Luther and his times : the Reformation from a new perspective.

Bibliographical references included in "Notes" (p. 765-878)

Contents:

pt. 1. The European scene. 1. The historical background of the German reformation : The need of a new perspective ; What was the German Reformation? ; The need for reform ; The growth of the papacy ; The medieval church at its height ; The failure of the reform councils ; The Renaissance popes --
2. The age of Emperor Charles V : The Holy Roman Empire ; Maximilian's dynastic ambitions ; The wars over Northern Italy ; Charles V and the polyglot empire ; Charles becomes King of Spain ; The election of Charles V ; Charles convenes the Diet of Worms ; The Spanish Revolution ; French and Hapsburg rivalry ; The problem of the Turks --
3. The history of Saxony : The Luther lands ; Old and New Saxony ; The development of electoral Saxony ; Saxony under the Wettin Line ; Thuringia ; Meissen ; The growth of the New Saxony ; The origin of Ernestine and Albertine Saxony ; The sixteenth century atmosphere --
pt. 2. The protagonist. 4. Martin Luther : The formative years ; The ancestral heritage ; His boyhood ; The Mansfeld School days ; The year in Magdeburg ; His beloved Eisenach ; The Erfurt student ; Luther enters the monastery --
5. The monastic struggle : The reality of the crisis ; The cause of the conflict ; The medieval plan of salvation ; The contribution of Augustine ; The influence of the schoolmen ; The journey to Rome ; The promotion to the doctorate --
pt. 3. The university environment. 6. The electoral town of Wittenberg : Medieval Wittenberg ; The town of Wittenberg in Luther's day --
7. The physical plant of the university : The campus proper ; The university library --
8. The University of Wittenberg : Academic organization ; The endowment of the university ; The income of a Wittenberg professor ; The pre-Lutheran faculty. pt. 4. The emerging reformer. 9. Triumph of biblical humanism in the University of Wittenberg : The budding biblical humanist ; The tower discovery ; A new conception of religion ; Luther wins the Wittenberg faculty --
10. Luther attacks the indulgence traffic : History of indulgences ; The indulgence traffic of Albert of Mainz ; The ninety-five theses ; The reception of Luther's theses ; The Heidelberg meeting --
11. Early attempts to silence Luther : The sermon on the Ban ; The first attack by John Eck ; The appeal to the pope ; Luther is summoned to Rome ; The intrigue at the Dresden banquet ; Luther appears before Cajetan --
12. Frederick the Wise in the hour of decision : The diplomacy of Charles von Miltitz ; The death of Emperor Maximilian --
13. The Leipzig debate : Luther is drawn into the debate ; Luther's preparation ; Rules of procedure ; The debate begins ; Luther accepts the challenge ; The contestants compared ; The selection of judges ; The aftermath ; The battle of words continues ; Eck maneuvers to prejudice Paris ; Cologne and Louvain condemn Luther's writings ; The verdict of the University of Paris --
14. The stormy days before Worms : The maturing reformer ; Luther's doctrinal development ; Renewed attacks ; The address to the German nobility ; The Babylonian captivity of the church ; The freedom of the Christian ; The drafting of the Papal Bull ; Exsurge, domine ; Burning the cnon law --
15. The Diet of Worms : Luther summoned to Worms ; Luther before the Diet ; The edict of Worms --
16. In the land of the birds : The Wartburg ; The Luther room ; Luther's labors at the Wartburg ; The translation of the New Testament --
pt. 5. The years of fruition. 17. Problems in the early growth of Lutheranism : The Wittenberg disturbances ; Confusion and consternation ; The knights' uprising ; the peasants' revolt --
18. Martin Luther the man : His physical appearance ; Other characteristics ; His handicaps ; Katherine von Bora ; The Luther family --
19. Wittenberg becomes the nursery of the German Reformation : Student enrollment ; The first Lutheran university --
20. Founding of the Lutheran church : The medieval heritage ; The church visitations in Lutheran lands ; The ordination of the Lutheran clergy ; Ministerial aids ; The German bible ; Liturgical changes ; The organization of schools --
21. Attempts to unify Christendom : The controversy with Erasmus ; The Marburg colloquy ; The Augsburg confession ; The Wittenberg concord ; The Schmalkald articles --
22. The close of life : The aging Luther ; Luther's death.