Description
Book SynopsisMartin Luther''s posting of the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on 31 October 1517 is one of the most famous events of Western history. It inaugurated the Protestant Reformation, and has for centuries been a powerful and enduring symbol of religious freedom of conscience, and of righteous protest against the abuse of power.But did it actually really happen?In this engagingly-written, wide-ranging and insightful work of cultural history, leading Reformation historian Peter Marshall reviews the available evidence, and concludes that, very probably, it did not. The theses-posting is a myth. And yet, Marshall argues, this fact makes the incident all the more historically significant. In tracing how - and why - a ''non-event'' ended up becoming a defining episode of the modern historical imagination. Marshall compellingly explores the multiple ways in which the figure of Martin Luther, and the nature of the Reformation itself, have been remembered and used for their own purposes by subsequent generations of Protestants and others - in Germany, Britain, the United States and elsewhere.As people in Europe, and across the world, prepare to remember, and celebrate, the 500th anniversary of Luther''s posting of the theses, this book offers a timely contribution and corrective. The intention is not to ''debunk'', or to belittle Luther''s achievement, but rather to invite renewed reflection on how the past speaks to the present - and on how, all too often, the present creates the past in its own image and likeness.
Trade ReviewMarshall's narrative skills and his probing analysis are equally enjoyable and insightful. His work is a reminder that histories and anniversaries are contextual, with one eye on the past and the other on the present ... an engaging and stimulating look not only at an historical event, but how such an event took on an oversized life of its own through anniversary celebrations over the centuries. * Mark A. Granquist, Reading Religion *
Wonderful... an enlightening and convincing discussion of the elaboration of a historical and cultural myth. * Mark Konnert, H-Albion *
Insightful and illuminating. * Andrew Pettegree, Theology *
An absorbing and scholarly work, cramming a huge amount into just over 200 pages. * Alan Wakely, The Reader *
A fascinating re-examination of the celebrated events of 1517 and their impact on Western history. * Simon Burton, The Expository Times *
Highly recommended. * Church of England Newspaper *
1517 sorts fact from fiction and provides an intriguing case study of the way historical memory is created. * Jonathan Wright, Catholic Herald *
Compelling. * Anne Inman, Pastoral Review *
In 1517, Peter Marshall rounds up all the available evidence ... and lays it tidily before us with both clarity and a puckish enjoyment of its more absurb manifestations ... In this quincentennial year, the market is inevitably awash with books on Luther and the Protestant Reformation. If you only want to read one or two of them ... you could do a great deal worse than starting here. * Moira Briggs, Vulpes Libris *
Anyone wanting an accessible overview of the beginning of the Reformation and the role of Martin Luther will find Peter Marshall's 1517 an ideal read. [...] This is altogether an excellent book, not only for those who wish to learn something about the start of a movement, but also how today we try to come to an understanding of what history was, is, and can be. * Peter Costello, Irish Catholic *
Admirable work of detection, demythologisation, and historiography. * John Arnold, Church Times *
A story worth telling... a beautiful example of what popular cultural history can be... Writers of future anniversary histories should take note. * Dmitri Levitin, Literary Review *
Interesting reading for both scholars of the Reformation and history buffs in general. Marshall finds a unique niche in a year replete with wider biographies of Luther and histories of the early Reformation. * Kirkus *
1517 is a remarkable exploration of the Reformation's most famous scene, Martin Luther's posting of the Theses on the Wittenberg church door. By unpacking the memory and meaning of this episode as it has been interpreted and reinterpreted across five centuries of European history, Peter Marshall reveals how the contingencies of time and place have shaped our understanding of the Reformation and how the Reformation, in turn, has maintained its place in the historical imagination as a turning point on the path to the present. Packed with detail, stories, facts, and arguments, and beautifully written, this will surely prove to be one of the most original of the books written to mark the Reformation quincentenary. * C. Scott Dixon, author of The Church in the Early Modern Age *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Prologue: Postings 1: 1517: Theses 2: 1517: Responses 3: 1617: Anniversaries 4: 1817: Heroes 5: 1917: Controversies Epilogue: Reformations Notes Bibliography Picture Credits Index
