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This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages. Life Sentence is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by James V. McConnell is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of James V. McConnell then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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Alas! said Luther, what is our wit and wisdom? for before we understand anything as we ought, we lie down and die; therefore the devil hath good striving with us. When one is thirty years old, so hath he as yet Stultitias carnales; yea, also Stultitias spirituales; yet it is much to be admired that, in such our imbecility and weakness, we achieve and accomplish so much and such great matters; but it is God that giveth it. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Religion / Philosophy; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Fire and Hammer of the Word of God (Jeremiah 23:29)
Martin Luther's treatise "Christian Liberty" (or "The Freedom of a Christian") is perhaps the most powerful and concise presentation of the Christian life ever written. I cannot recommend this work highly enough. I rank this among the very best of Luther's works (and that is really saying something). If an inexpensive copy were still in publication I would buy every copy to give as gifts to friends and family. The power, discernment, brevity and readability of this work make a true gem among Reformation writings (and Christian writings in general). Here you will find the essence of the spirit of the Reformation distilled into a guide for practical, biblical living.

With the clarity and bold authority of a true prophet, Luther sets forth the whole of the Christian life in two theses: "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all." We are free from sin and the law (subject to none) but slaves to Christ in love (subject to all). As Paul writes in Romans 6:22, "But now...you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God."

Luther writes as a shepherd of the common people and the tone and content differ greatly from his better-known debate-oriented works (ie. Bondage of the Will, 95 Theses). The doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is the heart and soul of Luther's message, founded upon a firm conviction in the authority of scripture alone.

He writes, "One thing, and only one thing, is necessary for Christian life, righteousness, and freedom. That one thing is the most holy Word of God, the gospel of Christ."

And again, "It ought to be the first concern of every Christian to lay aside all confidence in works and increasingly to strengthen faith alone and through faith to grow in the knowledge, not of works, but of Christ Jesus, who suffered and rose for him.... No other work makes a Christian.... 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent' (John 6:29)."

And regarding our service to God, "...In this way the stronger member may serve the weaker, and we may be sons of God, each caring for and working for the other, bearing one another's burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ. This is a truly Christian life. Here faith is truly active through love. That is, it finds expression in works of the freest service, cheerfully and lovingly done, with which a man willingly serves another without hope of reward; and for himself he is satisfied with the fullness and wealth of his faith."

I cannot personally vouch for the quality of this Adobe version, but if you prefer the feel of paper and ink, this treatise has been published in a number of other individual volumes and in at least one very worthy compilation entitled "Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings" (ed. Timothy F. Lull, 1989) which also contains a number of other infinitely worthy works such as Luther's "Small Catechism," the stirring "Meditation of Christ's Passion," and the thesis chapters of the foundational "Bondage of the Will."Any volume of this monumental treatise is bound to bless you and this is an easily-accessible, inexpensive version for the technologically inclined. It is the fire and the hammer of the Word of God to consume the adversaries and break apart the stone hearts of impenitant men.
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An Open Letter on Translating is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Martin Luther is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Martin Luther then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A piece of history, yet still accessible
I should note that I am a lifelong Lutheran and Martin Luther is one of my personal heroes, despite his numerous and many flaws.

A September, 1530 letter to Luther's critics concerning his translation of the Bible from Latin into German. This was very controversial at the time and it led to a lot of disagreement (even wars) over who should be allowed to read the Bible and who should interpret its meaning.

Luther defends his translation in his very best combative style. He correctly notes that not all turns of phrases translate literally from one language to another. He notes, along with a liberal dose of insulting names for his opponents, that he and his team of translators did a lot of research and took great care to make his translation accessible and accurate.

What is perhaps most amazing is that this document is amazingly readable for anyone conversant with the issues of the Reformation, even though it is nearly 500 years old. His irreverant style won over many of the common folks of his day and made him the Western world's first international bestselling author.

The letter veers off topic towards the end and meanders into a general criticism of indulgences and entreaties to saints which is why I only give it 4 stars. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Religion / Christianity / Lutheran; Religion / Christianity / Catholic; Religion / Christianity / Catechisms; Religion / Christian Education / General; Religion / Christianity / Lutheran; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A 1921 translation of an important piece of Reformation theology
The Smalcald Articles were designed to be be a presentation of the basics of Lutheran theology that was to be presented at a Council of the Church in Mantua in 1537 - a Lutheran/Catholic discussion about what Lutherans and Catholics believed. As Luther notes in his brief introduction these articles laid out "what we could accept or yield, and what we could not." (location 2)They are named for the Smalcald (Schmalkaldic) League - a union of Lutheran cities and territories that opposed the Catholic Holy Roman Emperor.

The Council never happened and the league never adopted the Smalcald Articles as an official statement of faith because of Luther's strident, I would even say enthusiastic, attacks on some core matters of Catholic faith, especially the office of the Pope.

The Smalcald Articles were incorporated into the Book of Concord and are considered traditional standard Lutheran doctrine.

The Smalcald Articles are a lively presentation of the basics of Lutheranism. In reality, one would get the same information if you read Martin Luther's Small Catechism but it would not be presented in Luther's best argumentative style. Luther often knew no restraint when it came to arguing the points of Christian faith. He follows his arguments to their logical conclusions and is quite ruthless, devestatingly effective and fantastically politically incorrect in passages that condemn the office of the Pope, ultimately concluding that the position of Pope is that of Antichrist (locations 225-268). One can see why the Smalcald League wanted to tone down the rhetoric for the purposes of discussion.

However, Luther's rawboned, no-holds-barred, street fighter style of argument is really the star here. Luther had precious little patience for those that were, in his view, perverting the teachings of Christianity in order to follow the traditions and practices of human institutions. While Luther's Small Catechism patiently lays out the teachings of Lutheranism in an easy to digest format, the Smalcald Articles are a whirlwind, alternately attacking and defending (even his defenses are mostly attacks) highlighting Luther's early training as a lawyer (and what a great modern-day criminal lawyer he would have been!) with elaborate arguments that show little mercy to any that would interfere with the work of God amongst his people.

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This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages.

