Matthias Flacius and the Survival of Luther's Reform.

Matthias Flacius and the Survival of Luther's Reform. By Oliver K. Olson. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2002. 428 pages. Cloth. $100.00.

Oliver Olson's passion for the controversial Reformation theologian Matthias Flacius is evident from one's first encounter with this book. The title itself betrays Olson's desire to find a place for Flacius alongside the most prominent sixteenth-century Lutherans.

The book chronicles the life and work of Flacius from his earliest days up to his time as a professor in Jena. The reader gets a heavy dose of Olson's devotion to Flacius and revulsion of Melanchthon, leading this reviewer to wonder whether Olson tends toward presenting a hagiography rather than a biography.

Despite his somewhat overzealous and one-sided portrayal of the conflicts in which Flacius was a major player, Olson does a wonderful service to students of the early modern period of German history and theology. He provides many short translations of the work of Flacius otherwise unavailable in English. In addition, the comprehensive history of the development of the theology of Flacius to the time of his professorship in Jena is invaluable. And if that is not enough, the layout of the book is beautiful, containing many pieces of sixteenth-century art along with photos of early modern manuscripts. Finally, Olson offers a wonderfully comprehensive bibliography of the works of Flacius. The only drawback for a nonacademic audience would be its price tag.

Nathan Montover

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago