New Releases by Martin Luther

Martin Luther''s Basic Theological Writings has become the gold standard for use in seminary and college environments. It not only offers all of Luther''s most influential, noted, and important writings in the modern translations but also includes excerpts of his sermons and letters that shed light on Luther''s own religious and theological development. The volume takes the reader straight to Luther the man, to his controversial Reformation insights, to his strongest convictions about God and Scripture and the life of the church, and most valuably to his theology—a still-exciting encounter with the meaning of Jesus Christ for each age.

The place and significance of Martin Luther in the long history of Christian anti-Jewish polemic has been and continues to be a contested issue. The literature on the subject is substantial and diverse. While efforts to exonerate Luther as "merely" a man of his times who "merely" perpetuated what he had received from his cultural and theological tradition have rightly been jettisoned, there still persists even among the educated public the perception that the truly problematic aspects of Luther''s anti-Jewish attitudes are confined to the final stages of his career. It is true that Luther''s anti-Jewish rhetoric intensified toward the end of his life, but reading Luther with a careful eye toward "the Jewish question," it becomes clear that Luther''s theological presuppositions toward Judaism and the Jewish people are a central, core component of his thought throughout his career, not just at the end. It follows then that it is impossible to understand the heart and building blocks of Luther''s theology (justification, faith, liberation, salvation, grace) without acknowledging the crucial role of "the Jews" in his fundamental thinking. Luther was constrained by ideas, images, and superstitions regarding the Jews and Judaism that he inherited from medieval Christian tradition. But the engine in the development of Luther''s theological thought as it relates to the Jews is his biblical hermeneutics. Just as "the Jewish question" is a central, core component of his thought, so biblical interpretation (and especially Old Testament interpretation) is the primary arena in which fundamental claims about the Jews and Judaism are formulated and developed.

Martin Luther''s treatise Concerning Christian Liberty is one of the most powerful and concise presentations of the Christian life ever written - a true gem among Reformation writings. Here you will find the essence of Reformation spirituality distilled into a guide for practical, biblical living. With the bold authority of a true prophet, Luther directs his message to the average Christian in clear, simple language. The doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Christ is the heart and soul of Luther''s message, founded upon a firm conviction in the authority of Scripture.

Dr. King’s best-selling account of the civil rights movement in Birmingham during the spring and summer of 1963 On April 16, 1963, as the violent events of the Birmingham campaign unfolded in the city’s streets, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., composed a letter from his prison cell in response to local religious leaders’ criticism of the campaign. The resulting piece of extraordinary protest writing, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” was widely circulated and published in numerous periodicals. After the conclusion of the campaign and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, King further developed the ideas introduced in the letter in Why We Can’t Wait, which tells the story of African American activism in the spring and summer of 1963. During this time, Birmingham, Alabama, was perhaps the most racially segregated city in the United States, but the campaign launched by King, Fred Shuttlesworth, and others demonstrated to the world the power of nonviolent direct action. Often applauded as King’s most incisive and eloquent book, Why We Can’t Wait recounts the Birmingham campaign in vivid detail, while underscoring why 1963 was such a crucial year for the civil rights movement. Disappointed by the slow pace of school desegregation and civil rights legislation, King observed that by 1963—during which the country celebrated the one-hundredth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation—Asia and Africa were “moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence but we still creep at a horse-and-buggy pace.” King examines the history of the civil rights struggle, noting tasks that future generations must accomplish to bring about full equality, and asserts that African Americans have already waited over three centuries for civil rights and that it is time to be proactive: “For years now, I have heard the word ‘Wait!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.’”

MLK’s classic account of the first successful large-scale act of nonviolent resistance in America: the Montgomery bus boycott. A young Dr. King wrote Stride Toward Freedom just 2 years after the successful completion of the boycott. In his memoir about the event, he tells the stories that informed his radical political thinking before, during, and after the boycott—from first witnessing economic injustice as a teenager and watching his parents experience discrimination to his decision to begin working with the NAACP. Throughout, he demonstrates how activism and leadership can come from any experience at any age. Comprehensive and intimate, Stride Toward Freedom emphasizes the collective nature of the movement and includes King’s experiences learning from other activists working on the boycott, including Mrs. Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin. It traces the phenomenal journey of a community and shows how the 28-year-old Dr. King, with his conviction for equality and nonviolence, helped transform the nation and the world.

