Overview

Women have made crucial contributions to the life of the Church from New Testament times onwards, but the Reformation saw an explosion in their involvement. Having benefited alongside their brothers from the Renaissance's emphasis on learning, and with the increasing casting aside of the belief that they were intellectually inferior, women learned to read in ever increasing numbers - and most of them wanted to read the Bible. As a result, many started to interpret Scripture for themselves - which put them on a collision course with the Church. To illustrate these issues, Derek Wilson considers some of the leading women of the age, including Luther's wife, Catherine von Bora; Catherine Brandon, Anne Askew, Catherine Parr, the last wife of Henry Vlll; and of course Margaret of Angouleme and Elizabeth 1 of England.

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Reviews

This is an original and captivating work, with all the hallmarks of excellence we have come to expect of Derek Wilson, who is one of the finest historians of our times. This is an area few have explored, so this book is a valuable addition to sixteenth-century scholarship. -- Alison Weir The Reformation (and Counter-Reformation) opened up new pathways, not only to heaven, but also for women in society. Mrs Luther and Her Sisters is a timely and absorbing study of the sometimes mutually beneficial relationship between women and the Reformation in early modern Europe - a fascinating parade of fierce and faithful ladies. -- Jessie Childs When we think of the Reformation the names that spring to mind are Martin Luther, John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli, all men. We think of the women of the time as simply homemakers submitting to their husbands and not having any real role in the religious changes sweeping Europe in the 16th century, but renowned historian Derek Wilson corrects this view. Mrs Luther and Her Sisters combines Wilson's meticulous research with his gift for story-telling to bring the women of the Reformation out of the shadows and into the limelight. Women played crucial roles in the Reformation, as disseminators of new religious ideas, as prophets, as patrons, as educators, as founders of religious establishments, and also, unfortunately, as victims of religious persecution and as persecutors. The women of the Reformation had a huge impact on their society yet this has been overlooked until now. Bravo Derek Wilson! -- Claire Reynolds

Author Information

Popular historian Derek Wilson was the highly acclaimed author of over 50 books and wrote and presented numerous television and radio programmes.

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