Includes bibliographical references (pages 453-464) and index.

On All Hallow's Eve in 1517, a young monk named Martin Luther posted a document he hoped would spark an academic debate, but which instead ignited a conflagration that would forever destroy the world he knew. Five hundred years after Luther's now famous Ninety-five Theses appeared, acclaimed biographer Eric Metaxas paints a startling portrait of the wild figure whose adamantine faith cracked the edifice of Western Christendom and dragged medieval Europe into the future. This book tells the searing tale of a humble man who, by bringing ugly truths to the highest seats of power, caused an explosion the sound of which is still ringing in our ears. Luther's monumental faith and courage gave birth to the ideals of liberty, equality, and individualism that today lie at the heart of all modern life.--From dust jacket.