Dave Armstrong’s third full-length study of Martin Luther completes the arc: the first was critical, the second ecumenical, and this one is both – 17 chapters that let Luther’s own words show where he sounded Catholic, where he broke with Rome, and where he plainly contradicted himself.
Written from 35+ years of studying Luther’s thought, this is a working apologist’s book: nothing rehearsed, nothing softened, nothing dressed up. Every claim is anchored in primary sources – Luther’s Works (Weimar and Erlangen editions), his letters, sermons, and treatises – supplemented by leading Protestant and Catholic Luther scholars (Bainton, Brecht, Oberman, McGrath, Grisar, Plass, and others).
What you get
- 17 chapters, 190 pages – from Luther’s own admission that he sought to reform (not destroy) the Catholic Church, to his advocacy of bigamy for Henry VIII and Philip of Hesse, to his lifelong devotion to Mary and defense of the Real Presence against fellow Protestants
- Extensive primary sourcing – Luther’s Letters, Confession Concerning Christ’s Supper, Babylonian Captivity, Against the Heavenly Prophets, Adoration of the Sacrament, and dozens more
- Both formats – high-quality PDF and EPUB, immediate download after purchase
- Ecumenical throughout – Dave defends Luther where the evidence warrants it (Real Presence, Mariology, sacraments) and criticizes him where it warrants that too (canon, “faith alone,” Peasants’ Revolt aftermath, Anfechtung)
Sample chapters
- Luther Thought That Catholicism Was Christian, and the Church, That He Was Attempting to Reform
- Was Medieval Catholic Corruption the Primary Cause of the Protestant Revolt?
- Luther’s Recurring Anfechtung in Contrast to St. Paul’s Robust Spiritual Confidence
- Luther’s Radical Ideas on Canonicity
- Luther and the Holy Eucharist: Far More “Catholic” Than Not
- Luther’s & Melanchthon’s Indefensible Advocacy of Bigamy (Henry VIII & Philip of Hesse)
- Post-“Enlightenment” Protestantism’s Rejection of the Mariology of Martin Luther and Other Early Protestant Leaders
- Martin Luther’s Belief in the “Immaculate Purification” of Mary
- Luther’s Addition of “Faith Alone” in Romans 3:28
…and eight more.
If you’ve read Dave’s earlier Luther work (Catholic Critical Analysis and Praise or The “Catholic” Luther), this book brings the two threads together in one volume with fresh scholarship. If you haven’t, this is the best single-volume place to start.
Ecumenical but firm. Scholarly but readable. Written for Catholics who want to engage Luther honestly – and for Protestants curious to see how a Catholic actually reads him.
