Katharina von Bora

by 125007 Concordia Publishing, Marilynn Morris Markwald

This book seeks to establish Katharina von Bora, the daughter of German nobility who in the tumult of Reformation Europe married the church's most famous reformer, as "an extraordinary woman--a spiritual person whose faith and courage stand as an example today." In 16 chapters, the authors trace Katy's background, birth, childhood and early adult years, and her marriage to Martin Luther. They also document Katy's last years, revealing the faith and legacy of a woman who held steadfast to Christ in great adversity and need and who also advocated evangelical reforms. Acquainted with tragedy and grief, Katy exhibited a deep spirituality, encouraging her family and friends in times of desperation and doubt and providing for the numerous guests to the parsonage.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Christian

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly interesting, but biased read. To be fair, the authors clearly state in the introduction that they view Kate and Luther as Saints so don't expect to hear about any of their faults if you read this book. They are also clearly amateur historians and sometimes the book reads more like an eighth grade writing assignment, complete with single paragraph introductions and conclusion sentences. The authors also occasionally drift into mild disparagement of Catholics, but hey, they are Lutherans writing about one of their heroes so it wasn't surprising and not bothersome enough to cause me to quit reading.

Despite the fact that she was an important figure in the Reformation, there isn't much written about Kate so this book is useful in giving a good outline of her life and social circle. The authors never delve too deeply into any one aspect of her life or marriage to Luther and further study of other materials (if you could find them) would be necessary to get a full, well rounded picture of her life.

[Julie Havener · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love history. I love biographies. I love stories of ordinary people who do extraordinary things. I enjoy being inspired and Kate Luther inspires me. She was brave, noble and hard working not to mention a bit of a spitfire.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in the scholarship of this biography. The text was filled with so much speculation especially on matters of the heart unknowable to anyone except Katharina and God. The book was mostly just "fill-in-the-blank" about Katharina from evidence in the lives around her. In fact, her husband Martin Luther was mentioned at least twice as much as she was. In addition the book varied between topical succession and chronological succession making the few facts (such as birth and death dates of her children) difficult to put in proper order.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll try to be more careful about what I'm looking for in a biography next time I pick one....

[ourgoodmess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so wish someone would write a good biography about this amazing woman!!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine biography, but gets into the weeds of peripheral persons. The authors appear to frequently site their own works, so without looking into their original works, I’m not exactly certain about the accuracy of some things. They did capture Luther’s persona fairly well. Overall, not disappointed I read it, but I’ll pursue other source on Kate’s life before re-reading/studying this book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a biography, not necessarily full of action, and not one that reads like a novel. However, not a difficult read and an interesting topic especially this year as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Unfortunately since women weren't really interesting unless they were wives in the 16th century, most of what we know about Kate is from Martin Luther's point of view. But what we know is that she was strong, smart, capable and fiercely independent for her time. Characteristics that kept me turning the pages.

[Renae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It helped jump-start my interest in 16th Century Reformation history, especially as it pertains to women. Fascinating what these women lived through and how they were able to be participants in history, not just by-standers, even given the relatively low status of women during that time period.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems to be well documented. Layout is topical, so some stories and instances are repeated, and it's hard to keep straight what happened when. I did not appreciate the feminist emphasis it put on Katharina's words and actions. I also got the picture that the authors were not reformation-friendly, per se, but were writing about Katharina and Luther because they were famous.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book! Well written and very thorough. I enjoyed getting to know the great reformer's wife, Kate, better. Great resource. Praise the Lord for her precious testimony of love for the Lord and for her Martin.

[Esther]

This book about the life of the woman who married Martin Luther, is a portrayal of the limited lifestyles options for women in Germany during the 1500's - marriage or the convent.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting - about a very strong woman, kind of a biography and gives a history of what life was like during that time period.