Throughout history, the Marxist historians of East Germany have condemned Martin Luther as a reactionary and counter-revolutionary, a lackey of the aristocracy who sold out the peasants and helped pave the way for bourgeois capitalism. In this new intellectual biography, Brendler challenges the earlier interpretation, arguing that Luther's reformation of theology was essential to the subsequent social revolution. His appraisal signifies a fundamental shift in Marxist historiography, not merely because it rehabilitates Luther, but because it assigns a positive role in the development of constructive social change to the Christian faith and theology. A new translation of a 1983 East German book, Martin Luther represents an important change in the official attitude towards religion in general.