Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk

Their revolutionary marriage was arguably one of the most scandalous and intriguing in history. Yet five centuries later, we still know little about Martin and Katharina Luther’s life as husband and wife. Until now.

Against all odds, the unlikely union worked, over time blossoming into the most tender of love stories. This unique biography tells the riveting story of two extraordinary people and their extraordinary relationship, offering refreshing insights into Christian history and illuminating the Luthers’ profound impact on the institution of marriage, the effects of which still reverberate today. By the time they turn the last page, readers will have a deeper understanding of Luther as a husband and father and will come to love and admire Katharina, a woman who, in spite of her pivotal role, has been largely forgotten by history.

Together, this legendary couple experienced joy and grief, triumph and travail. This book brings their private lives and their love story into the spotlight and offers powerful insights into our own twenty-first-century understanding of marriage.

Michelle DeRusha is the author Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk, as well as Spiritual Misfit: A Memoir of Uneasy Faith, and 50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith. She also writes a monthly religion and spirituality column for the Lincoln Journal Star.

Michelle lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her husband and their two boys. You can connect with her at her blog, www.MichelleDeRusha.com, and on Instagram and Facebook.