Martin Luther and Islam: A Study in Sixteenth-Century Polemics and Apologetics »

Adam S. Francisco, D.Phil. (2006) in Historical Theology, University of Oxford, is Guest Professor of Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana).

Martin Luther (1483-1546) lived at an important juncture during the long and tortuous history of the conflict between Islam and Europe. Scholars have long focused on his apocalyptic interpretation of the rise of the Muslim Ottoman Empire, but only a few have probed deeper into his thought on Islam. As a result, one of the most influential thinkers in the western intellectual tradition has received very little attention in the history of Christian perceptions of and responses to Islam. Drawing upon a vast array of the Reformer’s writings while also examining several key texts, this book reveals an often-overlooked aspect of Luther's thought, and thereby provides fresh insight into his place in the history of Christian-Muslim relations.

PART ONE - ISLAM, SARACENS, TURKS, AND THE WEST (1095-1546)
CHAPTER 1 - A SURVEY OF APPROACHES TO AND PERCEPTIONS OF ISLAM IN THE MEDIEVAL LATIN WEST Christian Apologetics vis-à-vis Islam Islam and the Apocalypse Descriptive Accounts of the Muslim World CHAPTER 2 - THE TURKS AND ISLAM IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY Ottoman Imperialism Responses to Ottoman Imperialism and Islam Sixteenth Century Perceptions of the Turks and Islam CHAPTER 3 - DIMENSIONS OF LUTHER’S THOUGHT ON THE OTTOMAN TURKS Responding to Ottoman Imperialism The Apocalyptic Nature of the Turkish Threat Treason, Apostasy, and Apologetics CHAPTER 4 - LUTHER’S KNOWLEDGE OF THE MUSLIM WORLD AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS ISLAM Luther’s Source Material on Islam Luther on the Study of Islam and the Qur’ân Luther’s Knowledge of and Attitude towards Islam
PART TWO - MARTIN LUTHER’S ENGAGEMENT WITH ISLAM
CHAPTER 5 - ‘LIES, MURDER, AND DISREGARD FOR MARRIAGE’:
LUTHER’S INITIAL CRITIQUE OF ISLAM The Theological Worldview behind Luther’s Critique:
Die Dreiständelehre Islam and the Three Estates Islam: The Final Analysis CHAPTER 6 - ANFECHTUNG AND THE ALLURE OF ISLAM:
AN EXISTENTIAL APOLOGETIC FOR CHRISTIANS IN THE MAHOMETISCH REICH Anfechtung and the Christian Predicament Anfechtung and the Allure of Islam Pastoral Advice for Christians in the Mahometisch Reich CHAPTER 7 - EXPOSING MUHAMMAD AND THE QUR’ÂN IN GERMAN: LUTHER’S POLEMICAL-APOLOGETIC AGAINST ISLAM The Occasion and Purpose of Luther’s Verlegung des Alcoran Luther’s Attack on the Qur’ân Luther’s Demonstration of Christian Truth from the Qur’ân CHAPTER 8 - THE FAITH OF ADAM AND INVENTION OF MUHAMMAD: LUTHER’S APOLOGY FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH Christian Apologetics vis-à-vis Islam A Sermon for the Ecclesia Facing the Claims of Islam Muhammad’s Innovation and the Defence of the Christian Religion
CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY