Three Treatises
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the church door at Wittenberg in 1517. In the three years that followed, Luther clarified and defended his position in numerous writings. Chief among these are the three treatises written in 1520. In these writings Luther tried to frame his ideas in terms that would be comprehensible not only to the clergy but to people from a wide range of backgrounds. To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation is an attack on the corruption of the church and the abuses of its authority, bringing to light many of the underlying reasons for the Reformation. The second treatise, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, contains Luther's sharp criticism of the sacramental system of the Catholic church. The Freedom of a Christian gives a concise presentation of Luther’s position on the doctrine of justification by faith. The translations of these treatises are all taken from the American edition of Luther’s Works. This new edition of Three Treatises will continue to be a popular resource for individual study, church school classes, and college and seminary courses.
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- Frames his ideas in terms that would be comprehensible.
- Brings to light many of the underlying reasons for the Reformation.
- Contains Luther’s sharp criticism of the sacramental system of the Catholic church.
- Title: Three Treatises
- Author: Martin Luther
- Edition: Second Revised Edition
- Publisher: Fortress Press
- Print Publication Date: 1970
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Pages: 290
- Era: era:reformation
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- Subjects: 1500-1599; Early works; Essay; Essays; Germany; History; Lutheran Church Doctrines; Lutheran Church Doctrines Early works to 1800; Reformation; Reformation Early works to 1800; Reformation Germany Sources; Sources; Theology; Theology Early works to 1800; Theology History 16th century
- ISBNs: 0800616391, 9780800616397
- Resource ID: LLS:THREETREATISES
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-01-23T17:11:49Z
Martin Luther (1483–1546), one of the most significant figures in Western history, was a key figure in the Protestant Reformation. Over the course of his life, Luther was a monk, a priest, a professor of biblical literature, a Reformer, a husband, and a father.
Luther is most noted for his Ninety-Five Theses (1517), in which he argued that indulgences were not acts of penance which could replace true repentance. His refusal to retract all his writings, demanded by Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521, resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the emperor.
Luther has been both praised and vilified for what he preached and wrote. Luther’s translation of the Christian Bible into the vernacular greatly influenced the church. His works continue to impact all Christians and animate the movement that bears his name. Luther’s Works (55 vols.) contains many of Luther’s writings, including commentaries, sermons, and lectures.