First of all, can we agree that it should be “95” or “ninety-five” but never “ninetyfive”, like WTF.

Distinctly weird hyphenation aside, 1517: Martin Luther and the Invention of the Reformation, is a thoughtful examination of one of those well-celebrated yet mythologized moments in history. Peter Marshall uses the stories surrounding Luther’s apocryphal posting of the 95 theses to examine the character of the Reformation in Luther’s time, his legacy and effects on the Reformation, and the enduring nature of the thesis-posting as a watershed moment in European politics and religion. The intricate differences between and among the Catholic church and various Protestant denominations provide no end of fascination for me (I have lost many an hour to the very detailed Wikipedia articles on these topics—seriously, that stuff is complex). As such, when this book showed up on NetGalley, it immediately caught my eye. Thanks to NetGalley and Oxford University Press for making it available.

Prior to reading this, I had little knowledge of Martin Luther or his 95 theses beyond vague recollections of something in a Grade 12 history class (and even then I think we spent more time on Giordano Bruno). I knew that Luther had played a significant role in the early Reformation, and that he had written his 95 theses, and I had heard the story of him nailing them to the church wall. I was unaware of the larger context, or the way in which this story has been magnified and repeated even though the event itself might not have happened.

Marshall himself takes the stance that Luther almost certainly did not nail his theses to the Wittenberg church(es) on October 31. However, he also pushes back against the idea that the thesis-posting is as unimportant a detail as, say, the apple that didn’t fall on Newton’s head. He argues that the theses may have been posted on church doors at some point in the following month, because—and this I did not know—posting stuff you wanted to argue about on church doors was the Hot New Thing back in Luther’s day, kind of a post-Renaissance version of shouting into the abyss that is Twitter. Marshall concludes from his examination of the story around this story that the mythologizing of the thesis-posting tells us so much about the early Reformation.

This is the kind of history book I do quite enjoy. Rather than simply retelling history to me in a way that claims to be objective, Marshall examines it, as if under a microscope. He pulls it this way and that, asking contradictory what-ifs and then pursuing lines of inquiry to their logical conclusions. He points out where contemporary writers may have been mistaken, or deliberately conflated things. He reminds us that translations are fallible, and especially back in that time, for many people a single translation would be their only way to read and understand a text. As such, those translations might propagate unintentional errors across entire generations. Marshall reminds us that history is not this static thing left here for historians to lecture about; it is a dynamic series of snapshots, some of which lie or are too grainy to make out, and we are constantly re-interpreting it.

Marshall points out that whether or not Luther posted the theses to the church door on October 31 matters. If Luther did this, it was much more an act of deliberate rebellion against the Church than if he simply posted (as in mailed) the theses to his bishop for approval to publish them. Indeed, like everyone else who hasn’t actually read the theses and made a study of what Luther was arguing, I wasn’t aware how Luther began his journey as a reformer from a conciliatory position. At first he’s all, “Well, the pope isn’t that bad; it’s these local corrupt officials who are misusing indulgences!” and it isn’t until years later, after the usual song-and-dance of persecution and excommunication, that Luther actually changes his tune and declares the pope anathema.

At some points, the depth of Marshall’s inquiry goes beyond my tastes as a lay person. I’m increasingly finding this is the case with the university press publications I grab from NetGalley. That’s not a criticism of them, because obviously I’m not the target audience here. But I always like to mention it, in case you are also not in the target audience; you should know what you’re getting into. 1517 is among the more accessible works I’ve read lately in this format. Nevertheless, this book’s topic is very specialized. Although Marshall brings up more points of general history and talks about the Reformation in general during parts of the book, he (rightly) focuses tightly on Luther’s light-cone.

So, if you’re looking for a book specifically about Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the posting of the 95 theses, you came to the right place. If you want a more general history of the Reformation, or a more narrative presentation of the subject matter, you might be disappointed. 1517 is scholarly but not stupefying, informative but not imposing.

This book is not really about Martin Luther or even exclusively about the year 1517. It is more of a detailed study of the posting of the 95 Theses - whether or not it really happened and how the action (whether historical or legend) has been viewed and inspired others throughout the five centuries since.

