Two Views of Martin Luther
Written by Sara C. Gorecki
Many people have written biographies about Martin Luther, and there are two basic views found in these biographies: a secular view or a Christian view. When I was reading them, I found that they both shed a different light on Martin Luther; either a critical view or an admirable view. There were many differences in the biographies about Martin Luther's life and I was surprised at how little the secular book had to say and how much the Christian one had. The differences between the two types of views were very interesting to see.
The Christian view of Martin Luther had pages and pages to say about his life and convictions. It spoke highly about his work in the reformation. Not many Christian text books give people a chance to develop their own thoughts, but a rare few do, such as American Vision's To Pledge Allegiance: Reformation to Colonization. In that book it gives out the information and their view on it, but they then ask you thought provoking questions and ask for your opinion. Christian textbooks that speak of him speak very highly of his deep convictions and all his work for the protestant reformers. He was quite the admirable man, and so many books praise him. Many Christian books also praise his influence on later generations.
The secular biographies I read about Martin Luther either speak disrespectfully about him or barely speak of him at all. They talk about his work in the reformation, but they leave out why he did what he did, and his convictions. The politically correct school books don't want to speak about the intense love of God Martin Luther had. He was a German monk before he became a reformer, but not a lot of books write about that. They focus on the high points, and sometimes miss the little points that made him who he was. Teachers and the government definitely do not tell America to filter everything through God's word, and that goes directly against what the bible teaches. Part of our problem in America is that we don't go back to the bible for everything, if anything. Apologetics are so important, but sadly very few people are learning them.
There are some views that aren't biased and many of those are online or in encyclopedia. Martin Luther was a great man, and in all text books they list what he did. It is just that some go more in depth than others, and have different points of views. But isn't that what America is all about? Freedom of speech and opinion are two very important things that America is known for. Freedom of faith, speech and opinion are three of the main reasons the English Protestants, a century after Martin Luther, immigrated to the New World.
