In the year 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther (1483-1546) nailed to the church door in Wittenburg his 95 Theses. This was not some easy-to-read tract, nor was it written as a treatise for the common people, it was instead written as an academic dispute against what the Roman Catholic Church had been teaching at the time, principally concerning the sale of indulgences – or to put it more simply, paying your way (and that of your relatives) to heaven.

In order to truly appreciate the magnitude of this dispute, one must first understand Luther’s background story, because the story of his life has a great deal to do with his dispute with Roman Catholicism’s soteriology. This is why we have decided to republish Carl E. Koppenhaver’s Martin Luther, coupled with an English translation of the 95 Theses, which helps to summarize succinctly what God in His divine providence brought about for the good of His church. In truth, what Luther accomplished by nailing those 95 Theses was to start a movement that would forever change the world.