Book Review – “Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther” by R.H. Bainton

So let’s face it, reading Christian biography isn’t always the most thrilling experience. To really get anything out of it, you have to throw yourself headlong into the world of the subject (sometimes experiencing culture shock) and really labor to grasp the significance of how they interacted with their environment. Depending on your author, this can sometimes require background knowledge, and worst of all…time. In short, benefitting spiritually from Christian biography is work. Well, I have loving news for you, Americans:  sometimes it takes a little effort on your part to learn and grow spiritually.

That being said, Roland Bainton’s biography of Martin Luther is surprisingly easy to read (for a decades-old Reformer bio written by a British guy). Anyway, I’m moderately fond of this book. Here’s the good and bad.

The good:  Bainton isn’t overly concerned with the obscure details of Luther’s birth and upbringing; rather, he picks up the story as the 21-year old Luther is knocked to the ground by a peal of thunder and gives his life to God on the spot. (If you’re looking for a more comprehensive look at Luther’s life, you might consider Read the rest of this entry »