Ilmari Karimies investigates Martin Luther's understanding of reality and faith. He examines Luther's understanding of reality from three perspectives: firstly God as the self-giving highest good uniting opposites and hiding beneath them; secondly the visible and invisible world; and thirdly human beings as tripartite (body, soul, spirit) and bipartite (flesh-spirit). The author explores the cognitive conflict between these in relation to spirit's grasping of God and the invisible world with reference to Augustinian Platonism. He analyses aspects of faith from the perspective of the theory of divine illumination and shows that Luther represents a realistic Augustinian view. Faith functions as the theological intellect, grasping the invisible world and showing human beings the future good in a manner similar to the medieval notion of ecstatic knowledge. It differs from vision in glory because of sin, as mixed with humanity, and as partial knowledge.

Navigating through different realist and nominalist traditions, Timo Eskola suggests that signs are about conditions and functions and participate in a web of relations. Questioning Derridean poststructuralism, the author reinstates Benveniste’s hermeneutics of enunciation and suggests a new approach to metatheology.

The Encyclopedia of Martin Luther and the Reformation is a comprehensive global study of the life and work of Martin Luther and the movements that followed him—in history and through today. Organized by a stellar advisory board of Luther and Reformation scholars, the encyclopedia features nearly five hundred entries that examine Luther’s life and impact worldwide. The two-volume set provides overviews of basics such as the 95 Theses as well as more complex topics such as reformational distinctions. Entries explore Luther’s contributions to theology, sacraments, his influence on the church and contemporaries, his character, and more. The work also discusses Luther’s controversies and topics such as gender, sexuality, and race. Publishing at the five hundredth anniversary of the Reformation, this is an essential reference work for understanding the Reformation and its legacy today.

"Kolb explores Luther's use of the Latin preposition "coram" - "face-to-face" - to demonstrate the foundational role of relationships in Luther's thought. For Luther, believers, fundamentally rooted in their relationship with the Creator of every person and thing, experience all of life's realities in relationship: with God, self, and others"--

Acknowledged by theologians as one of the great masterpieces of the Reformation, Martin Luther’s Bondage of the Will was also Luther’s favorite work. Luther responds to Desiderius Erasmus’ Diatribe on Free Will with the bluntness, genius, sarcasm, and spirituality that were as much a part of his writing as they were of his colorful personality. Luther writes lucidly on the themes of man’s inability and God’s ability, man’s depravity and God’s sovereignty. The crucial issue for Luther concerned what ability free will has, and to what degree it is subject to God’s sovereignty. Luther’s doctrine of salvation pivoted on this key issue. Is man able to save himself, or is his salvation completely a work of divine grace? This work will long remain among the great theological classics of Christian history. Bondage of the Will was first published in 1525, eight years after Luther penned his Ninety-Five Theses.

"Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation" is the first of the three tracts written by Martin Luther in 1520. In this work, he defined for the first time the signature doctrines of the priesthood of all believers and the two kingdoms. After the church made a strong attempt at drawing distinct lines on saying who had authority in the spiritual sphere and its matters. This division of Christians into spheres motivated Luther to write on the "three walls" the "Romanists" created to protect themselves from reform. "Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church" is a theological treatise, the second of the three major tracts from 1520. In this work Luther examines the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church in the light of his interpretation of the Bible. With regard to the Eucharist, he advocates restoring the cup to the laity, dismisses the Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation but affirms the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, and rejects the teaching that the Mass is a sacrifice offered to God. "A Treatise on Christian Liberty" is the third of Luther's major reforming treatises of 1520. It developed the concept that as fully forgiven children of God, Christians are no longer compelled to keep God's law; however, they freely and willingly serve God and their neighbors. Luther also further develops the concept of justification by faith. In the treatise, Luther stated, "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all."

Martin Luther's key essay "Concerning Christian Liberty," written in 1520, summarizes the heart of the Protestant Reformation and lays out Luther's profound theological insights. Luther addresses the Christian's relationship with faith, freedom, and good acts in this brief treatise. Luther's key claim is at the heart of the book: real Christian freedom is the fruit of faith in Christ. He claims that faith justifies the believer and frees them from the shackles of sin and the law. Luther's argument is based on the concept that salvation is a gift from God, acquired alone via faith, and cannot be won through good works or human merit. Luther's work also highlights the "dual nature of the Christian" - that a believer is both a free ruler overall and a faithful servant to all. He encourages Christians to live out their religion by loving their neighbors rather than attempting to gain salvation by external acts of devotion. "Concerning Christian Liberty" is an in-depth examination of the relationship between faith, freedom, and good acts. Luther's views transformed Christian teaching by emphasizing the centrality of trust in Christ and the transformative power of grace.

A comprehensive look at the background and context, the content, and the impact of Martin Luther's Theology, written by an international team of theologians and historians.