Martin Luther

by May Yonge McNeer, Lynd Ward (Illustrator)

Dust jacket "Few stories are more exciting than that of Martin Luther, the great reformer of world history. At the risk of his life he cried out against the abuses within the Roman Catholic Church and led the way to the formation of the Protestant churches, changing tremendously the lives of nations and of individuals. Fond of learning, music, and fun Martin Luther's decision to become a monk startled his family. But it was his defiance of the pope that put his life in constant danger. He faced trial before deadly enemies. He was kidnaped and carried off to live in a lonely castle, disguised as a knight. He daily threatened with death by fire. Yet fearlessly and joyfully he pursued his high aims and lived a full, robust life besides. May McNeer's dramatic text and Lynd Ward's magnificent pictures, both based on sound research, combine to make a fascinating, important book."

Genres: Biography

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_McNeer

Married to Lynd Ward, who illustrated several of her works. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[Anna Mussmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1953, this biography of Luther for young readers is well-written and highly readable. It’s probably aimed at something like a fifth-grade level but would also work well as a read-aloud for young kids (I’m pretty sure my preschooler could enjoy following along). The storytelling is engaging and includes pretty much all of the “famous stories” about Luther, including anecdotes from his childhood. I also appreciated the way the author deftly sets the story in its historical context with brief but helpful explanations. The illustrations by Lynd Ward remind me of James Daugherty’s style.

The book presents a sympathetic and fairly admiring portrait of Luther, but the wording does occasionally demonstrate that the authors do not share his religious sentiments. For instance, the story of Luther throwing his inkpot at the devil is included, and worded thus: “Suddenly Luther looked up and saw a black shadowy shape before him in the dim room. In Germany at this time everyone felt that devils and witches were often near, and sometimes people thought they saw them. That shape, Luther was sure, was the devil watching him. Grasping the first weapon handy to him--it was his big inkpot--he threw it with all his strength at the devil.”

It is difficult to explain theological conflict in simple words, and I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the way this book explains Luther’s objections to certain practices within the church of his day. For one thing, the passage with the most theological detail is about the ninety-five theses, and leaves children with a view of Luther’s theology that is not fully representative of his mature views. For another, the book does not mention that Luther was guided toward study of the Scriptures by his (Catholic) father confessor, an omission which lends itself to the idea of the “lone wolf reformer” idea. I also hesitate over the phrase, “Martin came to believe more and more that faith in Christ would bring forgiveness of sins,” because I think it’s a false simplification to say that medieval Catholics no longer believed forgiveness came through Christ, as this line might seem to imply. Yet at the same time, I think this author does a much better job of attempting to honor religious beliefs than most modern writers would.

Overall, this is a good, memorable biography, especially if supplemented with a little extra theological discussion.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written biography, for young adult readers, about Martin Luther, the great reformer of the Roman Catholic Church and the Father of the Protestant Reformation.

[Pat Spruyt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, children’s version of the life of Martin Luther. I was just intrigued by his story.

[Linda Yeatts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely book, indeed. Easy flow of the story and nice large print on thick paper. The illustrations were wonderful with their vintage styling and colors. Learned so much about Martin Luther. It's on to St. Patrick next!