Martin Luther's Small Catechism, translated by R. Smith is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Martin Luther is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Martin Luther then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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Clayborne Carson has created a book that remarkably approximates a self-portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. Delving into all aspects of this mans life, the work covers his boyhood, his education, and his emergence as a leader. From his relationships with his wife and children, to his dealings with the important political figures of the era, this book defines the history of a genuine hero.Amazon.com Review
Celebrated Stanford University historian Clayborne Carson isthe director and editor of the Martin Luther King Papers Project; withthousands of King's essays, notes, letters, speeches, and sermons athis disposal, Carson has organized King's writings into a posthumousautobiography. In an early student essay, King prophetically penned:"We cannot have an enlightened democracy with one great group livingin ignorance.... We cannot have a nation orderly and sound with onegroup so ground down and thwarted that it is almost forced intounsocial attitudes and crime." Such statements, made throughout King'scareer, are skillfully woven together into a coherent narrative of thequest for social justice. The autobiography delves, for example, intothe philosophical training King received at Morehouse College, CrozerTheological Seminary, and Boston University, where he consolidated theteachings of Afro-American theologian Benjamin Mays with thephilosophies of Locke, Rousseau, Gandhi, and Thoreau. Through King'svoice, the reader intimately shares in his trials and triumphs,including the Montgomery Boycott, the 1963 "I Have a Dream Speech,"the Selma March, and the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. In one of his lastspeeches, King reminded his audience that "in the final analysis, Goddoes not judge us by the separate incidents or the separate mistakesthat we make, but by the total bent of our lives." Carson's skillfulediting has created an original argument in King's favor that drawsdirectly from the source, illuminating the circumstances of King'slife without deifying his person. --Eugene Holley Jr. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

Sensational audio production
I wanted to learn more about King and this great work really left me with a feeling of knowing him well. It gave great insight into factors that moulded King, from his childhood to the profound influence of Gandhi, and chronicled the rough and tumble struggle for justice, with its slings and arrows, and also the great men who helped him like JFK and Harry Belafonte.

Clayborne Carson used King's personal papers to piece together an autobiography, that while half biographical, is as true as one could get. There are many fascinating original recordings etc.

I was really pleased with this purchase. It left me feeling both inspired and accurately informed of the historical detail.

Engrossing, inspiring and informative
February is Black History Month, something which--to be totally honest--I'm usually completely unaware of. I'm not just unaware of when Black History Month occurs, but pretty ignorant about Black History in general.

Last week I began reading The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. I had purchased it a while back at the same time that I bought Gandhi's autobiography. I've been following the trail of non-violent thought from the Anabaptists to the Quakers to Leo Tolstoy to Gandhi to Martin Luther King (and points in-between). So MLK was the next stop on my journey. I only discovered last week after getting half-way into the book that February is Black History Month. I learned this by seeing a placard on the side of a bus.

Dr. King's autobiography was not intentionally written by it's subject, in the same way that Gandhi's autobiography was. King was assassinated before he could write this work himself. Instead, his autobiography was assembled by King scholar Clayborne Carson (at the request of Coretta Scott King) by carefully gathering and collating King's public and private writings into a cohesive narrative. Carson did a masterful job, as King's voice and personality consistently shines through. One really has the sense that this is the autobiography King would have written had his life not been cut short.

I had not expected to become so quickly engrossed in this book. Obviously I knew who Martin Luther King was, but this was my first opportunity to really see what an amazing man he was. King was an intellectual giant, yet also an extremely humble and honest man. He was a brilliant theologian and scholar, but consistently chose to identify himself with the lowest of the low in society. He was incredibly, well ... Christian ... in the true sense of the word.

Besides being impacted by the encounter with King as a person, this book is also teaching me about the events of the Civil Rights movement and the various personalities involved. A consternating thought keeps bubbling up in my mind: Why was I never taught about this in public school? The Civil Rights movement was an epic moment in American history and it's effects continue to reverberate--most recently and obviously in the election of Barack Obama. Yet I can't recall being taught about it in school. Perhaps because I grew up in a 99% white community in Colorado it was deemed irrelevant, just as I've typically viewed Black History Month as personally irrelevant.

Now I'm realizing that Black History, from slavery to emancipation to Jim Crow to the Civil Rights movement and beyond is not just "for black people". It is an integral component of American history. Ditto for Native American history. Looking back, I realize how narrow and anglo-centric my public school history education was. I was not given anything approximating a complete picture of American history. And, sadly, neither has my son. I'm going to try to get him to read this book.

I also find myself thinking as I read this book that if I had been an adult during the 1960's, I hope I would have been one of those whites who joined into the Civil Rights movement to offer solidarity and support. I self-flatteringly imagine that I might've trekked to the South and gotten onto the front lines, as so many people of good conscience from all over the country did. But that thought is immediately followed by a more uncomfortable one: Where are people being oppressed today and what am I doing about it?

MLK Brilliant and Consummate Christian
I was overwhelmed by King's christian ethic and his brilliance.This was an outstanding page turner from cover to cover.King showed us what true christianity and commitment are. I recommend it to all.

A must read
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. is a must read, especially for the the youth of the 21st century.I have always appreciated the sacrfices Dr. King made to create a better America, as well as a better economical and social status for African Americans.But after reading this book I have a new respect for Dr. King.His strength through out the entire civil rights movement is without a doubt remarkable.His nonviolent strategy was truly a genious way to fight the hands of racism and evil during the times in which he lived in.He used the media to shame the racist who tried to keep all power for themselves and white America.Dr. King was a very intelligent man and I believe he had a deeper understanding of social behavior that was sharper than most.

I have read many autobiographies on extraordinary people in the world, and prior to reading this book Malcolm X's autobiograpghy was my favorite of many.But I now have to say I have two favorite books.Although Malcolm X and Dr. King had different approaches for fighting racism in America, I believe they were both effective because if nothing else they both brought media attention to the issue that was never there before.In this way they made it impossible for America to sit idlely by and do nothing.

I believe this book should be read be everyone because it truly leaves the reader with a deeper appreciation for the struggles of great leaders who shaped the core values of this country.

The best read of the year
It's an inspirational read and clearly establishes King amongst the finest examples of portraying a 'Purpose Driven Life" in recent generations.




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Customer Reviews (10)

interesting for younger readers,
The book wasn't what I was looking for, and the sellers were wonderful about taking it back and refunding my money.I will definitely buy from them again.

Perfect Intro to Luther
I found this to be completely appropriate for our children, ages 4 & 5.The illustrations are beautiful and the story is a wonderful introduction (even for non-Lutherans) to the Reformation. There are also maps on the inside of the hardcover showing Deutchland (Germany) in Luther's time and showing locations of great interest to this point in history.

I understand the 3-star reviewers points about certain information missing ~ however, I believe that there is no such thing as a "comprehensive" book when the target audience is 4-8.This book would makea great "jumping point" to exploring additional facets of the Reformation and Luther's life.

Beautiful!
I happened to come across this book and am very pleased with it.The illustrations are just beautiful and the hard bounding is sure to make it a treasured book.The message inside is inspiring--especially good for an older child who is in the faith.This would make a great book for a child's book report too--there is much information inside that is valuable.Very nice book.I would highly recommend it.

A fine introduction to Martin Luther, enjoyable for both adults and children.
Paul L. Maier is Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University.His areas of research include manuscript and text analysis, archaeology, and the comparison of secular and sacred sources from the first century A.D.Dr. Maier also serves as the second vice-president of the Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod.Two of his more recent publications are More Than a Skeleton (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003) and (with H. Hanegraaff), The Davinci Code-Fact or Fiction? (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2004).A forthcoming work is titled:The Real Story of the Flood, which is scheduled to be released by Concordia Publishing House in July 2008.

