Bainton’s work has long been hailed as an excellent portrayal of Luther's life, and I can certainly see why. The book is incredibly thorough but not in such a way that the reader becomes bored. Bainton exercises caution not to present Luther as perfect or overly saintly. Yet he clearly has affection for the great reformer that is seen throughout his work. He approaches Luther’s critics with a plea for understanding, insisting that Luther’s supposed mistakes should be understood in light of the tensions and fears that constantly plagued him. In that sense, Bainton gently presents what some might see to be shortcomings. That does not, however, mean that Bainton’s picture of Martin Luther is unrealistic. At numerous points, Bainton addresses Luther’s fears and depression, his insecurity and errors in judgment. In the pages of Bainton’s book, the reader will meet the real Martin Luther, in all his simplicity, bravery, fear and depression. In fact, the pictures of Luther’s depression are surprisingly cold and drastic, and will awaken the reader to the reality that this great man was not without his weaknesses and struggles. Furthermore, Bainton’s presentation of Luther’s life is a fantastic historical work that boasts an impressive accuracy and depth of research. Bainton’s use of primary sources is refreshing. The reader becomes acquainted with Martin Luther through the reformer’s own works—letters, sermons, tracts, books, and even notes from Luther’s university students. The shortcoming of many biographies is that the subject is talked about rather than being allowed to speak for himself. Bainton’s work is clearly free of this criticism. Additionally, the illustrations within the book are helpful and illuminating. They include woodcuts, paintings and other pictures that grant the reader a firsthand look into Martin Luther’s world. To continue on that point, Bainton spends a notable portion of the work detailing historical context for his readers—an extremely helpful labor. This adds to the overall suspense of the work as the reader begins to comprehend the depth of Luther’s boldness in light of the political risks he was taking and paradigms that were being destroyed. Finally, the overall readability of the work is very impressive. Bainton, a Yale Professor maintains a stunning eloquence throughout the book and posses a style that both scholar and layman can appreciate, as Bainton does an excellent job of writing well without sacrificing readability.Perhaps the only criticism of the work that this reader can confidently offer is that Bainton’s picture of Luther’s theology is given too much protection. Bainton makes clear that Luther was one man struggling against centuries of Roman Catholic teaching, yet he too often uses that reality to excuse some of Luther’s philosophical and theological inconsistencies. Furthermore, at a few points in the work, Bainton seems too eager to preach and permits his own agreements with Martin Luther (which appear to be legion) to produce homilies on the truth of Luther’s conclusions. While these defenses are certainly not offensive to me, they occasionally take up more ink than necessary.
The warm praises that have surrounded this book since its publishing are, in my judgement, entirely appropriate. Bainton’s Here I Stand is a fair and honest examination of Martin Luther’s life and his contributions to the Christian faith that are still honored today. Bainton’s picture of the reformer is accurate and informative but not at the expense of being dull or tedious. The work should be recommended to any student of history or person of faith seeking to know more about this incredible man, his struggles, victories and remarkable reform.
5 out of 5 stars
