This volume of Hartmann Grisar's monumental biography investigates two major aspects of Martin Luther's later career: his sanctioning of bigamy for princely patrons and his habitual disregard for historical truth in polemics. The narrative opens with Luther's advice to Henry VIII and subsequently details the scandalous bigamy of Landgrave Philip of Hesse. Philip, entangled in immoral excesses and driven by fear of divine punishment and political isolation, demanded and received a secret theological dispensation for bigamy from Luther, Melanchthon, and Bucer. The authors of the memorandum insisted on absolute secrecy to avoid widespread scandal, yet when the marriage inevitably leaked out, Luther resorted to complex evasions, even suggesting the use of helpful lies to protect the Evangelical cause.
Grisar extensively documents how Luther constructed a new theology of mendacity, defending the utility of certain falsehoods through an idiosyncratic reading of Old Testament patriarchal narratives. The book also provides a detailed critique of Luther's controversial methods, exposing his persistent misrepresentations of medieval Catholic life, the monastic vows, the sacrament of the Mass, and the historical status of women and marriage. The author contrasts Luther's polemical caricatures with genuine medieval sources, demonstrating that the Church of the Middle Ages held the married state and secular callings in high esteem. Through exhaustive archival research and contemporary correspondence, the volume exposes the heavy toll exacted when political expediency and theological innovation overrode fundamental moral constraints.