While this was an interesting study, I couldn't help but wonder throughout my reading of it how much it really mattered. I will admit that, as one who has studied the era and even visited Wittenberg, I am not entirely convinced that Luther did boldly nail the 95 Theses to the door of Castle Church on October 31, 1517. However, the spark of the Reformation was lit and Martin Luther's journey began on that day, even if he did just mail the discussion points to his archbishop rather than immediately publicize them.

The author includes a detailed study on how the beginning of the Reformation has been memorialized and celebrated through the ages. This is partially evidence to disprove the Theses posting, but it is an interesting look at how different people in different ages and circumstances viewed Luther's work. Different generations placed more significance on the Diet of Worms or the burning of the Papal Bull or simply Luther's birth or death anniversary. How did we come to focus on the Theses posting as the most significant event giving life to the Reformation? The author is not sure and seems disappointed in the choice.

I can relate. I have stood before the doors that are now bronze and embossed with the words of the 95 Theses, and was thrilled to be there. But wasn't Luther's 'On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church' more important? Wasn't the Diet of Worms when he truly stood up for reform? Maybe, but before those more compelling events, Luther had to go through the experiences that the 95 Theses brought about. Maybe the burning of his notice of excommunication is more defiant and bold, but it would not have happened without the 95 Theses.

Maybe the passing years have injected October 31, 1517 with more of the drama of the events that followed it because we like the movie-worthy moment of the mild and obedient monk angrily hammering his objections to the door of the very church he is protesting. Maybe the Theses really weren't posted until Luther had been ignored by the proper chain of command. Maybe he had a student glue them up, as would have been more proper than the professor of theology taking nails to the church door. Maybe people didn't gather in excitement the moment the notice went up. However, in retrospect, people of Luther's time and many more since have recognized October 31, 1517 as the day when Martin Luther began something that changed the world.

1517 is a short but thorough survey of the images of Luther in the past 500 years. Marshall explains the social and political contexts of the different images to show the reader that what people have thought about Luther in each generation has largely been influenced by contemporary events. This book is also a good study of Protestant historiography. Most readers of this book will be encountering the study of the writing of history for the first time. Through his analysis of the different images of Luther (particularly images of the nailing of the 95 Theses), Marshall encourages the reader to consider how past events are understood collectively. I would have preferred a full chapter dedicated to Luther's social and political views. I have a strong background in Reformation history, but the general reader may only know a few stories about Luther (the posting of the 95 Theses, the burning of the Bull of Excommunication, or the speech at the Diet of Worms). Finally,, Marshall is at his best when he analyzes all of the images of Luther in a particular century, instead of focusing exclusively on images of the posting of the 95 Theses. The posting of the theses is a popular image of Luther, but so is the equally legendary "Here I Stand" line at the end of Luther's speech at the Diet of Worms. The former gets a lot of emphasis, but the latter doesn't get much mention. Despite these few criticisms, I strongly recommend 1517 to anyone interested in Protestant history and/or the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

When I requested this book from Netgalley, I anticipated that it would be more about Martin Luther and the events leading up to the iconic moment he pounded those theses on the church door. I was woefully ignorant. While Peter Marshall gives plenty of background information on the man, Martin Luther really isn't the focus of this book. Perhaps I should have read the description better! Though it wasn't what I was expecting, I think I enjoyed the content much more than I would have had it been a straight biography.

1517 takes a look at that one specific event (the posting of the theses) and then puts it in the wider context of public remembrance. How is it that an event that probably never even happened came to be regarded as an absolute?

The premise of the book is similar to that of a dissertation, but Marshall's style is engaging enough that even a lay-person would find it an enjoyable read. Highly Recommend!

This was a very thorough discussion of Martin Luther and whether not he actually nailed his disagreements with the Catholic Church to The door. It was very educational, extremely thorough, and enjoyable if you like history. Martin Luther was no doubt a very important historical person. Truly whether he nailed them to the door or not is not important. What is important is this book points out is the effect that his behaviors had for all future people. He truly not the foundation out of the dominance of the Catholic Church. This is a good rate and it is very educational

I would highly recommend this book. As a former Catholic who married a Lutheran I have been trying to learn more about the subject. This served as a well balanced historiography of the subject. While it wasn't a full biography of Martin zLuther it served as a biography of the development of his church. I would recommend it for any one interested in the history of the worl's religions