This short book tells the story of the adult life of the great reformer Martin Luther.It touches on many of the key events that shaped his life and religious convictions.(i.e. encounter on the road to Erfurt, challenges as a monk, the after of effects of the 95 theses, etc.)While, this is categorized as a children's book, it will be enjoyable to adults and children alike.The writing of Dr. Maier and the beautiful illustrations of Greg Copeland make this book a joy to read and look at.Maier does a great job of expressing the challenges Luther faced in trying to come to terms with salvation as expressed by scripture versus the teachings of the church of his day.The reader will get a sense of the great courage it must have taken for Luther to face the huge obstacles that were constantly before him.I would highly recommend this book to anybody wishing to introduce their family to the life of Martin Luther and the reformation.If you appreciate this work, I would also commend several other illustrated children's books by Dr. Maier:

* The Very First Christmas (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1998)
* The Very First Easter (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999)
* The Very First Christians (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2001)
* The Real Story of the Flood (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2008)

Fantastic Read
I came across this book while looking for other homeschooling books here at Amazon.Well, I ordered it and was extremely pleased!At Amazon you couldn't look through it like other books on-line so I took a chance and bought it.So glad I did.It almost brought tears to my eyes while reading it...knowing the strong, resolute faith Luther exhibited during a time when execution by the church was not an unknown practice.Truly a man of God who stood steadfast and unwavering in his beliefs and helped turn the tide against the church practices of his time.A great read and highly recommended. ... Read more

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"We've got some difficult days ahead," civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., told a crowd gathered at Memphis's Clayborn Temple on April 3, 1968. "But it really doesn't matter to me now because I've been to the mountaintop. . . . And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land."

These prohetic words, uttered the day before his assassination, challenged those he left behind to see that his "promised land" of racial equality became a reality; a reality to which King devoted the last twelve years of his life.

These words and other are commemorated here in the only major one-volume collection of this seminal twentieth-century American prophet's writings, speeches, interviews, and autobiographical reflections. A Testament of Hope contains Martin Luther King, Jr.'s essential thoughts on nonviolence, social policy, integration, black nationalism, the ethics of love and hope, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Good ideas, but overly redundant
Dr. King had some great ideas.Aggregating them into one text is a sizable task.But the writings included here are overly redundant.Literally, many of them have exact wording from others.I know that Dr. King had lots of speaking engagements and wrote for many different publications.So I understand why he would borrow from his own words in other works.But why include writings with the same message, sometimes in the exact same words, in a book of *essential* readings?

Also, the works are organized by general topic or philosophy, while a better way would be to group them chronologically to show how Dr. King's thinking changed, and how specific external events and responses influenced his thoughts and writings/speeches.

So even though I want to love anything about MLK Jr., this compendium could be greatlyimproved by reducing it to only include the *actual* essential writings and speeches, the expressions that truly synthesize and detail King's thoughts.

An extensive MLK Collection of Wrtings & Speeches
This is a great treasure for those wishing to develop an overview of the writings and speeches made over Dr. King's tumultuous and productive lifetime.

In many instances, a context is given to situate the original material. This brings Dr. King alive for the citizen of today, who may only come to know this exceptional American through books, or perhaps other media.

Becoming familiar with Dr. King and the movement he led is anintegral part of knowing American history. This book does justice to it's title: "A Testament of Hope."

A Fantastic
Collection of a man who stood up for his values and beliefs. Even more today we need to reflect on his words and return to the dream he called for.

Required Reading For All
I was totally humbled by this book. If it could be made manitory reading for all.....they should pass a law. You will not be the same after reading this book.

"There are just laws and there are unjust laws..." *
Yesterday, the 40th anniversary of MLK's assassination, I spent the better part of the day thumbing through A Testment of Hope.The book is an old friend of mine.I've read and reread it for nearly twenty years now, both privately and with students in at least a dozen classes.

What I like so much about editor James Washington's collection is its comprehensiveness.In a single volume, one finds MLK's thoughts on nonviolence, civil rights and integration, the Vietnam War and poverty, Christianity and social responsibility, and justice and morality.His ideas are conveyed here through essays, sermons, interviews, and lengthy, meaty excerpts from his five books.Everything that one could want is here, including what I personally take to be his very best work:"Letter from a Birmingham Jail" (1963), "Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience" (1961), "A Christmas Sermon on Peace" (1967), "A Time to Break Silence" (1967), the "I Have a Dream" speech (1961), and Stride Toward Freedom's masterful discussion of the tactics and principles of nonviolence (1958).

Today, four decades after his death, the country is still struggling to grow into MLK's vision of reconciliation and nonviolence.One can only imagine how sad he would be at the post-9/11 turn toward militarism the nation has taken, the current wave of sentiment against Latino immigrants, the constant economic disparity between white households and African American ones, or the upswing in hate crimes against Muslims.In re-reading A Testament of Hope, I was reminded yet again of how very much we need a present-day prophet of King's caliber, vision, and courage, and of how very grateful I am that we once had King himself.
________
* "And I submit that the individual who disobeys the law, whose conscience tells him it is unjust and who is willing to accept the penalty by staying in jail until that law is altered, is expressing at the moment the very highest respect for law."From "Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience," p. 49. ... Read more

Product Description
"I cannot.. I will not... recant! Here I stand." This authoritative and inspiring story paints a vivid portrait of the crusader who spearheaded the Reformation.Considered one of the most readable biographies of Martin Luther, this volume is an illustrated look at the German religious reformer and his influence on Western civilization.

Martin Luther entered a monastery as a youth and as a man shattered the structure of the medieval church. Luther spoke out against the corrupt religious practices that then existed. His demand that the authority for doctrine and practice be Scriptures, rather than Popes or Councils, echoed around the world and ignited the Great Reformation. Accused of heresy and threatened with excommunication and death, Luther maintained his bold stand and refused to recant. In his crusade to eliminate religious abuses, he did more than any other man to establish the Protestant faith. With sound historical scholarship and penetrating insight, Roland Bainton examines Luther's widespread influence. He re-creates the spiritual setting of the sixteenth century, showing Luther's place within it and influence upon it.Richly illustrated with more than 100 woodcuts and engravings from Luther's own time, Here I Stand dramatically brings to life Martin Luther, the great reformer.

Bainton published Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther in 1950. As of 2008, it is still in print. Kenneth Scott Latourette, in the chapter notes for "Luther and the Rise and Spread of Lutheranism" in his History of Christianity, lauds Bainton's biography of Luther as "A superb combination of accurate scholarship based upon a thorough knowledge of the sources and secondary works with insight, vivid, readable literary style, and reproductions of contemporary illustrations. It also contains so valuable a bibliography as to render needless an extended one in this chapter." In his chapter on Luther's writings in Invitation to the Classics, Mark A. Noll singles out Bainton's biography:
"Of the many superlative treatments, a half-century old study by Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, has justly won a reputation as a classic work on a classic subject." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

Superb Biography
This is the best biography about Martin Luther that I have read.The author starts from the beginning, doesn't jump around, and follows up with Luther's final days.It might appear that the author is somewhat biased but he does state the facts.I would have liked to read more about Luther's anti-Semetic thoughts, writings, and other activities.Still, I couldn't take my eyes off the book.If you want a very accurate story of Martin Luther, his attempts to reform the Catholic Church from its unethical status and make the appropriate changes to ensure the Scriptures were correctly interpreted and explained to Christians of his time, be sure to give this a read.

