Includes bibliographical references and index.

The whole life of a Christian as a life of repentance: Luther's metanarrative -- Luther the storyteller: the Reformer's use of narrative -- Above all, fearing, loving, and trusting in God: defining the core -- Of what it means to be human -- Suffering builds faith and calls to repentance: affliction as part of daily life -- The life of faith in responding to God's word with prayer and praise: active obedience in the sacred realm -- The life of faith in serving the neighbor: Luther's ethic of callings and commands -- Living well leads to dying well: the completion of the Christian life.

"Martin Luther read and preached the biblical text as the record of God addressing real, flesh-and-blood people and their daily lives. He used stories of the faithful as depicted in biblical narratives to drive home his vision of the Christian life, a life that includes struggling against temptation, enduring suffering, praising God in worship and prayer, and serving one's neighbor in response to God's callings and commands ... Leading Lutheran scholar Robert Kolb explores how Scripture undergirded Luther's approach to spiritual formation"--Publisher description.