Luther’s Works, Volume 59
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Never before in English, this volume presents Luther’s prefaces from 1520–1532 for the writings of both colleagues and opponents. In Luther’s day, the preface was sometimes the most important part of the book. The preface used the most beautiful of language to praise the author, his work, and his arguments—and to decry his opponents. Publishers knew that having Luther’s preface brought instant fame to any book. Some of Luther’s prefaces are short, witty, and incisive; others are as long as treatises, with thorough discussions of important theology. Satirical, earnest, tender, combative—in his prefaces Luther is all these things. Over and over, Luther calls his readers to remember why the Reformation was needed, and not to take it for granted.
Reviews
1 rating
Glenn Crouch
1/2/2024
In coming to this first volume of “prefaces” by Luther, I was curious about what this would involve. Of course, I know what a “preface” is - and I am one who always reads the preface in a book I am reading or referencing. But I had no clue what prefaces were like back in the 16th Century. What makes this volume so enjoyable and worthwhile is the introduction to each preface! These introduction not only cover the historical settings but also cover theological, sociological and biographical information. Whilst Luther’s prefaces vary from slightly boring to quite profound, these introduction are consistently of high quality. I often found myself wanting to read the book for which the preface was written! This gives a bit of a different glimpse into Luther, and that alone makes it a worthwhile read. However it also gives quite an interesting glimpse into other aspects of the early 16th Century, which makes it quite an enjoyable and informative read. Now on to Volume 60 and more prefaces :)