Posts with the custom taxonomy term Protestant Reformation

Sword of Peace by Louisa Bauman

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1531 – Netherlands

What is the secret of the hidden meetings, which are held in the woods at night?

Anna had hoped to escape the violence of the Reformation when she moved to Amsterdam. But now, in November 1531, Charles V has sent his Spanish officials to this ‘nest of heretics’ in the Netherlands, determined to rid his empire of all those who refuse to attend the state church. The obstinate shall be executed unless they swear allegiance to the Holy Roman Emperor and the Catholic church, and citizens must report any disloyal activity they notice or suffer the same fate. But Anna can hardly betray Maeyken, her only friend in Amsterdam. The last thing Anna will do is listen to the Anabaptists, let alone join the traitorous sect!

If Charles V succeeds, the Anabaptists will be annihilated. Especially the leaders of the new faith, such as Adriaen, a new widower. Anna is embarrassed to be falling for Adriaen, not believing he could ever return her love. Besides, as an Anabaptist preacher, he is unlikely to survive the purging of heretics.

In Sword of Peace, struggle with Anna on her journey to find faith, peace, truth and love in this sweeping and romantic historical novel, set during the Reformation in the Netherlands. In those turbulent days, the seeds for the present-day Amish and Mennonites were planted.

Luther and Katharina by Jody Hedlund

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lutherandkatharinaLuther and Katharina

1520s – Germany

She was a nun of noble birth. He, a heretic, a reformer…an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire.  

In the 16th century, nun Katharina von Bora’s fate fell no further than the Abbey. Until she read the writings of Martin Luther.
 
His sweeping Catholic church reformation—condemning a cloistered life and promoting the goodness of marriage—awakened her desire for everything she’d been forbidden. Including Martin Luther himself.
 
Despite the fact that the attraction and tension between them is undeniable, Luther holds fast to his convictions and remains isolated, refusing to risk anyone’s life but his own. And Katharina longs for love, but is strong-willed. She clings proudly to her class distinction, pining for nobility over the heart of a reformer. They couldn’t be more different.
 
But as the world comes tumbling down around them, and with Luther’s threatened life a constant strain, these unlikely allies forge an unexpected bond of understanding, support and love.
 
Together, they will alter the religious landscape forever.