In the sixteenth century, a figure emerged who would change western Europe and proceed to impact the rest of the world. Jered Kennedy introduces this man in his book, Martin Luther: The Monk Who Changed the World.
Kennedy wrote a book aimed at older children and teenagers, but it contains enough information to keep church history buffs on their toes. The book features beautiful artwork throughout, engaging the mind and imagination.
The book begins with Luther’s famous encounter with God in a violent storm, where he vows to enter the priesthood. The author chronicles Luther’s time in the monastery, pilgrimage to Rome and his subsequent frustration with indulgence system and priests who have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge. He posts his well-known 95 theses on the castle door at Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, which helped propel his ideas in Europe and beyond.
Luther’s battle leads him to the Bible, where he encounters the doctrine of justification by faith alone. He stands before the highest officials of the Roman Catholic Church at Worms in 1521, where he is captured by friends of Frederick the Wise and led securely to the Wartburg Castle. He translates the Greek New Testament into the common language of the German people in less than ten months. The author leads readers on a fascinating journey from Wartburg to Luther’s death in 1546.
The Story of Martin Luther is a gripping tale of a man who God used to advance his kingdom purposes. I commend Kennedy’s book to young and old alike.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Veritas et Lux 