GREAT BOOK !
I recomend this book to anyone wanting to know more about this tremendous Evamgelical Reformer. The writer takes you deep inside Luther's personal life, his strugles with the established worldly religion become vivid, and the more you read, the more you want to keep reading!Before reading this book, I had great respect for Luther and knew God was with him throughout his terrible ordeal with the great harlot, but now I really praise God for the life of this great man!

A great read
Roland Bainton does a marvelous job of introducing us to Martin Luther.The work is scholarly and yet manages to be interesting and readable for the average lay person.

This is a classic.Bainton as historian is able to use a lot of history but he makes it readable and understandable at the same time.He does not stint on the scholarly by trying to short cut or downplay the historical aspect.

An excellent read for anyone who is interested in Protestantism, Martin Luther, or theology.

J. Robert Ewbank author of "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther
The book was everything that I expected it to be. This was the 2nd time I have read it and wanted a hardback copy for my library.

Bainton's highly readable masterpiece
Having now read many of Roland Bainton's histories, I believe this to be his best work.With broad brush strokes and intimate examples, and with reproductions of printed work from that era and interesting illustrations, this work makes the story of Martin Luther come alive. Bainton sets it well in history with boarding school stories, accounts of peasants and kings, and with explanations of the renaissance and other cultural influences that are quite clear. Such clarity indicates that we are in the presence of a master: Bainton's historical understanding is impressive.

We learn about the Roman Catholic Church getting rich by selling forgiveness of sins, with the use of sales pitches like "When the coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs". Such atrocities spurred Luther to action. Bainton tells us about Luther's spiritual angst and awakening, his great faith, and his warts and loves and personal tastes, so at the end of the day you know this man and understand what moved him. You will have a good overview of the times, the tremendous, oppressive power of the Church, the deepest issues of salvation and redemption, and how much Luther enjoyed having his sheets washed after he married a nun who left a convent.

Bainton was a fair and peaceable man; that comes across in his writing. And he avoids the bias that often mars the writing of those who write religious histories. Joined with a formidable intelligence, it means he has been gifted to understand and honestly explain the views and beliefs of other men, even if he himself disagrees. His presentation of Luther's theology is just about the best I have ever read, and very moving, although Bainton does not hold to it himself.

I agree with the commentator who complained about the lack of footnotes. For such a thorough work, it was disappointing. That aside, "Here I Stand" is a highly recommended read for everyone. No wonder it is still so popular. It is both scholarly and personable.
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Customer Reviews (11)

I wrote a bad review and Amazon deleted it
Since it is next to impossible to contact Amazon I will do this.I wrote a bad review, a very bad review for this book which is sent by Amazon.My review has been deleted by person or persons unknown.I charge Amazon with interference and expect them to contact me to explain this action.

Flyer
I didn't realize that this is like a flyer, which stands to reason for the price, but it resembles a tract that you would had out, with fine print. It is what it is, I just thought it was a little larger print.

To understand the Reformation
This book is a key document for all those (students, professors, ministers, scholars) who are interested in understanding the Reformation from its very beginning. Which were Luther's (and many theologians' and clerks') demands at the beginning of the 16th. century? The major answers to this question are in this booklet, written by the great Reformer's own hands.

Founding Protestant
This book is a few pages long is bound in pamplet form. Contains 95 passages. This really attacks the Catholic church that he saw atrocities in at the time. I got the impression he was trying to say that the Pope is not the iotola of religion.

historical and theological beauty
The language of these is not easy to read, but beautiful to consider.We take most of these ideas for granted, or try to make more out of them than was included in these theses.The historical and personal risk Luther took to post these on the doors of his church should inspire and humble us all.

The 95 theses began the reformation of the Christian faith.Up to the point of these writings, the Church had been largely unchecked in her errors.Debates may have stayed private, were it not for a courageous minister.Luther did not intend to leave his beloved church, but hoped to change the ideas and behaviors which distracted her from the word of God.

These were posted on a church, for the church, but their impact has reached to the farthest corners of modern hearts. ... Read more

Product Description
The development of Martin Luther's thought was both a symptom and moving force in the transformation of the Middle Ages into the modern world. Geographical discovery, an emerging scientific tradition, and a climate of social change had splintered the unity of medieval Christian culture, and these changes provided the background for Luther's theological challenge. His new apprehension of Scripture and fresh understanding of man's relation to God demanded a break with the Church as then constituted and released the powerful impulses that carried the Reformation. Luther's vigorous, colorful language still retains the excitement it had for thousands of his contemporaries. In this volume, Dr. Dillenberger has made a representative selection from Luther's extensive writings, and has also provided the reader with a lucid introduction to his thought. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A great introduction to Luther
I think this is just about the best introduction to Luther's writing around.It covers a pretty broad range of his writing, and seems to give a pretty good introduction to his theology and thought.Incidentally, "Freedom of a Christian" is worth the purchase price alone.It is simply the best discussion of faith and works that I have ever read.It is immenseley clarifying.I would recommend this highly, particularly since it is so inexpensive.

Denying Papal Bull
Dillenberger presents a selections of treatises, Biblical commentaries, and sermonssensibly arranged with a good introduction. Two missing works were the Small Catechism and his speech at the Diet of Worms ("Here I stand ... I cannot do otherwise").In three key works from 1520 "An appeal to the ruling class of German Nationality", "The Pagan Servitude of the Church" and "The Freedom of a Christian", Luther develops (re-discovers?) the doctrine of justification by faith and emphasis on Scripture.Luther steers from a legalistic life of a Christian ("Beware lest you make Christ into a Moses").He vigorously attacks the practice of indulgences, Papal Supremacy and the papal court: "At present there is a crawling mass of reptiles, all claiming to pay allegiance to the Pope, but Babylon never saw the life of these miscreants". At times he practices his own demagoguery; of St. James he does "not hold it to be of apostolic authorship".

Luther attempts to remove the differences between cleric and public classes by opening the Eucharist to everyone and his German Bible made Scripture available to German peasantry. Luther grants spiritual rights to the individual, and states importance of the Christian community, but he did not extend this politically, and should not be viewed as advocating political democracy. The "Appeal to the ruling class" was popular among the nobility because it provided justification for not sending money to Rome.

After reading St. Augustine's Confessions, it is interesting to see how this Augustinian monk extends the idea of grace.The works on free will were the most paradoxical for me.He seems to argue both that without grace man is incapable of free will, but also that"God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will".

