Martin Luther changed Europe &, through Europe, the world. It was he who finally exposed the myth of a unified Latin Christendom, in fact only held together by crusades, heresy hunts, Inquisition, & priestly magic. Though not the first radical thinker to challenge papal pretensions & the doctrines they were founded on, by his defiance Luther created the biggest cause célèbre of the age. But this renegade monk did not just split Europe into rival Protestant & Catholic camps. By urging Christians to read & interpret the Bible for themselves, he gave a religious boost to that emancipation of the individual we associate with the Renaissance. By putting men & women in charge of their own destiny he made a cultural impact which is incalculable.
This first major biography in English for many years, by leading historian Derek Wilson, responds to recent Reformation scholarship to assess Luther