1st Edition
Renaissance Humanism in Support of the Gospel in Luther's Early Correspondence Taking All Things Captive
Drawing on the early correspondence of Martin Luther, Timothy Dost presents a reassessment of the degree to which humanism influenced the thinking of this key reformation figure. Studying letters written by Luther between 1507 and 1522, he explores the various ways Luther used humanism and humanist techniques in his writings and the effect of these influences on his developing religious beliefs. The letters used in this study, many of which have never before been translated into English, focus on Luther's thoughts, attitudes and application of humanism, uncovering the extent to which he used humanist devices to develop his understanding of the gospel. Although there have been other studies of Luther and humanism, few have been grounded in such a close philological examination of Luther's writings. Combining a sound knowledge of recent historiography with a detailed familiarity with Luther's correspondence, Dost provides a sophisticated contribution to the field of reformation studies.
Biography
Timothy P. Dost
'... a thorough and detailed evaluation of an undoubtedly fascinating body of source material. It gives us access to an important cache of letters, many of them never before translated into English. Its unremitting concentration on a single set of sources gives a (...) sharp illumination of an otherwise familiar story. It should be read for the very particular light it casts on Luther's emerging theology...' Renaissance Studies '... in drawing a wealth of material to our attention and in his detailed and illuminating analyses of many of the letters Timothy Dost has done students of Luther and the early Reformation a great service.' Journal of Theological Studies 'In this particular collection of letters, Luther actually looks good. He is not marrying a nun or throwing an inkwell at The Devil. He is a humanist.' Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance '... [a] stimulating examination of the still vital question of how the Reformation and Renaissance humanism stood in relation to one another...' Ecclesiastical History 'This erudite and interesting study succeeds both in filling a gap in our knowledge of Luther's early affinity with northern humanism and in driving another nail into the coffin of the old 'Luther versus humanity' canard.' Sixteenth Century Journal '... Dost has amassed an impressive amount of evidence for a distinct decline in Luther's enthusiasm for humanism, and he makes significant contributions toward explaining the importance of the movement for Luther as well as documenting Luther's own theological development.' Lutheran Quarterly