Luther intro
If you've never read any of Luthers works before, you should read this book. There has never been a stronger writer on the subject of faith, than Martin Luther -excepting maybe for moses or St.Paul.Try this book or"The basic theological writings of ML" -I am not lutherine.

One of the best Lutheran books I've ever run across!
What a wonderful introduction to Martin Luther!If you're thirsty for his writings, this is the book you should start with.Searching for books by him usually turns up many expensive volumes, meant for preachers, notlaymen.That's why I'm so glad I found this book.It's laid outperfectly, to give you a wonderful idea of who Luther was, the Reformation,and, most importantly, his theology.Every Lutheran should be firmlyintroduced to Luther (no matter how obvious it seems, it doesn't happenenough), especially those fundamentalists of the Missouri Synod andLutheran Brethren who have drifted so far from him and the Gospel ofChrist.This is a wonderful book.Take it from an ELCA pastor.This bookwill show you.I'm seriously considering giving a copy to each of myconfirmation students every year.Let Grace reign, not legalism andjudgement. ... Read more

Product Description
Called “The most influential interpreter of American religion” by Bill Moyers, renowned historian and Lutheran pastor Martin Marty portrays the religious reformer Martin Luther as a man of conscience and courage who risked death to ignite the historic reformation of the Church. Luther’s arguments, including his “95 theses,” changed the destiny of Christendom, the shape of Christianity, and gave rise to new freedoms in church and state. Marty explores the records left by Luther of his inner struggles and his conflicts with the Holy Roman Empire to find a man engaged in a lifelong passionate search for not only the grace of God, but also for the assurance that it was directed toward each individual. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

personal library
An addition to personal library, do not know when chance will arise to read as seminary still requires another year of reading, no time for personal pursuits at this time.

OK
This title is a little short, but the content seems ok on the controversial figure of Martin Luther.

Shake hands with Martin Luther
Martin E. Marty doesn't write like one of the most eminent, respected professors of our time. Instead, he introduces the reader to a man he knows well from his studies at the University of Chicago.

Marty's prose is as clear and powerful as the bolt of lightning which terrified young Martin Luther and prompted him to devote his life to the Lord.This relatively short book does a superb job of introducing us to Martin Luther.

We learn that he was a man of his time and that he didn't want people describing themselves as "Lutherans." As a Luthern myself, a lot of Professor Marty's book came as revelation.

Luther shared a lot of the flaws of his age. He was a man of an imperfect time and place. Yet, imperfect as he was, he took his stand where he thought God wanted him to and therein lies his great achievement.

This is a great book about an important man who lived during a critical period of Western History.If you're at all interested in shaking hands with Martin Luther, this is the book for you.

It opens a window on the man and the time in which he lived and it's superbly written. You needn't be a scholar to understand it and it reads more like a good novel than an important biography.

I like it and gave it five stars.

Nice and short
Not as comprehensive as Roland H. Bointon's "Here I Stand". But it will do the job if your time for Martin Luther is very limited. Marty Martin concentrates on providing the reader with an insight into Martin Luther's inner experience.

An Introduction To A Tremendously Important Life
For a reader looking for a concise, relatively short, introduction to the life of one of Christianity's most important figures, "Martin Luther" by Martin Marty is an excellent choice.This book does a good job of surveying the life and teachings of this founder of the Reformation.Marty presents a balanced picture, neither attacking its subject nor ignoring his faults and shortcomings.He generally presents the facts and lets the reader draw his own conclusions.While not ignoring Luther's sensual appetites, Marty explains how they conform to his theological teaching.Luther's attractiveness to princes but his hostility to the empowerment of peasants is an example of an historical fact which limits the vision of Luther as a champion of "democracy" against the establishment.

At times the book seems to focus on Luther's writings and preaching, but later gets into more personal details.I suspect that this reflects the scarcity of the historical record with respect to some parts of Luther's life.While not delving into an analysis of Luther's impact on the world, the mere recitation of his life's work enables the reader to appreciate the tremendous impact which Luther has had on history.The reader, whether Protestant, Catholic or non-religious, who is interested in either religious or secular history will find "Martin Luther" to an worthwhile read.
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Product Description
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was only 25 when he helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott and was soon organizing black people across the country in support of the right to vote, desegregation, and other basic civil rights. Maintaining nonviolent and peaceful tactics even when his life was threatened, King was also an advocate for the poor and spoke out against racial and economic injustice until his death—from an assassin’s bullet—in 1968. With clearly written text that explains this tumultuous time in history and 80 black-and-white illustrations, this Who Was…? celebrates the vision and the legacy of a remarkable man. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Who Was Series
My son is in third grade and he enjoys biographies.This book is written in a way to target this age range.It also has picture drawings that complements the written text! ... Read more

Product Description
"If there is one book Martin Luther King, Jr. has written that people consistently tell me has changed their lives, it is Strength to Love."

So wrote Coretta Scott King. She continued: "I believe it is because this book best explains the central element of Martin Luther King, Jr.' s philosophy of nonviolence: His belief in a divine, loving presence that binds all life. That insight, luminously conveyed in this classic text, here presented in a new and attractive edition, hints at the personal transformation at the root of social justice: " By reaching into and beyond ourselves and tapping the transcendent moral ethic of love, we shall overcome these evils."

In these short meditative and sermonic pieces, some of them composed in jails and all of them crafted during the tumultuous years of the Civil Rights struggle, Dr. King articulated and espoused in a deeply personal compelling way his commitment to justice and to the intellectual, moral, and spiritual conversion that makes his work as much a blueprint today for Christian discipleship as it was then.

Individual readers, as well as church groups and students will find in this work a challenging yet energizing vision of God and redemptive love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

textbooks
Quick shipping time and book was just as expected. Good impression of company.

Against the Beast: Resisting the Slave Paradigm of Big Brother Government
Reading Martin Luther King is like a breath of fresh air, and "A Strength to Love" is a book worthy to be read. King's place in American history is well known, but the struggle he fought has been purposely convoluted by the perpetuators of the false system and masked to hide their sin. They lump King in with the likes of Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael, nothing could be further form the truth. King fought against the Democratic Party machine in this nation, the party of southern slavery, KKK, which institutionalized racism through Jim Crow, segregation, and resistance to the civil rights act; this is a matter of fact that cannot be ignored if we are to fully grasp and understand the struggle of King and the civil rights movement.

King wrote: "Through nonviolent resistance we shall be able to oppose the unjust system and at the same time love the perpetrators of the system" (MLK, 8), and "forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a permanent attitude" (MLK, 33). These are defining statements as King fought against the slave masters who wanted no freedom for blacks but instead wanted a continuation of their own racist policies. King knew he had to resist and wrote concerning his unwillingness to adjust "I never intended to become adjusted to the evils of segregation and the crippling effects of discrimination, to the moral degeneracy of religious bigotry and the corroding effects of narrow sectarianism, to economic conditions that deprive men of work and food, and to the insanities of militarism and the self defeating effects of physical violence" (MLK, 18). King was himself a "transformational reformer" (MLK, 18) not a militant, but a true Christian who sought to project Christ rather than himself.

