Luther and His Spiritual Legacy: 1 (Classic Luther Studies)

Luther can be a forceful teacher of lived religion. He can be a resource for the enrichment of personal spirituality for members of all Christian confessions. Above all Luther sought to help people be struck personally by the word and work of Christ. So writes Jared Wicks in Luther and His Spiritual Legacy a work full of citations of Luthers teaching that shows the Reformer treating major issues of Christian living that focus on conversion from self-reliance to trusting Gods word of grace. After a concise survey of the world in 1500 Luthers theology of the cross emerges from his interpretation of Psalms and Romans. Once the Reformation reached an initial settlement Luther produced attractive catechisms to counter ignorance of the Christian basics among the people and their pastors. Luthers many-sided controversial arguments--with Catholic opponents the Reformation radicals Erasmus and Zwingli--were efforts to ward off misconceptions of the central dynamics of Christian conversion. But Luthers later constructive works offer a well-rounded account of life in Christ--characteristically marked by personal certainty ever renewed from Gods address by eruptive spontaneity in doing good and by dutiful service in ones vocation.