement of the Peasant’s Revolt, Luther was heard to say, “Those who live by the sword, die by the sword” (page 204).

As has been pointed out by other biographers, Luther’s reform of the Church was incremental and insufficient for reformers since his time. Although great modification occurred, causing a schism that created the Lutheran Church, those today in Pentecostal/charismatic circles sometimes wonder how much change really did take place. Many more reforms have had to be instigated to bring us to where we are today. Emphasis was always placed on the Word of God and truth for any reforms Luther advocated. Today we rely on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, a concern that seemed not to be evident by the Reformer.

Although the author sometimes differs factually with other biographical accounts, no one definitive narrative of this historic character has surfaced. Selderhuis does offer a chart of Luther’s timeline, illustrations, and a reference map. In his chapters, he discusses the journey to Rome, several of Luther’s associates (friends and foes), the famous hiding place in Wartburg, and of course his marriage with Katharina von Bora (a freed nun), along with other accounts of Luther’s life. For those who enjoy religious history and are primarily concerned with the evolvement of the Christian Protestant Church, this author offers page after page of interesting pertinent material.

Reviewed by Nat Saginario

Preview: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Martin_Luther/iEA5DwAAQBAJ

Further Reading:

Nat Saginario reviews: Eric Metaxas, Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World (Penguin, 2018)

Walking in the Footsteps of David Wilkerson is the journal of a young man (the author) who walked much the same journey as the famed David Wilkerson (founder of Teen Challenge, Times Square Church, World Challenge, and many other ministries). The book offers a very detailed account, even a word for word interaction, between the life of a mentee and a mentor. Although the relationship was never planned or formal, Simpson shares how the paths of these two men were intertwined for years, benefiting both Charles and “Pastor Dave,” as he has been affectionately called.

Charles Simpson was born and raised in Tennessee, the eleventh of twelve children. After his conversion at the age of 17, he received a missionary call to New York City where he has spent most of his adult life, pastoring, planting churches, and working in Bible schools. While serving as the Pastor of Prayer at Times Square Church, he met and married his wife, Lynn. They have been privileged to work alongside great leaders such as David and Don Wilkerson, Michael Brown, Peter Wagner, Brian Simmons, Vincent Buonfiglio, Joel Sadaphal, and Russell Hodgins. Charles is currently (as of 2018) the Campus Pastor at Brooklyn Teen Challenge and the Director of its School of Ministry.

The book begins with the personal life of the author, hailing from rural life in Tennessee. He compares his youth and upbringing to the early years of David Wilkerson. Both were raised in a strict environment, both felt led to serve in New York City, both were out of their comfort zones (racially, socially, and in other ways), both had a heavy burden and believed that God wanted them to serve those who might be categorized as “unreached” due to their status, both had a prophetic ministry, and both saw the importance of prayer (for themselves and for those they served). How these pilgrims met, how they found each other on that same path, and what that relationship meant to a budding next generation minister is laid out for all to read (the good and the less good).

Typically, some would write a book about their association with the “greats” to impress the reader. “It is who you know that gets you ahead in life,” is often said. But Simpson humbly lays out his faults as well as his accomplishments and includes those of Bro. Dave. Rather than boast, the author shares the importance of having a godly mentor in life that will change both the mentee as well as those they reach. Truly, this was accomplished thorough this association. But he also realizes how important it is to be a mentor himself: “I have learned through the years, the fastest way to [be] a spiritual father—like Paul was to Timothy—is to focus on pouring into the Timothys you can find all around you” (page 170). He learned well.

In one of the last chapters, he lists a few of the mantles that were thrown over his shoulder by the departing mentor: he always listened to God, he was pliable in God’s hands, he was a faithful steward of his giftings, he was willing to admit his mistakes publicly, he deliberately took himself off our pedestals, etc. (Chapter 13).

I was especially interested in reading the account of Pastor Dave’s life because, although not in any way equaling the relationship between Simpson and Pastor Wilkerson, my life has also somehow followed a thread with that “country preacher.” Growing up in New York City and living in Brooklyn and the Bronx, being a part of the early ministry of Pastor Dave when his ministry at time was known as Teenage Evangelism, and later being on the staff of his Bible School in Pennsylvania, I had moments of nostalgia as I recalled so many of the incidents cited in this journal. I believe Simpson caught the essence of his mentor quite vividly and fairly.

Charles Simpson is presently the Campus Pastor at Brooklyn Teen Challenge and the Director of its School of Ministry. I recommend that everyone in leadership should read his account and evaluate whether mentorship is a priority and part of their own ministry responsibilities.

Reviewed by Nat J. Saginario

About the Reviewer: Nat J. Saginario, M.Ed. (R.I. College), has served the body of Christ around the world by teaching at various Christian Bible Colleges in the USA, as pastor and assistant pastor, as short-term missions team leader and with Barnabas leadership training teams to over 85 countries. His association with David Wilkerson began in 1958 as director of the Teenage Evangelism Youth Choir from churches around the NYC Metropolitan area that ministered on the Teen Challenge (the eventual name of Wilkerson’s ministry) TV weekly program. He later went on to serve as a member of the faculty and administrative staff of Mt. Zion, later Summit International School of Ministry, the school in PA founded by Wilkerson and now the Bible School of Times Square Church.

Further Reading:

Charles Simpson, “The Cross and the Screwdriver” DestinyImage.com (July 28, 2018).

The author, Eric Metaxas, is well known as a #1 New York Times bestselling author, in part, because of his thorough treatment of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in another book. Besides his prolific writing and appearance on numerous media outlets, Metaxas is a senior fellow and lecturer at the King’s College in New York City and a graduate of Yale University.

The life and achievements of Martin Luther have been the subject of many authors, films, and discussions on social media. Eric Metaxas’ account is not merely one of the many, but it uniquely covers the historical account as do few other authors. The reader is made to feel as if he or she is walking through Luther’s life alongside this reformer rather than being instructed   in a lecture hall.

Metaxas clearly expresses one of his agendas for writing; that he would put to rest “the five centuries of myths” (page 11) surrounding this historic religious giant. One such myth dispelled by Metaxas has to do with the facts regarding the familiar story of the lightning bolt that caused a wayward son to commit his life to God. Luther’s life, according to the author, has been clouded because “what the world has come to ‘know’ about him is fiction” (page 3). Again and again, the author cuts through the fabric of Luther’s life and separates truth from hearsay. But in each case, he carefully offers documentation for his findings. The book is filled with footnotes and references.

The author is very thorough when accounting for every location, person, and detail of Luther’s life. It would be well to read the entire book in one or two sittings, else the reader might lose track of each of the persons involved in the narrative. Metaxas’ detail goes so far as to discuss at length the physical condition of constipation that Luther had to deal with while at Wartburg Castle, devoting three pages to the private malady (pages 244-246). He also makes a clear connection between the Church and the Empire, showing how German nationalism further escalated the reform movement.

The author offers maps, photos, sketches, and a chronology of Luther’s sixty-three-years. In addition to the twenty-two chapters, the epilogue alone stands as a monument to Luther’s legacy; including topics such as: The Free Market of Ideas, Problems with Pluralism, Conscience and Dissent, Democracy and Freedom, and Social Reforms.

Overall, Metaxas work is extremely scholarly both in content as well as in writing. It is rich in specifics, offering many personal letters, and exceedingly informative. No matter the number of other biographies that have been read, I would highly recommend this brilliant publication by the author.

Reviewed by Nat J. Saginario

Publisher’s page: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/530335/martin-luther-by-eric-metaxas/