King supported the party of Lincoln, as his was indeed a continuation of the Civil War, he knew that Christ loved the slaver and wanted to see them repent rather than die. King's struggle against the slave paradigm did not end with him, the Civil War rages today in many forms, like a multi-tentacled beast infecting society with racist and anti-human welfare state policies, unjust taxation and a bloated bureaucracy that enslave the human person rather than liberate them. Jesus came to forgive sinful humanity, he did not come to destroy but to do the will of the Father. Jesus came to liberate people from the grasp of sin, and to echo his Fathers message of repentance. When King took up the call of repentance and the "tough minded" approach to "casting out evil" and the need for repentance from the evils of segregation et al. he was participating in the will of God, he was acting like the Son by submitting to the will of the Father, he was truly participating in the nature of God. When we, as individuals, take up the cause of crying out against totalitarian government structures that enslave the human person and which remove from the individual the tools of life and liberty through "economic conditions that deprive men of work and food" (such as is taking place in our nation today), we, too, enter into the will of God and become participants in His nature.




~All quotes from "A Strength to Love" By Martin Luther King.

mlk really understood and demonstrated the teachings of jesus
This collection of sermons is easy to read and is not full of theological concepts.If YOU ARE INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW TO LOVE YOUR ENEMY AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DESPISE YOU THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.MLK CHALLENGED HIMSELF AND HIS PEOPLE TO SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THEIR LIVES THROUGH LOVE,FORGIVENESS AND NON-VIOLENCE.HE TELLS HOW HE PRAYED AFTER HIS HOUSE WAS BOMBED AND THE ANGER AND FEAR LEFT HIM AND HE FELT THE PRESENSE OF GOD.THIS BOOK IS INSPIRING AND SHOWS THE WAY TO HAVE PEACE ON EARTH THROUGH LOVE AND FORGIVNESS.

Service as promised
The book was in great condition, just as promised and arrived in a timely manner.Couldn't ask for more!

Great Read
This is one of the best books I've ever read and one that I intend to read over and over again for its inspirational, motivational, life changing messages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Adventures of Martin Luther
When I searched for children's books on Martin Luther, I found only two.This book "The Adventures of Martin Luther" and "Martin Luther A Man Who Changed the World" by Paul L. Maier.Both books have their place.

"The Adventures of Martin Luther" is by far the better option if you have a very young audience.It is written in rhyme with no more than two stanzas per page.The pictures are colorful and kid friendly, yet still fairly realistic.It is short enough that my preschooler can sit through it, but long enough to convey a general sense of who Martin Luther was and what he accomplished.My biggest complaint about the book is that some episodes in Luther's story were abbreviated so much that they no longer make sense...especially to a reader unfamiliar with the general story of Luther's life.We plan to use this book with our K-3rd grade Sunday School kids this fall in preparation for Reformation Day.I think the book will be quite suitable for this age group.There is also a Big Book version available on the publisher's website.

If you are looking for a book for older children, though, or one that adults could even learn from, I'd recommend Maier's book instead.It has much more detail as far as names of people and places, and the artwork is absolutely beautiful.

The Adventures of Martin Luther
The book was not what I expected, but it was suggested and so I ordered it.The price was good - shipping was higher than the price for the book.It arrived in time and in good order so I really have no complaints. ... Read more

Product Description
This personal, inspirational account of the history of the Civil Rights Movement describes the author's relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr., detailing their marriage, the events of the 1960s, and King's tragic assassination. Reprint. SLJ. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

*ANOTHER "DAYOFTEARS":January31,2006*
Greatness in women! How is it achieved, and how acknowledged, when one is married to a significant public figure?

CORETTA SCOTT KING died yesterday, and her partnership marriage with Martin Luther King, Jr. is described in this auto-biography that is more his story, yet they were "privileged to share" each other's lives. She was a true helpmate, 'cheerleader' and support whose personality and musical talent provided needed harmony in his daily life. Coretta King was soft-spoken, with beauty and timbre in her speaking voice. She did not lack backbone; it was through her background as a descendant of slaves that lessons of courage were passed down (Read "SHOW WAY" - -Newbery Honor Book, 2006, that tells of similar circumstances.)

After a rural Alabama upbringing, Coretta Scott became a 1949 graduate of Antioch (OH) College. She went on to graduate from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1951, but changed course from career to marriage, though it was said she never expected to marry a man who would march, go to jail for civil rights, and change America forever. (A picture taken of Coretta with classmates at Antioch is "so forties" - - similar pictures taken at other northern schools might not have included black students. The pictures are of great interest, including a lovely photograph of the family saying a 'blessing' at mealtime; others are sharp reminders of incidents in our national life not altogether healed.) The original 1969 edition was later changed, mostly in language, to be more 'politically correct' as people like to say nowadays. The index takes note of a press conference Mrs. King shared in Washington D.C. with my aunt, Dorothy Hewitt Hutchinson, to protest the war in Vietnam. This was a very few days before Martin Luther King was gunned down. Have we progressed at all during the intervening years?

Coretta King was widowed at age 40, left to deal with the trauma of her husband's death, to 'explain' it to their four small children. She drew on a wellspring of courage and faith. We may wonder sometimes if there will be women in the future who grow up that strong. She writes as an historian, yet also as a fully involved wife. There was little that was 'everyday-ish' about their life; the knowledge of hatred and injustice could not be kept from the children altogether. Life was admittedly tumultuous; people did & said ugly things.

The chapters telling about the time following Dr. King's death are filled with expressions of gratitude for those who immediately offered & gave help, and those who came to hold her in their arms and in their prayers. Life has not been easy for the family members, as so often happens with children of the famous, and they need our prayers now. Coretta Scott King deserves every accolade; mcHAIKU says "Amen" to a life well lived.

Mrs. King Is A Strong, Dignified Woman
The behind-the-scenes story of the other side in Dr. King's life. His widow, Coretta Scott King, writes an earnest memoir of her own life and what it was like to try to maintain some shade of normality for her family in the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement. There is too much honesty here for the hero worship of the late Dr. King many might expect. After reading this book I came away feeling Mrs. King deserves praise for her own role in her peoples' struggle and her husband's achievements. Coretta Scott King, like so many women behind noteworthy men, should receive more than the footnote status those in such roles too often find is their legacy.

Martin luther King jr. Book response
This review is about the book My life with Martin Luther King Jr. By Coretta Scott King. This book touched me because my grandpa used to know Dr.King and this book tells me all the stuff my grandpa never told me. Like when Martin protested to all the whites, the Ku Klux Klan, or [KKK] told Dr.King to stop protesting or he would never see his family again, but Martin was not afraid,and with that the KKK bombed his house as a warning, luckally no one was hurt. The "I have a dream speech". Won Dr.King the noble peace prize, That angered the KKK and in his hotel The KKK guned him down in front of his family, and after the funeral the Mayor made it a law to treat blacks equally. Martin Luther King had one but had lost his life in the process.
I reccomend this book to all people [Blacks & Whites alike] that had a goal in life and did not stop until they achevied it.

