Luther: Man Between God and the Devil by Heiko Oberman is a refreshingly dramatic and intellectually vibrant biography of a central figure of the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The author, a professor of history at the University of Arizona, sets Luther's challenge to the Roman church in the context of German Nationalism, political unrest, class warfare, and humanistic hopes for a better world.
As a monk, Luther saw his life as a constant battle against Satan. Or, as Oberman puts it, "Where God is at work — in man and in human history — the Devil, the spirit of negation, is never far away." The reformer's personal battle with pride is presented in his refusal to admit truths other than his own, his anti-Semitism, and his hatred for the peasant's revolt. On the positive side, Luther drew strength from his struggle against the Devil. The result was a theology of faith and a Christian ethic for the world. Luther: Man Between God and the Devil is a classic biography of a great figure in Christian history.