Resources for Reformation Day

Pictured here are a few of our family’s favorite books related to the Reformation. As we approach Reformation Day, I thought it might be useful to recommend some books that will help you remember and celebrate this important time with your children.

A couple of years ago I gathered into one post links to some of the best books we had read up to that time on the Reformation. That post contains links to more complete discussions of the books with further links to where the books can be purchased.

When the Morning Came (in the photo above but not in the previous post just mentioned) is a great story set in the Netherlands during the Reformation. This is a part of the Reformation which is typically not as well known among us.  This book is a long standing family favorite for us and there are three later books which continue the series.

Then, I have included in the photo, Duncan’s War, a story of the Scottish Covenanters from the 16^th century. This is a century later and a second wave of the Reformation. This book by Douglas Bond and the two books which followed to complete the trilogy are among our all-time favorites.

I hope these books might be a blessing to your family as they have been to ours. We are grateful to have the Bible in our own language. We are grateful to have the clear gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone proclaimed around us. We are grateful to God for renewing his church in the Reformation.

(Sorry, the photo for some reason will not stay vertical!)

Guest Post: Simonetta Carr on her New Book

Today we have a guest post from Simonetta Carr, whose books I have commended here previously.  She has just recently published a new biography of a woman who lived in Reformation Italy. I am thankful to Simonetta for providing us with an explanation of her new book.

When P&R asked me if I wanted to contribute to their Chosen Daughters series I had mixed feelings about it. I liked the challenge of writing fiction, especially since English is not my first language, but after focusing very carefully on historical accuracy in my children’s biographies, the idea of imagining scenes and settings seemed frightening. How could I know, for example, the personality of Olympia’s mother? What if my description was very different from reality?
On the other hand, I had the perfect subject for this story. The P&R series is about young Christian women of our past, and Olympia Morata had led a very adventurous life from the time she was twelve. Besides, she was from Italy, my native country, and everyone knows that it’s easier to write about familiar things. I was also excited at the opportunity I would have to familiarize my readers with some events of the Italian Reformation, a period which is still unknown to many.
In some ways, we can say that the Reformation had its roots in Italy, where it was both an expression of dissatisfaction with the obvious excesses of the Roman Catholic Church, and a return to the sources, including a rediscovery of the original Scriptures and the doctrines of the church fathers.
In Naples, a circle of spirituali, mostly inspired by Juan de Valdes, was already spreading pre-reformation teachings in the 15th century. By the time Luther posted his theses in 1517, some like-minded groups had formed in various Italian cities. Slowly, Lutheranism and Calvinism spread throughout the country, silently, as the Church of Rome became increasingly alarmed.
It was in 1542, after a failed attempt to reconcile Protestants and Catholics at the Diet of Regensburg, that Pope Paul III re-established a form of inquisition in the country. At that point, Italian Protestants were left with three choices: keep their faith private, leave the country, or declare their faith and face imprisonment and death.

It was around that time that Olympia Morata shone as a child prodigy, giving signs of her future as the most prolific woman writer of the Reformation. Her life was short and intense, shaken not only by the tumultuous events of the time, but also by personal disappointments, rejection, poverty, illness, and exile.
It was a story I could not pass by, one of those stories which, as we often say, “begged to be told.” Overcoming my hesitations about writing fiction, I began reading and re-reading Olympia’s letters and poems in an attempt to understand and to convey who she really was.
There are many themes in Olympia’s life which will certainly resonate with young people today. Some may identify with her apprehensions leaving home, with her desire to please her father and teachers, or with her nervousness before giving a public speech. Some may recognize themselves in her admission of being normally afraid “of dangers worse than reality” or in her passion to see favorite books translated into her native language. And which of us can’t remember times when a fascination or concern occupied our minds, leaving little room for God?
Someone said that writing a book should change the author. I think Olympia did this for me, as I shared her excitement, passion, and concerns. Through her letters, I watched her growing from an over-achieving and worrisome young girl, obsessed with her goals and hungry for praise, to a mature and heavenly-minded Christian, fully conscious of the deep reservoirs of God’s strength which are available to his children in this pilgrim life.

On my blog (www.simonettacarr.com), I am planning to explain, chapter by chapter, what details were imagined and what are pure facts. All the letters and poems quoted have been carefully translated from the originals. I encourage my readers to pay attention to Olympia’s voice. Maybe, when you finally close the book, you will miss her as much as I do.

Books for Reformation Day

Reformation day is two weeks away. We always make a big deal of it in our house as it marks a point in history when the gospel was recovered and renewal came to the church. As a resource, in case you want some books for your family on the Reformation, here is a listing of book I have previously reviewed on this blog which connect to the Reformation (links take you to my reviews).

The two main names which people know of from the Reformation are Martin Luther and John Calvin.  In a recent post I summarized the different books I have reviewed on Calvin.  On Luther, Paul Maier’s Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World is an excellent, beautifully illustrated book.  Virgil Robinson’s Luther, The Leader is less engaging but solid. Most recently Luther: Echoes of the Hammer provides a factually solid telling of Luther’s story in graphic novel format.

