Heinz Schilling was Professor of Early Modern History at the Humboldt University, Berlin until his retirement in 2010. His main areas of research are in early modern European history, including studies in religion, politics, migration studies, foreign policy, and social and cultural history.

"Shilling's account succeeds in arriving at balanced, but never insipid, conclusions about Luther's supreme contribution to the Reformation without ignoring the destructive aspects of his personality." -- Graeme Murdock , The Huguenot Society Journal

"Entering a world saturated with Luther biographies following celebrations of the anniversary of the 95 theses, Heinz Schilling's Martin Luther has done far more than merely hold its own. This tome is an exceptional piece of scholarship produced by a brilliant scholar On every page, the reader feels she is meeting Martin Luther. Schilling's knowledge of Luther's corpus and his times is comprehensive-the result being a biography truly worthy of celebration."--Jon Balserak, Reading Religion

"Although there existed a lot of literature on Martin Luther, there has been a gap as far as his universalism is concerned. Martin Luther fills that gap. It is a meticulously researched book that provides deep analysis of the role of Martin Luther in the rise of Protestantism. It is an insightful and highly scholarly book but it s very readable at the same time. It should be on university curriculums for history. It is a must-read for everyone interested in the history of Europe and religion. Heinz Schilling s scholarship is unmatched in its insight, scholarly value, and authority."--The Washington Book Review