The Table Talk of Martin Luther

Food, music, beer, and good company. And also, guests who’d write down every word. Martin Luther’s Table Talk is the result of an unusual set of circumstances: Luther, after a very long day’s work, would find himself the host to a bunch of friends, visitors, and students (boarders) who’d come for dinner. That’s a pretty large crowd: Martin and Katie had six children and fostered four more, and the evenings would be filled with music, hot food, and lively conversation. Did I mention that Katharina ran a brewery? And in these cozy, comfortable evenings, when the conversation turned to topics of theology, people were on hand to preserve Luther’s every word. So no pressure, right? The result of these candid comments, sometimes show more very brief, and removed from context, is a theology book unlike any other I’ve read. Witty, biting, and quite personal, this book is at turns insightful, funny, over-the-top, and even a little troubling. A remarkable portrait of a complicated man who is nevertheless completely honest and unrestrained in these pages. A fascinating read. show less

This is a collection of sayings from Martin Luther. This book was not written by Luther. This is a very cheap e-book version and it makes no reference of whom abridged this edition. That being said, I purchased the book to try to find something attributed to Luther about angels and demons and I did find a reference to that topic. This book was initially compiled from dinner companions and friends of Luther. Luther and his wife were "famous" for having about 20 each night for dinner and the discussions lasted well into the wee hours of the morning. Some wrote down of what they discussed--the larger work originated from that. This is not a comprehensive book, but does include several interesting bits and pieces of Luther's mind. 124 pages

Volume 54 of Luther’s Works, Table Talk is “based on an authoritative text with selections from the Table Talk entries in the Weimar edition. The conversations selected for this volume of Luther’s Works have been carefully chosen from among more than seven-thousand entries of the Weimar Edition with two aims in view: historical perspective and contemporary relevance. The annotations are precise and are related directly to the material at hand. “

Luther, Martin (1483-1546), Tischreden (Aurifaber). [English Selections], The Table Talk or Familiar Discourse of Martin Luther. Additional title: Dr Martin Luther's divine discourses at his table, &c. Which in his life time he held with divers learned men (such as were Philip Melancthon, Casparus Cruciger, Justus Jonas, Paulus Eberus, Vitus Dietericus, Joannes Bugonhagen, Joannes Forsterus, and others) containing questions and answers touching religion, and other main points of doctrine, also many notable histories, and all sorts of learning, comforts, advises, prophesies, admonitions, directions and instructions. Collected first together by Dr. Antonius Lautherbach, and afterward disposed into certain common places by John Aurifaber show more Dr. in Divinity. Translated out of the high German into the English tongue by Capt. Henry Bell (London: David Bogue, 1848), EEBO.
"In 1525 Luther married and settled down to family life in Wittenberg. Among his visitors were many poor students, and these fervent disciples wrote down all they remembered of their master's conversation. This Table Talk has always enjoyed great popularity for its refreshing unreserve and frequent brilliance. It shows Luther to have been a true child of his age. He must be judged by the mind of his times. We give some of his strong opinions that have not borne the wear and tear of later ages; but they are more than balanced by teaching that is beautiful as well as true." -- J.A. Hammerton, Outline of Great Books
The Table Talk of Martin Luther, translated and edited by William Hazlitt, with a memoir by Alexander Chalmers (London, G. Bell and Sons, 1902), Library of Congress Control Number: 04014018; LOC CALL NUMBER: Microfilm 68188 BR.
The Table-talk of Martin Luther translated by William Hazlitt, Esq.
This is e-text of The Lutheran Publication Society printing.

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Già sul finire degli anni venti si raccoglievano intorno alla tavola di Lutero, verso le cinque della sera, per cena, alcune persone. Si trattava di anonimi studenti poveri che ricevevano nella casa del riformatore vitto e alloggio. Più tardi a queste figure anonime si sostituirono personaggi più noti: alcuni sono segretari del dottore (famuli), altri pedagoghi dei figli di altre famiglie, altri ancora pensionanti che la moglie Caterina, per guadagnare qualche soldo, aveva preso in casa, com'era nell'uso dei professori universitari d'un tempo. C'era spesso molta gente intorno alla tavola di Lutero. Nell'estate 1531 uno dei pensionanti, Corrado Cordato, ebbe l'idea di appuntare i discorsi fatti da Lutero.