Coretta King writes an epic of the life of her husband
I read this book for my Modern American History class and aside from two uses of "G__ d___," which I feel Mrs. King used to show the historical accuracy of the persecution during one of Martin's marches, that this was an informative read. I don't know that much about black history, but Mrs. King seems to go in depth while being completely concise. Famous historical figures such as Malcolm X and Ralph Abernathy are littered throughout and we have what I believe is probably an accurate view of the mores and values of the times. The book inspired me to stand up for my beliefs at the expense of persecution. In this book, we have a more human picture of Martin, the love he shared for people and his determination to lead them out of the valley of despair. As I approached the end of the book, I couldn't put it down because I was completely riveted at the events that ensued after his assassination. I've not read any other books about this period, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was the authorative work on the history of black civil rights during that time period.

A Wonderful Book by Far!!!!!!
I thought the book was wonderful!!! It gave me insight to what life was like living with MLK Jr. You felt the pain when things went wrong. You felt the happiness when things went right. Coretta Scott King did a great job of letting everyone know the imtimate details of her and her husbands life. If you haven't read it , check it out. Trust me, as a teen, it was a book that grasped my interest. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Marshall Frady, the reporter who became the unofficial chronicler of the civil rights movement, here re-creates the life and turbulent times of its inspirational leader. Deftly interweaving the story of King’s quest with a history of the African American struggle for equality, Frady offers fascinating insights into his subject’s magnetic character, with its mixture of piety and ambition. He explores the complexities of King’s relationships with other civil rights leaders, theKennedy and Johnson administrations, and the FBI’s J. Edgar Hoover, who conducted a relentless vendetta against him. The result is a biography that conveys not just the facts of King’s life but the power of his legacy.Amazon.com Review
Unheroic in appearance, given to "deacon-sober suits" and "ponderous gravity," Martin Luther King Jr. ushered in an epochal era of change in the United States. Closely watching King'sjourney from Montgomery to Birmingham to the Lincoln Memorial to Memphis was journalist Marshall Frady, who honors the minister's achievement and spirit in this lucid biography.

"Almost a geological age ago, it seems now--that great moral saga of belief and violence that unfolded in the musky deeps of the South during the civil rights movement of the fifties and sixties." So Frady opens his account, which traces King's transformation from withdrawn, unconfident child to eloquent champion of the oppressed, ever unafraid to trouble the waters. Frady explores King's conflicts, contradictions, and triumphs, as well as the great personal cost he bore in urging nonviolent change in a singularly violent time.

Part of the excellent Penguin Lives series, this slender volume sheds much light on a prophet now honored, but still too little understood. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

martin luther king
very interesting book.I have an issue with the author, the reader would have to have a PHD in English to understand a lot of the words. Why couldn't it be written in ordinary English so that ordinary not too educated could understand.

What is thePoint?
First of all this book is a collection big English words which makes it impossible to fully understand huge parts of the book. It makes it very frustrating to read. Secondly, the impression you get from reading the book is the effort to discredit the works of MLK. Unbelievably all the book does is to attempt to 'cut him to size' so to speak. This is not a balanced book.It contradicts every book or story told about MLK. I do not recommend this book and wish I could take my money back
I hate this book, yes I do

A Beautiful Little Profile in Dignity Courage and Agony
Marshall Frady's little biography of MLK Jr is a beautiful reminder of how lonely a prophet can be in his own land. King's trials and travails so fully recalled, his victories so few and yet so important, the tale of a man driven further and further towards his own vision of what is true and right, and thus driven further and further from the madding crowd. King lives in this profile in all his dignity, all his courage, but also all the agony that being nothing more than human brought to him.
And it brought me back to that wonderful moment in our own history when it was possible to truly believe there might be an end to poverty, as the nation's leading moral prophet and its President joined in this assumption, and for a brief golden shining moment, we imagined it was really going to happen.
Frady lets us live the difficult, frightening, lonesome historical progression to that moment, all the while realizing how many defeats there were, and how likely it was that King would have been forgotten, despised, a man of but a brief historical moment he may have outlived had he not been assassinated in 1968.
One could not ask for a finer brief depiction of what it was like to be caught up in history beyond one's control, beyond one's intention, but history nevertheless grasped by a questing mind and a brave soul.

Impossible for the common man to read
Mr Frady manages to use every big word in the English language, making it nearly impossible for this reader to get past page 25.Here is the final paragraph I read, before giving up in frustration:"As an accomodation of those two approaches, he took with huge enthusiasm to Hegel's idea of dialecticism: the continuous process in human understanding and history of a prevailing thesis inevitably invoking a contrary antithesis, the two then forming a synthesis that becomes the new thesis to be countered by its antithesis, an interplay endlessly progressing." I'll find another book to help me learn about the historic figure.

An Insightful and Evocative Summary Life
Marshall Frady has produced an insightful summary of the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. for the Penguin Lives series of short biographies. Working within the limitations of the series, Frady's synopsis breaks no new ground - King's life, campaigns, struggles and death are covered in just over 200 pages. But the object here is less to broaden or shape understanding than to evoke the spirit of the man and his times.

The key events of King's life are well known; here the story unfolds in a progression grounded in Biblical narrative. An explicit conceit of this work is a view of King as a latter-day prophet, an American Moses destined to point the way to the Promised Land, but not to reach it. The book's four major sections reflect this theme.

The first, titled "Out of Egypt", recalls King's childhood and education; his assumption of pastorly duties in Montgomery; and the first dramatic act of his civil rights career as an (initially reluctant) organizer of the 1955 bus boycott campaign. The second, "The Wilderness Time", recounts the aimlessness that settled over King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference following the Montgomery victory. Although it was an NAACP-led court victory and not the boycott campaign which finally won the day, Montgomery had vaulted him to national prominence and de facto leadership of the civil rights movement. A potential follow-up act wouldn't present itself until 1961; even then, King's foray into Albany, Georgia in support of the Albany Movement to end segregation in that remote locale produced no substantive gains.

In the meantime King had attracted the malevolent attentions of the reigning FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover, whose grotesque character Frady evokes in a remarkable thumbnail sketch. "By the Fifties", Frady writes, Hoover "had become for much of the country... a kind of totem figure of law and uprightness." Yet his brand of law included domestic surveillance in the service of political blackmail. Impelled by racism and anticommunist paranoia, Hoover initiated a bugging and wiretap campaign against King.

Hoover's wiretaps revealed little in the way of communist plots, but they did evidence the serial adultery that seems to have begun in this period. Amazingly, King's dalliances never became public knowledge during his lifetime, even though Hoover deliberately made taped materials available to members of the press. Contrast this restraint with today's media behavior: as Frady acknowledges, "King could very likely never have survived now as the figure he was then."

