The Bondage of the Will Author:Martin Luther Martin Luther was a German priest who became the leading figure in the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. The schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestants led to a new denomination of Christianity known as Lutheranism. The Bondage of the Will is one of the greatest works during the Reformation. The book was written as... more » a response to Erasmus' Diatribe on Free Will. In the book Luther examines the ability of free will and how it relates to salvation.« less