Reviewed Book: Lohse, Bernhard. Martin Luther: An Introduction to His Life and Work. Philadelphia: Fortress Pr; Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1986

Kelly, Robert A.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 13Issue 1 Perspectives on Evangelism/Fundamentalism/Neo-ConservatismArticle 125-1-1987Martin Luther: An Introduction to His Life andWorkRobert A. KellyFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationKelly, Robert A. (1987) "Martin Luther: An Introduction to His Life and Work," Consensus: Vol. 13 : Iss. 1 , Article 12.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol13/iss1/12Book Reviews 115in early Lutheran orthodoxy. In addition, the author of this section, Al-ister McGrath, manifests a distinct lack of acquaintance with the sources:he notes, for example, that the locus method prevented Lutheranism fromadopting any single doctrine as a systematizing principle and then com-ments that the Reformed used predestination as a central dogma—withoutrecognizing that the Reformed, also, had a heavy investment in the locusmethod and the rather loose organization of system that it produced.We must be content with one final point of critique. The volume isconcerned with theological method and the development of the theologicaldiscipline, but it studiously avoids discussion of documents and sectionsof documents in which theologians typically discuss such issues in theirown theology. There is no discussion of the prolegomena to theologicalsystems anywhere in the book—despite the fact that the rise of prolegomenaafter Alan of Lille in the middle ages and after Calvin in the sixteenthcentury mark the rise of interest in theology as a discipline. This problemcarries over into the modern section of the book where no mention is madeof the nineteenth century development of “theological encyclopedia” as amethodological analysis of theology and its sub-disciplines— and there isno analysis either of Schleiermacher's Brief Outline or of the prolegomenaof Barth’s Church Dogmatics. Thus, both at the level of secondary workson the subject of the history of the theological enterprise and at the levelof the primary sources that bear most directly on this discussion, TheScience of Theology is startlingly silent. If this new series hopes to survive,the succeeding volumes will have to be far more attentive to the state ofscholarship in their chosen fields and far more aware of the parameters andimplications of the topic chosen for analysis and exposition.Richard A. MullerFuller Theological SeminaryPasadena, CaliforniaMartin Luther: An Introduction to His Life and WorkBernhard LohseTranslated by Robert C. SchultzPhiladelphia: Fortress Press, 1986$23.75 paperbackThe field of Luther studies has become so vast that even those whodevote the whole of a scholarly career to it cannot keep up. There arenow so many and such thorough specialized studies of aspects of Luther’scontext, life, and thought that for some years no one seemed willing totake up the task of providing a useful introduction to the picture of Lutherpresented by recent research. That changed in 1981 when Bernhard Lohse116 Consensuspublished Martin Luther—Eine Einfuehrung in sein Leben und sein Werk(Munich: Verlag C.H. Beck). With Robert Schultz’ translation of Lohse’swork there is now a book that one can recommend to the person who wantsto learn the essentials about Luther without making it a life work.One of the problems which the student of Luther faces is the continuingstruggle for the Luther of reality against the Luther of legend. All too manywriters have opted for the legends or have made Luther a mirror for theirown projections. Even works long considered classics use data that is nowknown to be false or is questioned. Lohse’s contribution is to make theresults of Luther research available to any educated person who cares toread. As in any book which covers so much material in a compact space,there are small points that one wishes had been nuanced more carefully orcovered differently. Some might question Lohse’s principle of organization.For the book as a whole, though, it is difficult for this reviewer to offeranything but praise. This really is the best one-volume introduction toLuther in English. The picture of Luther that emerges from this book is asaccurate as any now available.Robert C. Schultz’ translation is readable and faithful. Like Luther,Schultz seems to translate for meaning rather than literally. This is to beapplauded, but it does sometimes raise questions of interpretation. Forexample, does “ordained ministry” really carry the same weight in Englishthat geistliche Amt does in German? Such a problem is perhaps inevitable,for “spiritual office” would have no meaning at all to North Americans.At this one almost despairs of translating anything, so even though thenuances and contexts are different, “ordained ministry” is probably thebest available translation.There is a sense in which Martin Luther participates in the flaw of somuch German scholarship which spends more time on the history of inter-pretation rather than on meaning itself. In the case of Luther scholarshipthis is not altogether bad. for Luther has too often been used for another’sends rather than allowed to speak for himself. From Melanchthon to our-selves Luther is made over in our own image. Lohse’s work reminds uswhere and how this has happened in the past. If there is anything theLutheran churches need today, it is a Luther who speaks as critically to usas he spoke in the sixteenth century. We need to listen to Luther, not forcehim to speak our words.Robert A. KellyWaterloo Lutheran Seminary

Martin Luther: An Introduction to His Life and Work

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Martin Luther: An Introduction to His Life and Work

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