Luther Examined and Reexamined: A Review of Catholic Criticism and a Plea for Revaluation

The year is 1917. Four centuries after Martin Luther nailed his theses to a church door, the Reformation's chief architect remains one of history's most contested figures. In this bracing polemical treatise, W.H.T. Dau mounts a rigorous defense of Luther against generations of Catholic critics who have painted him as a heretic, a revolutionary, and a moral monster. But Dau does more than counter-attack. He systematically dissects the theological and historical arguments against the Reformer, revealing how centuries of sectarian polemic have distorted both Luther's theology and his person. This is not hagiography. Dau acknowledges the violence of the Reformation era, the complexity of Luther's own harsh writings, and the genuine theological disagreements that divide Catholicism from Protestantism. What he demands is fairness: that Luther be judged by the standards of his own time, not by those of his detractors. The result is a fascinating window into early twentieth-century Protestant apologetics, one that remains remarkably relevant as scholars continue to reexamine the Reformation's legacy.