The Bondage of the Will [Paperback]

Martin Luther (Author), Henry Cole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 2009

"The Bondage of the Will" is a must for anyone interested in the doctrine of predestination. Luther himself declared this book to be one of the best he had ever written. The book is a response to "The Diatribe Concerning Human Freedom" by Erasmus. A great work by a masterful theologian, "The Bondage of the Will" covers what Luther believed concerning human free will, God's knowledge and future contingents, predestination, prevenient and efficacious grace, as well as the providence and glory of God. Luther is somewhat overbearing at times in his responses to Erasmus, but this simply helps the reader to understand Luther's personality a little better. Some will see "The Bondage of the Will" as nothing more than Martin Luther's combative apologetic against the doctrine of free will and works salvation. But this is precisely why it ranks among the best ever written because it passionately, logically, and decisively deals with the error concerning free will and the error adding any human merit to salvation. The subject matter according to Luther is "the hinge on which the whole gospel turns". "The Bondage of the Will" should be a standard text in Bible schools and seminaries.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Martin Luther (1483-1546) initiated the Protestant Reformation. As a priest and theology professor, he confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his The Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. Luther strongly disputed their claim that freedom from God's punishment of sin could be purchased with money. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Edict of Worms meeting in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the emperor. Martin Luther taught that salvation is not from good works, but a free gift of God, received only by grace through faith in Jesus as redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptised Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with Luther's teachings are called Lutherans. His translation of the Bible into the language of the people (instead of Latin) made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns inspired the development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant priests to marry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (December 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1449978622
• ISBN-13: 978-1449978624
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #684,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Church History > Protestant
  • #64 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Soteriology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Adequate but could be more, April 21, 2010

By 

F. Bivens - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bondage of the Will (Paperback)

This translation of the classic work of Martin Luther is adequate to convey the message to the modern English reader. And the words of the Reformer will always merit our thoughtful attention. Comparing this publication with another translation of the same writing, namely the translation provided through Packer and Johnson, however, leads me to point others to the other publication. The primary reason: the other volume includes a lengthy and helpful "Historical and Theological Introduction" in addition to the Reformer's response to Erasmus. For basically the same amount of money, the other translation with the Introduction gives the reader much more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a complex topic written in a digestible manner, July 27, 2011

By 

Mike Pettengill (La Ceiba, Honduras) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bondage of the Will (Paperback)

"On the Bondage of the Will" was first published by Martin Luther in December 1525. It was written as a reply to Desiderius Erasmus' book called "On Free Will". Erasmus' book was a public attack on Luther in the topic of free will.

Luther writes the book to Erasmus and addresses him by name as if the reader is a voyeur in a dialog between two intellectuals. In a sweet tone Luther often refers to Erasmus as Friend Erasmus, while he rips him apart.

Luther vigorously affirms that Scripture undoubtedly teaches that man's "salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, counsels, efforts, will and works, and depends absolutely on the will, counsel, pleasure and work of Another - God alone."

Luther's hypothesis is as vital now as it was half a millennium ago. This is because human nature is defined by the tendency to stress its own autonomy outside of God. Regrettably, this is as true of Christians as it is of non-Christians.

Luther addresses the objections brought by Erasmus, gently considering each verse of Scripture that Erasmus uses, and showing the random character of his interpretation. He considers the arguments that Erasmus makes from "human reason", and considers other texts of the Bible that clearly teach the bondage of the will.

Luther's tone may seem odd to modern readers. We must not forget that he was answering a point where he knew that the very essence of the gospel was at stake.

This is a complex topic written in a digestible manner.