It has been said that "war against the Turks formed the colorful background of the Reformation." (1) However, most studies of Martin Luther relegate his extensive writings and comments regarding the Turks and Islam to background matters, implying that these were peripheral concerns for the most central figure of the early continental Reformations. But ought this concern be so peripheral? Wars and rumors of wars with Ottoman forces shaped the political arenas of Luther's time. His response to this topic is novel. Perhaps more important, however, is that Luther moved beyond constructions of the Turk as a mere military threat to a consideration of Islam itself, the religious banner under which the Ottoman armies marched. In his engagement with Islam, Luther's primary concern with right doctrine proves consistent with other facets of his public career, almost to the point that it outweighs political shrewdness.
