Readers of my debut novel, Lucia’s Renaissance, have insisted it needed a sequel “yesterday.” My apologies if you’re among those frustrated souls!
What’s taking me so long?
Research! I’ve been on a quest to pursue the trails of Italian followers of Martin Luther, and my penchant for getting the historical details right slows down the writing considerably.
Rome’s Inquisition kept its eyes and ears on those 16th-century Italian heretics, so they did their best to conceal their beliefs and activities (which makes it all the harder to track them down 500+ years later). But I’ve found breadcrumbs (heresy trial records, journals, histories) along the trail!
What
happened to Luther’s Italian followers?
Here’s what I’ve found so far:
Some managed to hide
in place (concealing or abandoning their beliefs)
Some were arrested by
the Inquisition, tried, and executed or imprisoned
Some fled to (temporarily)
safer parts of Italy
Some emigrated to
northern Europe: Switzerland, Germany, England, France
The Waldensians, a
group living in the mountains and valleys near the French border, held reformed
beliefs long before Luther and survived longer than any other Italian followers
of the Reformation. Their story of persecution and resistance fascinates me,
and I’ll talk more about them in my next post.
Map of Europe in the times of Luther and Calvin, By Merle d’Aubigné, Jean Henri
With
so many trails to pursue, I’ve been busy deciding which way my characters will
go.
What
would you have done if you’d lived in Italy at that time?
Katharina von Bora, by Lucas Cranach the Elder [Public domain], via Wikimedia
Martin Luther’s wife, Katharina von Bora, was once a nun about whom most people knew little. In the months leading up to the Reformation’s 500th anniversary, she has become a major focus for scholars and historical novelists. I’ll mention just a few of the recent books:
Katie Luther, First Lady of the Reformation: The Unconventional Life of Katharina von Bora, by Ruth A. Tucker. This sympathetic biography presents the results of research as well as conjecture and opinion when facts are scarce. For a recent review, see:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/november-web-only/other-lord-of-martin-luthers-life.html
Luther and Katharina, by Jody Hedlund. An entertaining and imaginative historical romance about this famous couple.
Katharina: Deliverance, by Margaret Shea. The author describes her novel as biographical fiction and works hard to stay close to the known facts and avoid imposing her modern perspective on Katharina’s life. Shea wrote an article, “The Footsteps of Katharina,” about her research and writing of this novel. See: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/the-footsteps-of-katharina-margaret-skea-on-the-wife-of-martin-luther/
Luther & his 95 Theses, Ferdinand Pauwels [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
As the world commemorates Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses on a church door 500 years ago, it’s worth pausing to consider the Reformation’s consequences, then and now. A short video focuses especially on how Germany is remembering Luther and the Reformation: http://www.dw.com/en/arts21-luther-and-500-years-of-reformation/av-41104526
Who deserves credit or blame for launching the Protestant Reformation?
Most people would probably name Martin Luther, but Professor Angus Cameron begs to differ. In a recent article, he argues that Jakob Fugger, a cloth merchant turned banker in Augsburg, fueled the Reformation by providing a loan that enabled Albrecht of Brandenburg to pay the Roman Church for his appointment as Elector of Mainz.
Just how would Albrecht repay Fugger’s bank?
Albrecht sent out his agent, Johann Tetzel, to sell indulgences (that he claimed would reduce the amount of time loved ones must spend in Purgatory). Part of the revenue would help Albrecht repay the Fuggers for his loan. When Martin Luther heard about the sale of indulgences in his locality, he reacted strongly and posted his 95 Theses.
And so began the Reformation!
What do you think? Were spiritual or material factors responsible for sparking the Reformation?
For more about Jakob Fugger, take a look at the article by Professor Cameron: http://theconversation.com/the-man-who-gave-us-the-reformation-and-it-wasnt-martin-luther-85196
I’m delighted to announce that my debut novel, Lucia’s Renaissance, will launch tomorrow, October 24th, as an eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076GKJY2V
The paperback version is also now available on Amazon.
What does this novel have to do with Martin Luther and the Reformation?
Without Luther, the Reformation wouldn’t have happened when and as it did.
Without Luther’s writings, Pope Paul III wouldn’t have set up the Roman Inquisition to rid his land of heresy and heretics.
Because these events happened, Lucia faced a dangerous dilemma when she discovered Luther’s book.
Welcome to Lucia’s Renaissance—I hope you enjoy it!
