With sound historical scholarship and penetrating insight, Roland Bainton examines Luther's widespread influence. He re-creates the spiritual setting of the sixteenth century, showing Luther's place within it and influence upon it. Richly illustrated with more than 100 woodcuts and engravings from Luther's own time, Here I Stand dramatically brings to life Martin Luther, the great Reformer. A specialist in Reformation history, Roland H. Bainton was for forty-two years Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale, and he continued his writing well into his twenty years of retirement. Bainton wore his scholarship lightly and had a lively, readable style. His most popular book was Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (1950), which sold more than a million copies.

Martin Luther's conception of the Nativity found expression in sermon, song, and art. This beautiful new gift edition of a classic collection combines all three. In thirty compelling Christmas excerpts from his sermons, Luther vividly portrays the human realism of the Nativity: Mary's distress at giving birth with no midwife or water; Joseph's misgivings; the Wise Men's perplexity; and Herod's cunning. Throughout, Luther suggests the question: If we had lived in Bethlehem when Jesus was born, would we have believed that this newborn baby was God in human form? And he reminds us that keeping Christmas is a year-around mission of caring for those in need. Nine elegant illustrations by Luther's contemporaries-including four by noted engraver Albrecht Durer-capture timeless scenes from the Christmas story. And two of Luther's beautiful Christmas carols are included on the final pages of the book.

The Reformation of the sixteenth century was a vast and complicated movement. It involved kings and peasants, cardinals and country priests, monks and merchants. It spread from one end of Europe to the other, and manifested itself in widely differing forms. Yet in spite of its diverse and complex character, to start to understand the Reformation you need know only one name: Martin Luther. Roland Bainton s Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther remains the definitive introduction to the great Reformer and is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this towering historical figure."

Erar atI of Ciberty 23tograpfytcal Stubtes by ROLAND H. BAINTON tDestmtnster press To HILDA AND GLEN KING Him that overcometh will I makf a pillar in the temple of my God Foreword Mr. James Sprung of Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1911 established a perpetual lectureship at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, which would enable this institution to secure from time to time the services of distinguished min isters and authoritative scholars as special lecturers on sub jects connected with various departments of Christian thought and Christian work. The lecturers are chosen by the faculty of the seminary and a committee of the Board of Trustees, and the lectures are published after their delivery in accordance with a contract between the lecturer and these representatives of the institution. The series of lectures on this foundation for the year 1950 is presented in this volume. B. R. LACY, JR., President Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia. Preface The material in this book represents in large part lectures de livered at the invitation of the faculty and trustees of the Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia, on the James Sprunt foundation. Portions of these lectures were de livered also at the Danforth Conference at Camp Mini wanca, Shelly, Michigan at the Eden Theological Seminary, Webster Groves, Missouri and at the Vermont Congrega tional Ministers Conference, Montpelier, Vermont. For pub lication, these lectures were revised and in some cases am plified. ROLAND H. BAINTON. The Divinity School, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Contents Foreword 7 Preface 9 Introduction 13 PART i PERSECUTION CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT 1. The Peak of Catholic PersecutionThomas of Torquemada 33 2. The Peak of Protestant Intolerance John Calvin 54 3. The Victim of Protestant Persecution Michael Servetus 72 PART 2 THE TOLERATION CONTROVERSY OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 4. The Remonstrator Sebastien Castellio 97 5. The Heretic as Hypocrite David Joris 125 6. The Heretic as Exile Bernardino Ochino 149 PART 3 THE FREEDOM OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 7. The Bard of Speech Unbound John Milton 179 12 CONTENTS 8. The Seeker Roger Williams 208 9. Apologist for the Act of Toleration John Locke 229 Reflections 253 Sources 261 Index Crat ail of Heligious liberty

This powerful book of passages from Martin Luther's Easter sermons portrays the reformer's lasting thoughts on faith, human imperfection, salvation through grace, and the wonder of God. The sermons explore events from Holy Week through the Resurrection. They combine marvelous insights with inspiring calls to action that are so characteristic of the great reformer: "The resurrection consists not in words, but in life and power."

In this single absorbing volume, the noted historian and religious scholar Roland Bainton offers a comprehensive, critical portrait of Christianity from its beginnings two thousand years ago to the modern day. From Christ's lowly birth in a stable to the rise of cathedrals and kings, from Roman soliders to Fanciscan monks to Puritans fleeing persecution to a new world across the sea, Bainton paints a rich history of a vast and varied people united by a singular belief. Illustrated with fifty black-and-white photographs, CHRISTIANITY is a perfect introduction for lay readers and a classic in its field.

In the Rome of Constantine whether one worshipped the old gods or the new God was literally a question of life and death. In this book, the latest in the Terry Lecture series, the whole question of tolerance is reviewed and analyzed by the author from the focal point of the Roman ruler who first dared to decree that man could worship whom he pleased. The expectation of Constantine that some day all men would arrive by free consent at a unified faith has proved illusory, but the ground for tolerance which Constantine established is still valid today. What did the great Edict of Milan actually promise and what were the results? How did it come about? What was the climate of sensibility regarding tolerance in general and religious tolerance in particular? These are some of the questions the author seeks to answer. Professor Hermann Doerries, of the University of Goettingen, is the well-known biographer of Constantine. Translated by Roland Bainton.