Here I Walk: A Thousand Miles on Foot to Rome with Martin Luther

A Thousand-Mile Pilgrimage with Martin Luther In 2010, Andrew Wilson and his wife, Sarah, walked in the footsteps of Martin Luther, re-creating his famous pre-Reformation pilgrimage from Erfurt to Rome. Their trek was well publicized, with coverage in the Christian Century, First Things, the Wall Street Journal, and Books & Culture. They were also interviewed by travel expert Rick Steves on his popular radio program. As they walked their journey of a thousand miles over seventy days, thousands of readers followed along on the Wilsons' blog. This engaging narrative brings readers along as Andrew and Sarah traverse Europe, visiting sites such as Coburg Castle, Ulm's Münster, the Alps, Milan, Florence, and Rome. Their journey provides a unique window into the history of the Protestant Reformation and a creative entryway into the life of Luther. The book also reflects on the contemporary ecumenical significance of the events of the Reformation, exploring what the changes of the past 500 years mean for the Christian present and future. Beautifully written and enjoyable to read, Here I Walk offers a unique combination of firsthand travel narrative, fascinating explorations in history, and theological and spiritual reflection. Pictures, maps, and an afterword by Sarah Hinlicky Wilson are included.

Table of Contents:
Contents Preamble One The wrong city--Etzlaub's map--Strasbourg station--Luther's metaphysically ambiguous cell--Arnstadt--the longest day--rusting Iron Curtain--mighty fortresses Two Fourteen Holy Helpers--thunderstorm on Staffelberg--a cross and a skull--some thoughts on saints--Bamberg--water for wanderers--Nuremberg and its clock Three Earthly vocations--Neuendettelsau--the limits of the Roman Empire--Oettingen with beer, Bach, and Brotzeit--crossing a crater--Nördlingen--Neresheim Abbey Four Ulm and the spire Luther didn't see--a jar of interconfessional honey--Memmingen--wars of religion-- Genhoffen's mysterious chapel--into Austria with inadequate footgear Five Bregenz--little Liechtenstein--fortress Switzerland--some thoughts on translation--rescued--church and charnel house--Bivio's religious rivalries--snow Six Into Italy--at home in Chiavenna--chestnut groves beneath the Alps--Como, lake and city--sidewalks end--unfashionable in Milan Seven Augustine's mortal remains--the priest of Santa Cristina--the mayor of Orio Litta--ferry across the Po--Piacenza--over the Apennines--scatological issues--marble Eight Lucca--new wine in old Tuscany--Florence through Luther's eyes--souvenirs of San Gimignano--Siena's architecture of salvation--up with Dante, down with Luther Nine A soupçon of volcanic ash--fellow pilgrims--fortunati!--the Papal States--Lake Bolsena--a real Roman road--Etruscan caves--the good life with Mary Jane Ten Many Romes--St. Peter's--one thousand miles--St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls--celebratory supper--necropolis--Reformation Day--Scala Sancta--Luther and Rome, then and now Epilogue: Wittenberg From the Other Pair of Feet Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Gear A Recipe from the Road: Pilgrims' Vegetable Stew

About the Author :
Andrew L. Wilson (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is a traveler, author, and scholar who has spoken and written on a wide variety of subjects, from Bartolomé de las Cases to hiking shoes. Thousands of readers followed his seventy-day, thousand-mile trek with Sarah Hinlicky Wilson from Erfurt, Germany, to Rome from August to October 2010 via their popular blog. The Wilsons were also interviewed by travel expert Rick Steves and featured in articles in The Christian Century, First Things, the Wall Street Journal, and Books & Culture. After seven and a half years living in Strasbourg, France, Wilson now makes his home in St. Paul, Minnesota.