Faith and Freedom: An Invitation to the Writings of Martin Luther by John F. Thornton and Susan B. Varenne. Age: adult. I wanted something very basic on Luther’s writings that any lay person could read, and this is a good choice. Its sections are: Here I Stand (Luther’s Ninety-five Theses and his examination before the Diet, or Assembly of the Holy Roman Empire, in Worms, Germany), Bible Prefaces and Exegeses (Interpretations), Sermons Throughout the Church Year, Teachings, Letters and Table Talk, and Prayers, Devotions and Hymns. You can read the whole book or just select what seems most interesting.
Having never read much Luther except for his Small Catechism, and several biographies about him, I was surprised how easily I could read his actual writings. They are accessible, easy to grasp. I expected a high-falutin’ dissertation, but no, I was pleasantly surprised. He quotes the Bible so frequently or mentions Jesus’ preachings and activities so often that I felt amongst familiar thoughts and ideas all the way through.
If you want to know what Luther wrote, this is a very good book to begin with. It gives us a clear idea of how bright he was, what a church service might have been like had he been the preacher for the day, or what a conversation around his dining table might have been like for his young proteges. ( )