Luther: Saint or Sinner?

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

“Luther is a child of the devil, possessed by the devil, full of falsehood and vainglory.” Johann Cochleus. “For he [Luther] was without doubt the angel concerning whom it is written in Revelation 14, who flew through the midst of heaven and had an eternal Gospel.” Johann Bugenhagen These two sixteenth-century descriptions of the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther attest to his controversial stature during and after the German Reformation. This seminar will study Luther and his critics, paying particular attention to his more polemical writings on Jews, women, Catholics, Radicals, and the Peasants. Readings will include a mix of primary and secondary sources, covering the history, theology, politics, and culture of the sixteenth century.