18 kregel.com/academic CHURCH HISTORY THE UNREFORMED MARTIN LUTHER A Serious (and Not So Serious) Look at the Man Behind the Myths ANDREAS MALESSA FOREWORD BY PAUL L. MAIER 978-0-8254-4456-2 • $16.99 Paperback • 8.5 x 5.5 • 168 pages History Kregel Publications Rights: World Available After five hundred years of examining the life of the “father of the Reformation,” we must surely know all there is to know about Martin Luther. But is that true? Did he really nail his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door? Did he throw an inkpot at the devil? Did he plant an apple tree? Did his wife escape her convent in a herring barrel? German radio and television journalist Andreas Malessa looks at the actual history of Luther and concludes that many of the tales we know best are nothing but nonsense. A theologian by training, Malessa studied under Helmet Thielicke and is an ordained minister of the Union of Evangelical Free Church Congregations. He brings his theo- logical and journalistic acumen to bear on this intriguing subject. Malessa investigates many of the falsehoods and falla- cies surrounding the reformer, rejecting them in favor of the equally incredible facts. Full of humor and irony, this book educates and entertains while demonstrating a profound respect for Luther’s life and mission. If you’re looking for the truth of the man behind the theses, come discover his faith and influence—with the myths stripped away. Andreas Malessa (University of Hamburg) is a radio and tele- vision journalist with Germany’s ARD network, the world’s largest public broadcaster. His previous publications include numerous books on spirituality and culture. CONTENTS Foreword by Paul L. Maier Preface 1. Luther Was a Superstitious Person 2. Luther Was Upset About the Selling of Indulgences 3. Luther Planted an Apple Tree 4. Luther Was a Poor Farmer’s Son 5. Luther Was a Boozer 6. Luther Translated the First German Bible 7. Luther Ate While Preaching 8. Luther Intended to Establish an Independent Church 9. Luther Sometimes Played Tricks and Told Lies 10. Luther Married in Secret 11. Luther’s Wife Traveled to Him in a Fish Barrel 12. Luther Said, “Here I Stand. I Cannot Do Otherwise.” 13. Luther’s Most Important Insight Came While He Was on the Toilet 14. Luther Was a Warmonger 15. Luther Did Not Want to Translate the Old Testament into German 16. Luther Was the First Lutheran 17. Luther Wanted to Make a Name for Himself 18. Luther Named his Supporters “Protestants” 19. Luther Invented German Proverbs 20. Luther Nailed Ninety-Five Theses to the Wittenberg Church Door 21. Luther Threw an Inkhorn at the Devil 22. Luther’s Last Words Were, “We Are Beggars, That Is True.” 23. Luther and His Wife Had Spectators During Sex 24. Luther Recommended That Husbands Take a Second Wife 25. Luther Was an Anti-Semite