Martin Luther King, Jr., had hoped to be a Baptist preacher in a Southern city. Instead, by the time he was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39, he had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and had led millions of people in a nonviolent movement that shattered forever the Southern system of segregation of the races. His eloquent, passionate advocacy of civil and human rights, rooted in the techniques of peaceful demonstration pioneered by Mahatma Gandhi, brought a new dimension of dignity to people''s lives and a new hope for freedom and the community of man. Throughout his brief life, his words communicated his vision, his passion, and his faith, and they demonstrated his gift to inspire others to follow his lead. He asked to be remembered as a "drum major for justice," and he is. Created as a living memorial to the philosophies and ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this essential volume includes more than 120 quotations from the greatest civil rights leader''s speeches, sermons, and writings, along with 16 historical photographs. Selected and introduced by Coretta Scott King, this book helps keep the dream alive by focusing on seven areas of his concern: the community of man, racism,civil rights, justice and freedom, faith and religion, nonviolence, and peace. The message these words convey is as inspiring and fundamental to life today as it ever was during his lifetime. As Dr. King said, "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. . . .This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action."

Perhaps no work of Martin Luther''s so captures the revolutionary zeal and theological boldness of his vision as The Freedom of a Christian. Yet, it is not easily accessible today. Mark Tranvik''s new translation of Luther''s treatise brings alive the social, historical, and ecclesial context of Luther''s treatise. This is the first of a set of student guides to key Reformation treatises by Martin Luther, concentrating on those most widely used in college settings.

First discovered by Martin Luther, Theologia Germanica was originally published in 1516. This reprint of the 1893 edition was translated by British scholar SUSANNE WINKWORTH (1820-1884). A departure from many Christian writings of the period, this work suggests that by following in Christ''s path, anyone could be united with God, for the life of Christ is an example of perfection for all to follow. With its discussions of sin and explanations as to how selfishness is the fundamental sin, this classic book will appeal to religions scholars and anyone interested in the Reformation. German theologian and reformer MARTIN LUTHER (1483-1546) argued against many of the common practices of the Roman Catholic Church, including the selling of indulgences and the Church''s insistence that it needed to mediate between people and God. Luther''s writings were greatly influential in the Protestant Reformation, which forever changed Christianity. He wrote a number of important works, although many consider his translation of the Bible into German to be one of his most important contributions.

Sermons of Martin Luther for Feasts and Saints days never before available in English. A perfect companion to the Klug (House Postils) and Lenker (Church Sermons) collections of Luther''s Sermons.

Classic commentaries on a variety of themes by one of the world''s greatest expositors.

This edition of the Bondage of the Will was translated by Henry Cole in 1823. "Free will was no academic question to Luther; the whole Gospel of the grace of God, he held, was bound up with it, and stood or fell according to the way one decided it . . . . It is not the part of a true theologian, Luther holds, to be unconcerned, or to pretend to be unconcerned, when the Gospel is in danger . . . . The doctrine of the Bondage of the Will in particular was the corner-stone of the Gospel and the foundation of faith'''' (40-41, emphasis added). ''''In particular, the denial of free will was to Luther the foundation of the Biblical doctrine of grace, and a hearty endorsement of that denial was the first step for anyone who would understand the Gospel and come to faith in God. The man who has not yet practically and experimentally learned the bondage of his will in sin has not yet comprehended any part of the Gospel" "Justification by faith only is a truth that needs interpretation. The principle of sola fide [by faith alone] is not rightly understood till it is seen as anchored in the broader principle of sola gratia [by grace alone]; . . . for to rely on one''s self for faith is not different in principle from relying on one''s self for works" The Bible teaches that faith itself is and has to be, a gift of God, by grace, and not of self (Ephesians 2:8). It is safe to deduce that for Luther, any evangelist who advocates free will has not only ''''not yet comprehended any part of the Gospel, '''' but also that he has not yet preached the Gospel at all; his is a counterfeit gospel.Luther was ordered to recant his teachings on threat of excommunication. Luther thundered, ''''Unless I am convinced by Scriptures and plain reason [for Luther, this meant logic], my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything. Here I stand, I can do no other!" [From a review in The Trinity Review] Martin Luther (1483-1546) shattered the structure of the Medieval Church by demanding that the authority for doctrine and practice be the Scriptures rather than popes or councils, and ignited the famous Protestant Reformation. The Roman Catholic hierarchy could not refute his logic, so they attempted to have him killed. But he was protected by Frederic. It has been said that more books have been written about Luther than about any other person except Jesus Christ. 164 pages, hard cover

Collects the most powerful and inspirational speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr., and includes commentary and contributions from Andrew Young, George McGovern, Rosa Parks, Aretha Franklin, Edward Kennedy, and the Dalai Lama.

Woven together from thousands of recordings and documents, including letters to his family and diary entries, here is Martin Luther King, Jr.''s own chronicle of his life and times.

