Luther And His Katie

by Dolina MacCuish

Every churchgoer knows about Martin Luther, the rumbustuous leader of the Reformation, but few realise the influence that his wife had on his ministry.

Early in his personal reformation Luther became convinced that there was no reason why parish priests should not marry, if they preferred it, but he did not feel inclined to break his clerical oath himself.

That was until he met Catherine von Bora. Catherine was the leader of a daring breakout from a convent reserved for nuns of noble birth. At first Luther was a little afraid of her but they married two years later on the 13th June 1525.

She prolonged Luther's life by protecting him from the reckless overwork to which he subjected himself. She made the garden of the unfinished Augustine Convent that was her home, profitable - keeping pigs, cows and chickens. She took over three other gardens and planted fruit trees and started small scale farming.

She made her home a haven of rest for the storm tossed man that was her husband. Luther once said, 'Next to God's Word, the world has no more precious treasure than holy matrimony. God's best gift is a pious, cheerful, God-fearing, wife, with whom you may live peaceefully, to whom you may entrust your goods, your body, and your life.'

Genres: Biography, Christian, History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 1999

About the author

Dolina MacCuish is a retired school teacher who lives in Inverness. She is a keen biographer and enjoys researching historical figures. She has written 'Luther and his Katie' and 'Augustine, a Mother's Son'.

Reviews

[Rachel Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the pace and level of detail for a little book to learn about this dear couple. Dolina's feminine spirit and wisdom shined in the writing. A treat!

[Will Pareja · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a theological thriller, this is not the book for you (even though there is some great theology contained therein at some points). However, if you'd like a peek into the fishbowl of the legendary Luther family, then pick up this short and moving read.
An interesting tidbit about Kate (spoiler alert) is that she was essentially disowned by her father for leaving the convent (and, of course, marrying Martin).
This biography teases out the quote from Luther on p. 66– "The first love is a kind of intoxication; then when this [kind of love] had worn off then comes the real marriage love."

As high profile as they were, the Luther marriage was very normal and gritty. The book captures well the highs and lows, the joys and sorrows of family life.

[Chelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short. Enjoyed.

[Richard Klueg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting glance into Luther's personal and home life, this puts a human face on this "larger than life" man.

[Cole Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intersting book with many citations from letters.

[Linda Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love biographies, and this one was so enjoyable! Particularly of interest were the excerpts from letters written by both Martin and Katie Luther. They seemed as though they were a very relatable couple...

[Tamara Kronk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick little read. Inspired me to read more on Luther.

[Jen Vanderwey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and very sweet. A picture of what the lady behind the great man might have been like. Read it in what felt like seconds.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an easy, quick read giving the facts of Martin and Katie Luther's lives.

[Jacinta patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read. What a woman!

[Grant Van Brimmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little bio of the Luthers

[Tyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

second time reading this book(let)
helpful to chew on every couple of years as a pastor with a pastor's wife (how did others do it before us?!)

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The GR description for this book is wrong. I will try to remember to fix it.

A lovely little biography about Luther, focussing on his relationship with his wife Katie. Some of the things he wrote in his letters made me laugh! He was obviously a very clever man with lots of love for a good teasing joke.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful biography. I closed the book with the heart felling of Katie and Luther as brother and sister in Christ.

[Katy]

The wonderful, earthy, frank story of how this pair revolutionized marriage for their time.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short...but good.

[Brenda D · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I read on Luther. Detailed insights and time lines. More about his correspondence and how Katie was his support and rock.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wanted a to the point” concise history of Luther? His home life, his pre-conversion life, his lead up to being a monk and what happened thereafter? The last half of the book focuses on Luther’s relationship with his wife, his family-life and how she influenced his life and work. I’ve always been dishearten by the long books about Luther that I never bothered with it! This short 100 page book gives you the best overview of his life in a easy to understand way. Even towards the end I cried a bit! I will be reading this again some time this year.