Ink against the devil : Luther and his opponents /

This is one of the most fascinating books on Luther and the Reformation period to come along in some time. Loewen (Mennonite studies, Univ. of Winnipeg, Canada) explores Martin Luther's quarrels not only with Rome but with a vast array of Anabaptists, humanists, Jews, and Turks. Loewen presents both sides of the arguments--be the opposing party Lutheran, Catholic, or Anabaptist--as fairly as possible, perhaps even to a fault, frequently entertaining counterarguments. In this respect, the book differs markedly from earlier works by partisans of particular camps, e.g., John Howard Yoder's Taeufertum und Reformation im Gespraech (1968), and from such classic Protestant works as Roland Bainton's celebrated Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (1950). By contrast, Loewen's treatment is comprehensive, ecumenical, and honest--unsparing in its treatment of the negative. For example, Luther's vile scatalogical invectives against Jews and Papists are covered as amply as his finer sentiments and theology of grace. Solid scholarship. Winsome writing. Summing Up: Essential. Graduates students, researchers, faculty, general readers. --Philip E. Blosser, Sacred Heart Major Seminary