Martin Luther King, Jr.''s ideas—his call for racial equality, his faith in the ultimate triumph of justice, his insistence on the power of nonviolence to bring about a major transformation of American society—are as vital and timely as ever. The wealth of his writings, both published and unpublished, are now preserved in this authoritative, chronologically arranged, multi-volume edition. Volume Two begins with King''s doctoral work at Boston University and ends with his first year as pastor of the historic Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. It includes papers from his graduate courses and a fully annotated text of his dissertation. There is correspondence with people King knew in his years prior to graduate school and a transcription of the first known recording of a King sermon. We learn, too, that Boston was where King met his future wife, Coretta Scott. Accepting the call to serve Dexter, the young King followed the church''s tradition of socially active pastors by becoming involved in voter registration and other social justice issues. In Montgomery he completed his doctoral work, and he and Coretta Scott began their marriage. The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. represents a testament to a man whose life and teaching have had a profound influence, not only on Americans, but on people of all nations. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project at Stanford University was established by the Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc. in 1984.

Quotations by the civil rights leader cover such issues as race, justice, and human dignity.

First in a series of 14 volumes, this book contains the complete texts of King''s letters, speeches, sermons, student papers, and other articles. The papers range chronologically from his childhood to his young manhood. An introductory biographical essay presents a broad picture of the events that the documents themselves cover, while extensive annotations of the documents deal with specific details of King''s life during these years. The passion that drove him is observable in nearly every document. ISBN 0-520-07950-7:

"HIS LIFE INFORMED US, HIS DREAMS SUSTAIN US" -from the Citation of the posthumous award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., July 4,1977 Martin Luther King''s twenty most memorable writings and s

"More than two decades after his death, Martin Luther King, Jr.''s ideas - his call for racial equality, his faith in the ultimate triumph of justice, and his insistence on the power of nonviolent struggle to bring about a major transformation of American society - are as vital and timely as ever. The wealth of his writings, both published and unpublished, that constitute his intellectual legacy are now preserved in this authoritative, chronologically arranged, multivolume edition. Faithfully transcribing the texts of his letters, speeches, sermons, student papers, and articles, this edition has no equal." "Volume II begins with King''s doctoral work at Boston University and ends with his first year as pastor of the historic Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. It includes papers from his graduate courses and a fully annotated text of his dissertation. There is correspondence with people King knew in his years before graduate school and a transcription of the first known recording of a King sermon. We learn, too, of King''s marriage to Coretta Scott." "Accepting the call to serve Dexter, King followed the church''s tradition of socially active pastors by becoming involved in voter registration and other issues of social justice. In Montgomery he completed his doctoral work, and he and Coretta Scott began their married life." "King''s early papers document the formative experiences of a man whose life and teachings have had a profound influence not only on Americans but on people of all nations."--Jacket.

On August 28, 1963, Dr. King delivered a speech that moved and inspired America. This gloriously produced collectible book is the perfect way to remind everyone--young and old--that the dream must be kept alive. Full color.

"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.

Selections from Dr. King''s speeches and writings illustrating his vision, his passion, and his faith.

Written around 1350 by an anonymous author, this is a simple yet profound book about life in God as it translates into life in the world. This translation was based on the Reformer''s edition of 1518.

"Martin Luther, pivotal figure of the sixteenth-century Reformation, continues to exercise a powerful influence in the affairs of the twentieth century, not just in the area of religion but also in the political sphere. The direction and desirability of that influence is a matter of dispute. J.M. Poter, a political scientist, here presents revealing selections from nine of Luther''s more important writings, all excerpted from the American Edition of Luther''s Works. His texts suggest the complexity of the Reformer''s thinking, its theological base, and the situational focus of his political utterances. Professor Porter also provides a helpful introduction in which he clarifies the meaning and implications of Luther''s famous "two kingdoms" theory, whereby the state is freed both from domination by the church and from the temptation to dominate the conscience of its citizens. Here are to be found generous excerpts from the seminal writings which shaped the Reformation and continue to influence the course of events in our time. They illustrate Luther''s innovative ideas about the nature of temporal authority, political obligation and its limits, church-state relations, and political resistance. Luther''s plain and often pungent words will be of interest to students of history, religion, political science, and ethics--to everyone concerned about the issues of freedom and authority, ideology and politics, violence and nonviolence, war and revolution." -Publisher

Meditations and prayers of Martin Luther King, written 10 years before the civil rights leader was assassinated

Did Martin Luther wield his hammer on the Wittenberg church door on October 31, 1517? Did he even post the Ninety-five Theses at all? This collection of documents sheds light on the debate surrounding Luther''s actions and the timing of his writing and his request for a disputation on the indulgence issue. The primary documents in this book include the theses, their companion sermon ("A Sermon on Indulgence and Grace", 1518), a chronoloical arrangement of letters pertinent to the theses, and selections from Luther''s Table Talk that address the Ninety-five Theses. A final section contains Luther''s recollections, which offer today''s reader the reformer''s own views of the Reformation and the Ninety-five Theses.