The Bondage of the Will
by Martin Luther | Book Summary
![]() Author:Martin Luther |
The Bondage of the Will portrays Martin Luther's discussion of how much power the will of man has compared to the will of God. Luther wrote this book as a rebuttal to Erasmus, who challenged Luther with his own book called The Freedom of the Will. Erasmus was a well-known Bible scholar whose strengths were languages and literature. Luther had the advantage in theology and boldness, but Erasmus had the edge in eloquence. Luther provides a biblical case for man's inability to save himself. The Bondage of the Will is filled with Scripture refuting Erasmus along with sarcastic quotes from Luther that keep it interesting. |
Martin Luther was a seminal figure in the Reformation and is widely known as the father of Protestantism. There were other historical figures before and after Luther, but his name is virtually synonymous with the Reformation.
Born in 1483, Luther escaped a lightning storm and vowed to become a priest. He did so and was ordained in 1507. His study of the Scriptures led him away from Catholic doctrine, and he sought to start conversations about some of the practices of the church.
His nailing of the 95 Theses to the door of his hometown church at Wittenberg did not start a conversation, but instead started a movement that shook all of Christendom.
The Bondage of the Will
by Martin Luther
[ Book Summary ]
Author | Martin Luther |
Publisher | Fleming H. Revell |
Date | 1525 (briefed edition, 2004) |
Pages | 322 |
Overview:
How powerful is the will of man compared to the will of God? Is man's will free, or is it in bondage? Does the issue even matter, or is this just a theological squabble not affecting a normal Christian's day-to-day life?
The Bondage of the Will portrays Martin Luther's discussion of how much power the will of man has compared to the will of God.
Luther wrote this book as a rebuttal to Erasmus, who challenged Luther with his own book called The Freedom of the Will. Erasmus was a well-known Bible scholar whose strengths were languages and literature. Luther had the advantage in theology and boldness, but Erasmus had the edge in eloquence.
Luther provides a biblical case for man's inability to save himself. The Bondage of the Will is filled with Scripture refuting Erasmus along with sarcastic quotes from Luther that keep it interesting.
Martin Luther was a seminal figure in the Reformation and is widely known as the father of Protestantism. There were other historical figures before and after Luther, but his name is virtually synonymous with the Reformation.
Born in 1483, Luther escaped a lightning storm and vowed to become a priest. He did so and was ordained in 1507. His study of the Scriptures led him away from Catholic doctrine, and he sought to start conversations about some of the practices of the church.
His nailing of the 95 Theses to the door of his hometown church at Wittenberg did not start a conversation, but instead started a movement that shook all of Christendom.