World Church · October 11, 2026
Luther Must Be Read by Elders
The article notes that October 31 is observed as Reformation Day in Korea and that Korean churches mark the date each year. Yet few Korean Christians read Martin Luther deeply because most Korean Protestants belong to Presbyterian denominations. Luther is widely seen as a figure of the Lutheran Church, creating a sense of distance for those outside that tradition.
Hans Schwarz’s book All for Everyone: Luther for the Rest of Us addresses this gap. In the Korean preface the author states that Presbyterianism shares roots with the Reformation’s Protestant tradition. At the 1529 Marburg Colloquy Luther and Zwingli agreed on fourteen of fifteen points, and John Calvin called Luther the church’s most excellent shepherd. The practice of singing Psalms in Reformed worship was borrowed from Luther. For Presbyterians Luther is not an ancestor but a distant reformer.
The work was written for readers who are not Lutherans. A German Catholic publisher commissioned the manuscript, and later an English edition was released by Fortress Publishing in the United States. The author does not limit Luther to doctrinal matters; he traces Luther’s influence across language, education, economics, science and music.
Schwarz is a seasoned Lutheran theologian who earned a doctorate in theology from Erlangen University in 1963. He taught systematic theology at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in the United States and at the University of Regensburg in Germany. He has published more than forty standalone works and is known for making complex theological concepts accessible. The Korean translation was done by Pastor Joohoon Choi of Central Lutheran Church. Schwarz holds a doctorate in systematic theology from Regensburg and has written The Re-Discovery of Luther and translated The 95 Theses.
The book is organized into fifteen chapters. Chapter One, “The Basic Principle of Faith,” compares Roman Catholicism with Lutheranism and places grace at the center of Luther’s thought. Chapter Five, “The Gospel Is Not the Law,” explains Luther’s teaching that the law and the gospel must not be mixed or separated. Chapter Seven, “Education for All,” and Chapter Eight, “Calling Is Not the Sole Domain of Clergy,” illustrate how Luther’s reforms extended beyond church walls into society. Chapter Ten, “Opposition to Exploitative Capitalism,” examines economic issues through Luther’s lens. The final chapter asks whether Luther was a heretic, a saint or a reformer.
The author does not confine himself to the past. While the sixteenth‑century churches divided over doctrine, today’s churches should seek to narrow that gap, according to the author. He does not advocate ignoring history; rather, he urges a sober look at whether past events remain relevant. The agreement between the Roman Catholic Church and Lutheran bodies on the doctrine of justification after decades of dialogue is presented as a representative example.
The book is recommended for those who commemorate the Reformation yet remain uncertain about its spirit. It serves as a gentle introduction for readers who wish to encounter Luther across denominational boundaries. The author concludes by describing Luther as a model who serves others and exemplifies communal living. Luther introduced the revolutionary idea that all occupations have equal value. Although Luther could not foresee the breadth of this concept, his primary aim was to dismantle the prevailing notion that clergy work was holier than that of laypeople. He argued that when a maid squeezes a cow’s milk or a laborer tills a field, if they are believers they can regard these everyday tasks as pleasing to God, and such ordinary workers serve God more fully than monks or nuns who live without such confidence.
"Luther taught that every job has equal worth," the author writes in Chapter Eight, page 195. "He did not imagine how far this idea would spread. In his time the common belief held that the work of priests and monks was holier than that of ordinary people. His purpose was precisely to overturn that notion. When a maid squeezes a cow’s milk or a worker tills a field, if they are believers they can believe that these daily tasks are what God approves. Such ordinary laborers, lacking confidence, serve God better than monks or nuns who live without that assurance."
Because Luther believed that ignorance of Scripture prevented true Christianity, he translated the Bible into a language accessible to the public. At a time when literacy was low, he first taught reading skills. This led him to advocate for city‑wide schools for both men and women, especially including women who had been excluded from education. Extending schooling to women was a radical step at the time.