Martin Luther The Reformer Summary

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In the final phrase of his preface, Kittelson summarizes his purpose in writing this single-volume biography about Martin Luther the Reformer. “The point of view of this book is that this towering figure is indeed understandable, and that therefore he should be understood (p. 13).” As a lifelong Lutheran, Martin Luther has been a key component in what I believe. In confirmation class, he was made to be as holy and purposeful as Paul or John the Baptist as we studied his catechism thoroughly. However, in the past year I learned that not everyone sees Luther as fanatically as a WELS lutheran does. Though some may see him as a pompous, uncaring, Anti-Semitic Catholic, Kittelson strives to help others understand Luther for who he really was. In his efforts to allow readers to apprehend Luther entirely, Kittelson starts by explaining Luther’s childhood, even going into great detail about his father, Hans. Hans and Margaretta Luder would have a family in which “the parents were very ambitious for their children” insisting that their children would “be competent” and “do what was right” (p. 33). Growing up with parents who thought this way and continued to put Luther through school, even in an age where death and the plague …show more content…
Kittleson is not an individual to hide from the rough patches in Luther’s life in order to make him someone that he was not. Instead, Kittleson explains the background of Luther’s life, the things that he did, and the reasons that he thought the way he did. I found myself swept up into the life of an individual that I had for years, thought I knew everything about. By presenting a complete narrative of Martin Luther's life, from birth to death, the reader is easily able to follow and understand how Luther became the crucial reformer that he did. The organization of Kittelson’s work is a huge factor of its overall
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