Louise Vernon  has also written a biography of Luther as well as Tyndale, Erasmus, Gutenberg, and Wycliffe. These are good short introductions to each of these key leaders.

Diana Kleyn’s Reformation Heroes is a wonderful resource providing brief overviews of over 30 leaders, many of whom are often unnoticed (a full list of names is provided in the review). William Boekestein has written a nice biography of Guido de Bres, author of the Belgic Confession, for younger children.

Lastly, regular readers of this blog will know that Douglas Bond is one of our family’s favorite authors. Bond’s Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation is great story and wonderful introduction to the songs which played a key part in the Reformation as congregational singing was recovered.

I hope these recommendations might help your family in remembering God’s mighty works in the past as we raise our children anticipating God’s work in the future.

Luther: Echoes of the Hammer

Luther: Echoes of the Hammer (The Graphic Novel)

By Susan K. Leigh, Illustrated by Dave Hill

(Concordia, 2011), pb., 144 pp.

Ages 6+

Just in time for Reformation Day Concordia Publishing House has released this graphic novel of the life of Luther. Susan Leigh does a good job telling the story of Luther and the graphic novel format is engaging. The book works from Luther’s birth to his death and does a good job with details as well as the theological and historical issues.  Along the way sidebars (or full pages) are given to providing more information on other key people in the story from other reformers, political leaders and Catholic leaders.

This is an engaging way to get your children reading about this important man and event.

This Was John Calvin, a Biography for children

This Was John Calvin, by Thea B. Van Halsema

(Inheritance Publications, 2010; originally published 1959)

Ages 9-18

Reformation Day (Oct 31) is quickly approaching so I wanted to go ahead and commend this well done biography even though we have not yet quite finished it.

I have previously commented on several biographies of Calvin so let me first set this one in the context of the others (links take you to my review of each book). The main distinction between them is the age of the audience for which they are intended. Simonetta Carr’s John Calvin is the one most suitable to a younger crowd, starting perhaps at age 5. It is nicely illustrated, with large pages and simple writing. The next age group up (about 6-12) is addressed in Joyce McPherson’s The River of Grace: A Life of John Calvin. Then I have discussed two books which are aimed more at adults or older teenagers, Theodore Beza’s firsthand, The Life of John Calvin and Douglas Bond’s work of historical fiction, The Betrayal.

Mrs. Van Halsema’s This Was John Calvin would fit in that list right after The River of Grace. It is probably best suited for children ages 9-18 (though adults could profit greatly as well!). The River of Grace is a great book, but This Was John Calvin is more in depth.  In fact Mrs. Van Halsema displays an amazing knowledge of Calvin and his writings. She dedicated the book to her father, Clarence Bouma, “through whom,” she writes, “I met John Calvin.” This explains a great deal as her father was a prominent Reformed theologian who wrote on Calvin and the Reformation. She obviously learned well as she cites extensively not only from Calvin’s major writing but most often from his letters and tracts. Furthermore she weaves these quotes into a compelling narrative.

Thus, well-written and carefully researched, this is a great book to help you understand and appreciate the labors, sufferings, and intellect of John Calvin and how these all were given for the glory of God and the good of His church. Mrs. Van Halsema also connects Calvin’s story to the other key Reformation leaders of his time providing a good overview of what was going on in Europe.

So, we warmly commend this book to you. In fact, I have ended up with an extra copy, so we will do another book giveaway! The rules are the same as before. You can be entered into the drawing simply by leaving a comment here. You can be entered twice if you pass along this post on your own blog, or via Facebook or Twitter. Just make sure I know that you have passed this along so I can count it. I will draw names for the winner next Wednesday, October 19.

Faithfulness Under Fire Video

William Boekestein, author of the book Faithfulness under fire which I commended in the previous post, shared in the comments section the link for a video on the book, and i thought it was so nicely done it ought to be posted here for everyone to see.  Thanks for passing this along, Bill, and for taking time to write this book for kids.

Faithfulness Under Fire

Faithfulness Under Fire: The Story of Guido de Bres, by William Boekestein

(Reformation Heritage Books, 2010), hb., 32 pp.

Ages 4+

This is a nicely done, brief biography of the author of the Belgic Confession. Christians tend to be unaware of church history, and, even when we have some awareness, the Reformation beyond Luther and Calvin is typically a significant gap.

Guido de Bres (1522-1567) studied under Calvin and Beza and was a key Reformation leader in Belgium. His Belgic Confession remains one of the doctrinal standards of many of the Reformed churches today. This little book relates his discovery of the Scripture, his ministry under persecution and his eventual martyrdom. This book is simple and straightforward and is a good resource for introducing young children to a key church leader and the reality of people suffering for the faith.

