โThe Bible is alive,โ declared Martin Luther, โit speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.โ The Protestant Reformationโs seminal leader possessed a gift for evocative speech, and he was as articulate and outspoken in private as he was in public. Fortunately for posterity, some of Lutherโs loyal followers took note of his informal speeches.
The Table Talk of Martin Luther consists of excerpts from the great reformerโs conversations with his students and colleagues, in which he comments on life, the church, and the Bible. Collected by Johannes Aurifaber, Anton Lauterbach, and other close associates of Luther, these absorbing anecdotes reveal the speakerโs personality and wisdom. This text is based on the English translation by lawyer and author William Hazlitt, son of the celebrated essayist.
Martin Luther (1483โ1546) was a German scholar, priest, theologian, and religious reformer and is considered one of the chief figures in European history. Arguing that money couldnโt buy freedom from Godโs punishment for oneโs sins, he laid the foundation for Protestant Reformation and greatly influenced the fields of politics, religion, education, and economics through his work and writings.
Joannes Aurifaber (1519โ1575), born Johann Goldschmidt in Weimar, was a Lutheran theologian. He studied at Wittenberg, where he heard the lectures of Martin Luther. Besides having a hand in the first collected edition of Lutherโs works, Aurifaber published Lutherโs Letters and Table Talk, the work for which he is best known.
William Hazlitt (1811โ1893) was an English lawyer and author. Besides legal works and his Classical Gazetteer, for which he is perhaps best known, he produced many translations, among them Victor Hugoโs Notre-Dame de Paris, Jules Micheletโs History of the Roman Republic, and the works of Michel de Montaigne. He also oversaw the posthumous publication and republication of many of the works of his father, the celebrated critic and essayist William Hazlitt.
Bob Souer is a full-time professional storyteller, voice actor, and AudioFile Earphones Awardโwinning narrator. He has narrated broadcast and nonbroadcast projects for corporations and ministries across North America. His voice has been heard on PBS, the History Channel, the Military Channel, and many other networks. He has also narrated radio and television programs for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, D. James Kennedy Ministries, SIM, and Compassion International.