THE WITTENBERG BREACH

A theological fracture that split the Reformation.

In 1524, the fires of the German Reformation threatened to consume themselves. Martin Luther, having ignited a continent-wide movement against the papacy, returned to Wittenberg to find his own movement accelerating out of control. At the center of this radical escalation stood his former friend and university colleague: Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt.

The Wittenberg Breach captures the pivotal, explosive debate between these two giants of the 16th century. What began as a dispute over the pace of reform quickly devolved into a profound crisis of ecclesiology, pastoral authority, the removal of images (iconoclasm), and the administration of the sacraments.

Translated meticulously from the definitive Weimarer Ausgabe (WA) of Martin Luther's works and Karlstadt's original printings, this inaugural volume of the LutherVox Reformation Series brings the raw, unvarnished intensity of this theological schism to English-speaking readers.

This primary source translation is an essential resource for:

• Students of Historical Theology: Examining the exact moment the Protestant movement splintered.
• Seminary Libraries and Professors: Providing a critical textbook on 16th-century church governance and sacramental theology.
• Readers of the Radical Reformation: Exploring Karlstadt's early arguments for congregational autonomy and spiritualized worship.

Step inside the debate that forced the reformers to answer a dangerous question: Once the authority of Rome is broken, who decides the future of the Church?