Reformation Heroes

Reformation Heroes, by Diana Kleyn with Joel Beeke
(Reformation Heritage Books, 2007), hb., 240 pp.
Ages 6+

I have been meaning to comment on this book for some time. It is an amazing resource- the most thorough book for children on this topic that I know of. It is based on a 19th century book, The Reformation and Its Heroes, by Richard Newton. I have commented on a number of books on characters from the Reformation here because the Reformation is one key area of history with which I want my children to be well acquainted. If you feel the same, this book is a must have.

It is not difficult to find books on Luther or Calvin, or even Wycliffe, but the comprehensiveness of this book is amazing. It covers precursors to the Reformation, English, German, French, and Dutch Reformers Anabaptists and the Catholic response. Here is a list of the people and events discussed in the book:

Peter Waldo
John Wycliffe
Anne of Bohemia
John Huss
Martin Luther
Philip Melanchthon
The Protest at Speyer
Martin Bucer
Ulrich Zwingli
Heinrich Bullinger
William Tyndale
Edward VI
Thomas Cranmer
Hugh Latimer
Nicholas Ridley
John Foxe
John Knox
Guido de Brès
The Heidelberg Catechism
Caspar Olevianus
Zacharias Ursinus
Frederick III
Peter Martyr Vermigli
John Calvin
Theodore Beza
Jan Laski
The Duke of Alva
William, Prince of Orange
Petrus Dathenus
Quenn Marguerite of Navarre
Queen Jeanne d’Albret of Navarre
Admiral Coligny & the tragedy of St. Bartholomew’s Day
Charlotte, the Nun of Jouarre
William Perkins
William Ames
William Teelnick
Konrad Grebel
Felix Manz
Ludwig Hätzer
Gerog Blaurock
Thomas Müntzer
Jan Mattjis
Jan Beukelssen
Melchior Hoffman
Jakob Hutter
Balthasar Hubmaier
Menno Simons
The Counter Reformation

I consider myself fairly well informed on the Reformation, but there are names on this list that I did now know before this book! The stories are well told and nicely illustrated. I heartily recommend this book.

Calvin for Children

John Calvin, Simonetta Carr
Christian Biographies for Young Readers (Series)
(Reformation Heritage Books, 2008), hb., 63 pp.
Ages 5+

In this 500th year since Calvin’s birth many books about his life are being released. I have already commented on Doug Bond’s forthcoming book on Calvin.

This book is the first in a new series which looks promising. It provides a nice overview of Calvin’s life and work for a younger audience. With nice illustrations, it covers the key points while also making comments on Calvin’s impact and connecting him with the broader historical and Reformation context.

This is a good resource.

New Bond Book on Calvin

Over at my pastoral ministry blog [which has now moved to a new site] I have commented on a forthcoming historical novel on the life of John Calvin. I commented on it there because this book is intended for adults, but I mention it here since readers will know how much my family has enjoyed Bond’s books. You can see my comments on this book at the other blog.

I read this one to my boys as well, but it did require some editing on my part since in writing for adults Bond accurately portrays the degradation of the times.

The World of Columbus and Sons

The World of Columbus and Sons , by Genevíeve Foster
(1965; reprint, Beautiful Feet Books), pb., 406 pp.

This is a fascinating book! Rather than simply telling about Columbus’ travels, Mrs. Foster portrays Columbus against the backdrop of the political, cultural and social setting of his world. Thus the story covers not simply 1492 but begins in 1451 and goes through 1537. Similarly, the book addresses not simply Spain and the New World, but also the royal families, wars and politics of practically all of Europe as well as the East. This is a large task- hence the 400 pages.

I was skeptical about whether this would be a book to read aloud, doubting that it would hold my boys attention and that they would be able to keep up as the narrative shifted from country to country with all the interconnections between royal families. In fact, less than a quarter of the way through I decided to shift to another book. However, to my surprise, my boys were very disappointed and pleaded for us to continue reading this book! They admitted it was sometimes difficult to keep some of the connections between royal families straight (as it was for me!); nevertheless, they said it was fun to listen to and to see how all these things connected and set the stage for Columbus’ life.

I, personally, found this book to be very informative particularly in the development of Europe in this period. Nowhere else have I seen a book that relates, for example, DaVinci, Michelangelo, Erasmus and Luther to the work of Columbus! If you can’t read this to your kids, but are studying this period read it yourself. Mrs. Foster writes well so it is an enjoyable read.

I don’t know the theological orientation of Mrs. Foster but she is fair in her portrayal of Christianity, willing to point out the glaring errors of Medieval Catholicism but also praising faithful people in the time. She is basically favorable towards Luther. At one point she says that Moses was a priest and warrior and as a result he was denied entrance into the Holy Land. This is not the reason he was denied entry! I was pleased that my sons noticed the error and my oldest suggested (as I was thinking) she may have been thinking of David who was not allowed to build the Temple.

In summary, we strongly recommend this book. Though it is long it provides an overall view of this entire period covering various countries, wars, art and all the key explorations in this era. The integrated view that results is very helpful.