The conflict between flesh and spirit was a constant theme in King's life. On the one hand, here was a man who eschewed public ostentation and sought to emulate Mahatma Gandhi; on the other, a womanizer and, it would appear, a plagiarist. But King's expression of the spiritual took other, powerful forms. He was frequently jailed in the course of his work for the movement and was no stranger to physical assault. By the fatal day in Memphis, King had already been punched, kicked, and stabbed by racist antagonists; all of which assaults he suffered with amazing forbearance. On one remarkable occasion of being repeatedly punched in the face, and the assailant having been wrestled to the ground by his entourage, King urged them: "Don't hurt him, we have to pray for him." As Frady suggests, the product of this frisson was a monumental oratorical power in communicating the message of nonviolence - a power that for America came to its fullest and most significant expression on the Washington Mall with the ringing proclamation: "I have a dream today!"

Section three, "Apotheosis", narrates the battle to integrate Birmingham, the symbolic pinnacle of the March on Washington, and the watershed of American conscience at Selma - culminating in the crowning achievement of King's life and struggle: the Voting Rights Act of 1964.

In Albany the movement had been "deprived... of those convulsive clashes that would have dramatized for the rest of the country the underlying barbarity of its segregationist order." In Birmingham the police were more obliging. After a slow start, King and his followers decided to mobilize schoolchildren in a bid to overwhelm the jail system and force a resolution. The controversial strategy worked; images of young people in their Sunday best pummeled by fire hoses sickened the nation. Under pressure from all sides, the municipal authorities were forced to concede.

And then came that speech in Washington. Time and distance can threaten to make a cliché of most anything, but Frady's retelling feels fresh in its evocation: "It had suddenly become a pentecostal moment. A huge shiver of exhilaration moved through the expanses of the throng..."

At Selma, the "underlying barbarity" was revealed for all to see, courtesy of the state police and national television. The spectacle of violence against innocent citizenry spurred the White House to action. Addressing the nation to announce the Voting Rights Act, (in a moment to make one feel keen regret at a legacy tarnished by Vietnam) President Johnson intoned: "... and we _shall_ overcome!"

In the book's final section, "The Far Country", we have the rest of the story - the Nobel Peace Prize, the Movement post-Selma, and the sudden end in Memphis. If King found himself "in the wilderness" after Albany, perhaps he was even more so after Selma. The movement's key objectives achieved, King set his sights on perhaps a more impossible dream: the reorganization of American life on egalitarian, socialist, grounds. Given the sweeping ambitions of the frustrated Chicago Movement and the grandiosity of the Poor People's Campaign, there is something poignant in the fact that what brought King to Memphis in April 1968 was no vast plan of social reorganization but mobilization in support of striking garbage workers.

If Frady's book is at times slightly overwritten ("the rhetoric of the human spirit immensely and elaborately gathering itself for slow and terrific struggle" [p. 35] feels like a blind stab at the Faulkneresque), it is also an effective, and at times even powerful, homage to one of our greatest Americans.
... Read more

Product Description
This little boardbook uses only approximately 200 wordsto tell about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and to explain, insimple terms, how he ended segegation in America ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Wonderful intro to Martin Luther King Jr for toddlers/preschoolers
This book is a great introduction to Martin Luther King Jr for toddlers/preschoolers. It helps explain to the youngest children not only important details about Dr. King's life but also serves as a starting point for discussing racism and prejudice. These topics are shown in ways that are very easy for a young child to understand--a nicer, newer playground for the kids at the white school--for instance. It does skip over Dr. King's assassination which I think is completely age appropriate. The illustrations are very cute as well. My 3 year old requests this book often.

Book
This is a good book.I purchased it for one of my lower functioning students.The students love the book because it gets the story across and it is easy read for the students that are lower functioning.Thank you.

Simple message
This board book was a great intro to MLK for my children when they were young preschoolers (~3yrs).The message of prejudice is simple, plain to understand and relate-able (not getting to eat at any restaurant or dilapidated park) for young children.A good place to start.

Great
Excellent book for children.My students were really engaged and it sparked so many great questions!Short, simple--but to the point!

Beautiful and Perfect
This little board book is the most beautiful and perfect book on Martin Luther King, Jr. I have ever seen as Dr. King's message is kept pure, untainted, clear and focused. The colors are soft and gentle, the words simple and easy. It is a perfect introduction to Dr. King, his life, his work as well as an introduction into human values such as respect and equality.It is never too early to begin educating children on such matters nor too late for adults to refresh their memories on these core matters especially as so many are waving flags: remember what those flags represent and the lessons of Dr. King. This little book can help any age do so...even you! ... Read more

Product Description
Freshly translated from the original German into today’s English, this book contains a treasury of devotionals taken from Luther’s writings and sermons (1513 to 1546), conveniently divided into daily readings to point readers to the Bible and a deeper understanding of faith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Martin Luther is awesome
It is incredible how up to date Luther can be 500 years later. It is the best devotional I ever had. In fact it got me to read a devotional on a daily basis. I am reading it now the fourth or fifth time over and am stil amazed. I am glad that the new edition changed the bible quotes from the Contemporary English Version to the NRSV.
However, it would be nice to know what writtings the texts were taken from rather than just the volume of the editions. I bought several copies to give as presents to congregation members and friends.

Great faithful revision
A great revision of Luther's devotional.Easy to read and yet with the deep theology of Luther.You do not need to be Lutheran to appreciate this reformed perspective of each day.

The Bedside Luther
During his career as a reformer, professor, and pastor, Martin Luther wrote many sermons, letters, and lectures regarding the faith.This book is a collection of many of his best pieces, arranged into daily devotionals, and edited into contemporary english.As such, it allows the pastoral side of Luther to speak to the reader each day with edifying passages on faith, daily living, etc.The book also includes a subject index to look up passages that pertain to certain topics, as well as an index of sources, allowing the interested reader to consult the original works for further study.

Many works of Luther are not as approachable for lay readers due to stultified translation.This book does a very good job of removing that artificial barrier, allowing Luther to speak to today's readers in plain language.Highly recommended!

I love, 'Faith Alone'
By Faith Alone
A friend loaned me his copy and I took it home to read. My wife picked it up and started reading and said, I love it, it's just the way I feel. We both find the daily selections beautiful and the themes listed in the back refer us to just the perfect page for needed support. We ordered
another nine copies, five for our daughters and four for ourselves and friends. We continue to find joy and comfort in our daily reading.I am active in several men's bible studies and this book adds a complete new level to my understanding of God's word.

A Pleasure
My pastor gave this to me as a gift. Testimonials by Martin Luther himself in an updated version of the German language, a branch of Olde English. Daily readings for every day, but the days were written by Luther day he wrote the book. Germans are very good speed readers, so the whole book can be read in a few weeks by literate people who are proud of their German heritage. The main thing at Luther's church is communion. ... Read more