February Book Review – Martin Luther: A Spiritual Biography by Herman Selderhuis

Herman Selderhuis offers readers a good introduction to the complex life of Martin Luther, the circumspect monk whose struggle for assurance and eventual opposition to the Pope triggered the Protestant Reformation.

The author tells the story at a relatively quick pace (12 hours as an audiobook, 350 pages in print) and weaves together his public ministry of writing and teaching with the inner turmoil and gospel hope from which his ministry grew.

Thus the book’s subtitle “A Spiritual Biography.” Selderhuis explores Luther’s inner life with care and regularly draws the connection for the reader between what’s going on internally with his response to outward circumstance.

Though Luther’s story is quite familiar, Selderhuis’ work feels fresh. Even familiar scenes such as the Diet of Worms teem with details that paint a vivid picture for the reader.

I did find, however, two features of his writing to be unfortunate. At times Selderhuis adopts a thematic rather than chronological approach to the biography. For example, he talks about the death of Luther’s father surprisingly early in the narrative, as part of a discussion of the reformer’s early life, even though his father emerges multiple times—quite alive!—throughout the rest of the book. These diversions from the chronology confuse the story and threaten the narrative thread.

Furthermore and perhaps inevitably the author corrects popular—and some not-so-well-known—legends about Luther. Some of these are necessary (e.g., did Luther say, “Here I stand, I can do no other”?), but many felt nit-picky, better left for a footnote rather than woven into the narrative.

My greatest disappointment with the book is the comparatively light treatment of Luther’s anti-Semitism. It is well-known—and Selderhuis affirms—that the Nazis co-opted Luther’s writings in support of their heinous policy toward the Jewish people.

Of course Luther could not have known how his writings would be used 400 years later, and he is not responsible for the actions of Hitler. Nevertheless he is responsible for his own actions, and the bravado and brash talk that Protestants love when it appeared at Worms led him to utter truly reprehensible things about Jews.

We cannot pin blame for the Nazis on Luther, but the relationship between the two is not incidental. To this day Luther’s words hinder many Jewish people from considering the truth of the gospel he preached.

This book will be useful as an introduction for those new to the great reformer, and as a refresher for those generally familiar with his life and work. Notwithstanding my criticisms above I recommend Martin Luther: A Spiritual Biography. His life testifies to the superabundant grace of God who delights to employ flawed people to effect great change.