"Have you done enough to please God?" This was the question that terrified Martin Luther as he desperately sought peace with God and peace of mind. Simonetta Carr's most recent work, Martin Luther, displays God's grace in the life of Luther as his mind was opened to understand the truth of Scripture, answering the question, "How can a person be right in God's eyes?" As Mrs. Carr relays, this knowledge drastically changed the course of Luther's life and, subsequently, Christendom.

Luther's life is anything but boring, and Mrs. Carr tells his story well. Although he desired to bring about positive change within the Roman Catholic Church, many leaders remained steeped in tradition and were unwilling to change in spite of Luther's constant appeals to Scripture. Yet, "While many others attacked the abuses and corruption of the church and the pope, Luther went to the root of the problem, which is man's sinful heart, a problem that only God can solve" (pg. 54). Though Luther's writings merely sought to remedy ignorance of the Scriptures, the Church perceived him as a threat. Soldiers, swords, and kidnapping make for a particularly intriguing account. Ultimately, Luther's work ignited a split in Christendom that remains today.

Luther's life is instructive for us, displaying the importance of diligently studying the Scriptures, as well as, the writings of earlier Christians and discussing these matters with other believers. From Luther, we learn the necessity of "ordinary" Christians standing firmly on the foundation of God's Word in the face of opposition, even if that opposition is from church authorities (pg. 25-26). Like the apostle Paul, Luther refused to compromise the truth of Scripture as he was brought before authorities. Though he risked imprisonment and death, he was no longer held captive by fear but had faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

When Martin Luther arrived in our mail, my ten-year-old exclaimed, "Oh! It's one of my favorite books! Can I read it?!?" Her enthusiasm was contagious, and the rest of the children were soon vying for a turn with the tenth and latest book in the "Christian Biographies for Young Readers" series demonstrating that it remains one of our family's favorite church history series for children. As I've written before, Ms. Carr is a very gifted author whom I cherish. Her writing uniquely has a purpose and depth which exceeds that found in much of written material for children today. I am overjoyed that she continues to add to this delightful series!

As with previous volumes in the series, readers of Martin Luther will encounter a carefully researched account that is edifying. A map, timeline, and portion of Luther's Small Catechism are included. Additionally, there are abundant illustrations and vibrant photos, as one can see from the sample pages which Westminster Books has provided. What can't be conveyed in these samples is that these sixty-four thick pages are contained in a sturdy hardcover with a stitched binding, making this book a collectible title that will endure many years of enjoyment, as we've come to expect from this high quality series.

Martin Luther is an engaging biography that is sure to encourage many as they rejoice in the Biblical truth that Luther discovered; " ' the righteousness of God' in this verse [Romans 1:17] is not a righteousness God demands, but a righteousness God gives in Jesus Christ" (pg. 24). I pray that the faith of all who read this book will be strengthened as they, like Luther, rest in the salvation that comes through Christ's perfect life and death in our place.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.' " (Romans 1:16-17, ESV).

Those who are interested can learn more about Simonetta Carr's "Christian Biographies for Young Readers" on her author website which includes interesting videos of the writing/illustrating process, activity and/or notebook pages for several existing titles (Augustine of Hippo, John Calvin, Athanasius), as well as, a study guide for John Owen.

If this review has served you well, you may wish to check out my related reviews of: Marie Durand, Jonathan Edwards, John Knox, Lady Jane Grey, Athanasius, Anselm, Weight of a Flame, and When Lightning Struck!.

*Many thanks to Cross Focused Reviews, Reformation Heritage Books, and Simonetta Carr for providing me with a complimentary copy of Martin Luther in exchange for my honest opinion! ( )

Martin Luther by Simonetta Carr is a nice overview of the life of Luther for children. It starts with Luther's birth and moves on through his life as a child in schooling and then on to his college days, where the thunderstorm happens that scares him into a monastic life where perhaps he could earn his way to Heaven. As a Monk we learn that Luther was very meticulous and very much into examining his own thoughts and motives for sin; his ritualistic confession of his sins grew so frequent (sometimes happening just moments after he had confessed other sins) that it irritated his superiors who then "told him to confess only big sins."

Luther ultimately is promoted to higher positions, moving on to the city of Wittenberg to be a professor of Bible studies. Ultimately he also ends up preaching in the city church as well as "supervising ten monasteries". Tetzel comes into Germany with his indulgences and as a consequence Luther writes his "ninety-five questions" (I like how Carr simplifies much of the language for children). He simply wanted to discuss them on a scholarly level, but they end up being translated into the common language of the people and causing a big stir in the nation and around Europe. And then of course the famous 'Diet of Worms" happens, Luther gets taken away to a Castle…etc. Ultimately Luther ends up marrying and having several children. We see how generous Luther and his wife are, they help many people during hard times. They also go through hard times themselves, losing some of their children in death, but they still trust God. The book comes to a close with Luther's death followed by a quick summary of his influence.

There are pictures scattered around the book: old and new paintings and drawings of Luther in various events God ordained that he would go through. There are also pictures of some of his relatives and other historical people mentioned in this book. Also included throughout the book are photographs and old drawings of the various towns and buildings Luther frequented, as well as a few photographs of objects, such as a lute and a chest used to "collect money from the sale of indulgences".

Carr writes in a way that I think children will easily understand and also manages to simplify explanations of erroneous beliefs of the day as well as important Biblical concepts. As Examples, Carr talks about people thinking that they could earn their salvation or the salvation of others, and that many believed that Christ and God were both angry judges of sinners to be appeased by 'saints' (described as "godly people who had died") . She also conveys Luther's struggle with what "the righteousness of God" (as discussed in the book of Romans) actually means and his final realization that in this verse (Rom 1:17), "this is not a righteousness God demands, but a righteousness God gives in Jesus Christ."

At the end of the book there is a Did You Know? section and after that a selection of excerpts from Luther's small catechism. I found the "did you know" section especially interesting. I did not know (or at least I didn't remember) that Luther's last name at birth was actually Luder but he changed the spelling to Luther, "as a wordplay on the Greek eleutherius, which means "free man". I think that kids (and adults) will both enjoy that section as a potential discussion prompting conclusion to the book.

All in all, I really liked this book. I really appreciated that she does not make Luther come across as a hero to be worshiped but rather as a man, saved by God's grace and not his own merit, who was used by God to bring people to a correct knowledge of the Gospel and to point them to the Word of God as the only authority.

Many thanks to the folks at Cross Focused Reviews for sending me a free review copy of this book (My review did not have to be favorable) ( )