The old classic debate between Wilhelm Dilthey and Ernst Troeltsch has been approached from numerous angles throughout the last century, but its resolution continues to elude scholarly consensus. The question of whether the Reformation is the harbinger of modernity or continues to live in the Weltanschauung of the Middle Ages has influenced interpretations of it down to the present. Not surprisingly, Martin Luther has often taken centre stage in this debate, an exemplar of historical periodisation. Yet in the last several decades, interpreting Luther's development through the lens of a theological ‘turning point’ (Wende) or ‘Break’ (Bruch) has been challenged. It is argued that such a framework privileges later confessional developments or at the very least distorts the complex relationships of continuity and discontinuity that characterise not only Luther himself but also the great upheavals and shifts of the sixteenth century. The essays in Luther und das monastische Erbe encourage a reconsideration of these relationships through a more contextual consideration of Luther the monk, an heir of monastic theology and piety. The first essay, by Markus Wriedt, takes up the question of whether Luther's theology was influenced by a particular reception of Augustine's theology within the Augustinian order. Wriedt argues that when looking at the individual sources and citations Luther's theological development is best understood against the backdrop of the eclectic tendency of late medieval theology rather than one or two dominant streams of thought. Josef Pilvousek's essay focuses on the relationship between the Arts Faculty at the University of Erfurt and the intellectual environment of the cloister, drawing tentative conclusions about the philosophical and theological influences present in Luther's monastery. Introducing a very different topic, Michael Weichenhan sheds new light on the significance of Luther's critique of astrology, arguing that his statements should not be understood as an example of modern presuppositions but rather as expressions of a philosophical tradition that stands in conflict with determinism. Andreas Lindner's essay evaluates Luther's famous lightning storm episode at Stotternheim, both as an historical event and as a case study in the early reception and interpretation of Luther. The contributions of Berndt Hamm and Thomas Kaufmann both attempt to problematise the traditional ‘breakthrough’ motif in Luther studies. Hamm is perhaps more constructive as he considers the importance of mysticism in the context of Luther's spiritual trials in the cloister. Volker Leppin continues in a similar vein, extending the influence of mysticism into the conflict between Luther and Karlstadt. A more social-historical perspective is offered by Christoph Burger who examines the daily routine of cloister life as the social environment for the unfolding of Luther's thought and spirituality. Robert Kolb shows how Luther's later critique of monasticism in De votis monasticis Iudicium arises out of a new orientation in religious anthropology that affirms two dimensions to human existence, namely passive and active righteousness. Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen considers the same tractate with special attention to Luther's relationship to Bernard of Clairvaux. Timothy Wengert stresses the theme of continuity by reading Luther's ‘consolation of the brethren’ in the Schmalkaldic Articles as an extension of the monastic ideal into the world. An ecumenical goal informs Risto Saarinen's efforts to consider Luther's radical ‘simul iustus et peccator’ in the context of his Erfurt teachers. The final essay, by Notger Slenczka, focuses on Luther's early struggles with the sacrament of penance in light of his subsequent critique of indulgences. To be sure, the essays do not collectively paint a portrait of the reformer, nor do they all merit the same attention. Nevertheless, with new interpretations and perspectives on the man and his context, the volume admirably observes the wisdom of Lord Acton: ‘Take up a problem not a period’.