From Publishers Weekly
In Oberman's startling portrait of Martin Luther, we meet an obstinate monk of volcanic temperament, for whom Christ and the Devil were equally real. "Luther proclaimed the Last Days, not the modern age," asserts this University of Arizona history professor. The rebellious monk, we learn, called himself doctor, preacher, or professor, but never "reformer," and never spoke of his movement as the "Reformation." His achievement lay in "horizontalizing" Christian ethics by proclaiming that good works are crucial for survival in a threatened world. This weighty study gives full attention to aspects of Luther's career that other biographers have sought to minimize, such as his savage attacks on Jews and his scatological invective against the Devil. Oberman brings us closer to the real Luther. Illustrated. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Oberman believes that we can best understand Martin Luther as a man of the Middle Ages who believed that he was literally involved in a mortal struggle with the devil incarnate and that the pope was the Antichrist of the Last Days. The original German edition of this brilliant, sympathetic psychobiography of the father of the Reformation won the Historischer Sachbuchpreis, a special prize given the outstanding historical work of the decade 1975-85. Walliser-Schwarzbart's English translation is smooth and unobtrusive, and the illustrations supplement the text admirably. Highly recommended for readers willing to meet Oberman's intellectual and theological challenges.- Richard S. Watts, San Bernardino Cty. Lib., Cal.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German


From the Publisher
Luther: Man Between God And The Devil is the definitive biography of the central figure of the Protestant Reformation. Published in 1982 in Germany to great acclaim, the book portrays the controversial reformer in the context of his own time. Oberman argues that Luther is more the medieval monk than history has usually regarded him. Haunted by the devil, Luther saw the world, Oberman claims, as a cosmic battleground between God and Satan. It is this battle with the devil that provides the key to understanding the man. This is a classic in biography and an indispensable work for all interested in one of the greatest figures of Western history.


From the Inside Flap
Luther: Man Between God And The  Devil is the definitive biography of the central  figure of the Protestant Reformation. Published  in 1982 in Germany to great acclaim, the book  portrays the controversial reformer in the context of  his own time. Oberman argues that Luther is more  the medieval monk than history has usually  regarded him. Haunted by the devil, Luther saw the  world, Oberman claims, as a cosmic battleground between  God and Satan. It is this battle with the devil  that provides the key to understanding the man.  This is a classic in biography and an indispensable  work for all interested in one of the greatest  figures of Western history.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Luther: Man Between God And The Devil is the definitive biography of the central figure of the Protestant Reformation. Oberman portrays the controversial reformer in the context of his own time and argues that Luther is more the medieval monk than history has usually regarded him. Haunted by the devil, Luther saw the world, Oberman claims, as a cosmic battleground between God and Satan. It is this battle with the devil that provides the key to understanding the man. This is an indispensable work for all interested in one of the greatest figures of Western history.

FROM THE CRITICS

Booknews