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Luther's lives: Two contemporary accounts of Martin Luther
This volume brings together two important contemporary accounts of the life of Martin Luther in a confrontation that had been postponed for more than 450 years. The first of these accounts was written after Luther's death, when it was rumoured that demons had seized the reformer on his deathbed and dragged him off to Hell. In response to these rumours, Luther's friend and colleague, Philip Melanchthon, wrote and published a brief encomium of the reformer in 1548. A completely new translation of this text appears in this book.
It was in response to Melanchthon's work that Johannes Cochlaeus completed and published his own monumental life of Luther in 1549, which is translated and made available in English for the first time in this volume.
It was in response to Melanchthon's work that Johannes Cochlaeus completed and published his own monumental life of Luther in 1549, which is translated and made available in English for the first time in this volume.
416 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2002
About the author
Elizabeth Vandiver
35 books130 followersElizabeth Vandiver is Associate Professor of Classics and Clement Biddle Penrose Professor of Latin at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. She was formerly Director of the Honors Humanities program at the University of Maryland at College Park, where she also taught in the Department of Classics. She completed her undergraduate work at Shimer College and went on to earn her M.A. and Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin.
Prior to taking her position at Maryland, she held visiting professorships at Northwestern University, the University of Georgia, the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, Loyola University of New Orleans, and Utah State University.
Professor Vandiver is the author of Heroes in Herodotus: The Interaction of Myth and History. She has also written numerous articles and has delivered many papers at national and international conferences.
In 1998, The American Philological Association recognized her achievements as a lecturer with its Excellence in Teaching Award, the most prestigious teaching prize given to American classicists. Her other awards include the Northwestern University Department of Classics Excellence in Teaching Award and two University of Georgia Outstanding Honors Professor Awards.
Prior to taking her position at Maryland, she held visiting professorships at Northwestern University, the University of Georgia, the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, Loyola University of New Orleans, and Utah State University.
Professor Vandiver is the author of Heroes in Herodotus: The Interaction of Myth and History. She has also written numerous articles and has delivered many papers at national and international conferences.
In 1998, The American Philological Association recognized her achievements as a lecturer with its Excellence in Teaching Award, the most prestigious teaching prize given to American classicists. Her other awards include the Northwestern University Department of Classics Excellence in Teaching Award and two University of Georgia Outstanding Honors Professor Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 30, 2014
As I understand it, this volume holds the only biographies of Luther produced by his contemporaries. Melancthon's biography is as obviously biased by love as Cochlaeus' is by rivalry. Despite their biases, both are considered honest men whose quotations of Luther can be trusted even if their biographical comments can not.
The quotes therefore which Cochlaeus provided us are profoundly illuminating. Cochlaeus gives us Luther's words primarily from Luther's books and letters aimed at his opponents. Most of these books and letters cannot be found in English because no one cares to translate them. Protestants have no interest in exposing Luther's unspiritual arrogance and vitriol. Roman Catholics have no interest in translating the products of their greatest adversary. Hopefully someone will be piqued by Cochlaeus' quotes to do for Luther what the University of Toronto did for Erasmus: translate all of his books and letters so we can know the man behind the myths.
On page 219 Cochlaeus describes the violent persecution of protestants for their doctrine without any sympathy. On 223, he sadly condones it.
The quotes therefore which Cochlaeus provided us are profoundly illuminating. Cochlaeus gives us Luther's words primarily from Luther's books and letters aimed at his opponents. Most of these books and letters cannot be found in English because no one cares to translate them. Protestants have no interest in exposing Luther's unspiritual arrogance and vitriol. Roman Catholics have no interest in translating the products of their greatest adversary. Hopefully someone will be piqued by Cochlaeus' quotes to do for Luther what the University of Toronto did for Erasmus: translate all of his books and letters so we can know the man behind the myths.
On page 219 Cochlaeus describes the violent persecution of protestants for their doctrine without any sympathy. On 223, he sadly condones it.
February 7, 2009
The truth must be somewhere between the extremes of the two accounts.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews