Luther in Love

I bet you’ve read a few books about those we call Heroes of the Faith which seem to speak so highly of them, they seem to come off as nearly superhuman.  You can’t imagine how you could ever match up to the achievements of these people!  This 500th anniversary of the Great Reformation is a time during which we’re all going to hear a lot about Martin Luther, the famous German reformer who nailed those 95 theses to the door of Wittenburg church and ignited a theological revolution.   Well, a sweet book has just been published, and one of its sweetest features is, the very human way in which Martin Luther is portrayed in this volume – Luther in Love – which will make you laugh at the foibles and also the human side of this giant of a man.

Here’s a fellow who thought he would never get married, and he lived like the ultimate bachelor in his monastery – including not changing the bed sheets for a year, which his new bride Katharina von Bora couldn’t help but notice on their wedding night!  Luther had been so utterly absorbed in his work for the cause of reforming the churches that he took very poor care of himself and neglected many of the simple pleasures of life – not to mention the hygiene!  Many of you married ladies will understand quite well that his health took a great turn for the better after marrying Katharina, which of course had the added benefit of lengthening his very worthwhile ministry.

A Good Wife

More than this, many features of their unique and fascinating relationship will put a smile on your face, as you read of this lady who had hardly ever been around men, marrying this man who had hardly spent any time with women!  But once married, they were a constant delight to one another, and as you can see depicted on the book cover, their home became one known for much song and joy together, as Luther played the lute to entertain them and they relished life together for the glory of God.

But Katharina wasn’t afraid to correct Martin, either, when needed such as on the occasion when he had been so grumpy and disgruntled for so long. Weeks on end! She decided to start dressing all in black. When Martin asked her why she was dressing as though there was a funeral, she notified him that God was dead! “You foolish thing!”, he shouted, “why this foolishness?” But, Katharina persisted, “It is true. God must have died, or Doctor Luther would not be behaving with such sorry.” She snapped him out of his blues with this reproof. Yes, all of us are just men and women of ordinary flesh and similar weaknesses, and Luther in Love puts this on display concerning one of history’s most admired theologians, while showing the inestimable blessing of a good wife and how even the best of men have their lives improved by one!

Recommended Resources:

Luther in Love 

Luther and His Katie: The Influence of Luther’s Wife on His Ministry

 And for your children — 

From Dark to Dawn: A Tale of Luther and the Reformation

Reformation Fire: Martin Luther (a Trailblazers volume!)