November 10, 2016 Show with Simonetta Carr on “Martin Luther (Christian Biographies for Children)”
who will discuss: “MARTIN LUTHER” (Christian Biographies for Young Readers)
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Transcript
Live from the historic parsonage of 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown
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Good afternoon.
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
And the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming.
This is Chris Arns and your host of iron sharpens iron.
Wishing you all a happy Thursday.
On this 10th day of November 2016 I'm delighted to be interviewing for the
very first time today on iron sharpens iron Simonetta Carr, she is going to be discussing
two of her latest books.
The first we are going to be addressing is Martin Luther, which is a part of the Christian
biographies for young readers series published by Reformation heritage books.
And then in the second hour, we're going to be discussing a Figure from history that is a lot less
known.
In fact, I did not know about her until I found out about Simonetta Carr's book
about her Rene of France who is quite a fascinating figure.
She was the wife of the Duke of Ferrara who was a servant of the Pope and
Yet she was a correspondent with John Calvin.
So I'm sure we're going to learn some fascinating information about Rene of France
and it's my honor and privilege to welcome you to iron sharpens iron for the very first time Simonetta Carr.
Hello, Simonetta.
Yes, and Simonetta is originally from Italy.
So our audience may have to be a little patient because she does have an accent, but I seem
to be able to understand her.
Completely fine before we even go into your books that we're going to be discussing Simonetta.
I'd like to know something about your background in Italy.
What?
Religion if any you were raised in and how you eventually came to embrace the
Reformed faith of the Protestant Reformation.
A teacher.
I was an elementary teacher in
Italy, but I we came to
America.
Yes, the United Reformed Church is a very fine denomination.
I have friends in that church and I know that many people who
Left the Christian Reformed Church denomination because of liberalism that began to dominate there
came into the United Reformed Church and So send my greetings to
Everyone there at the you are CNA that you know and I look forward to interviewing as many
United Reformed pastors as I can.
I really have a very high regard for the three forms of unity and
much of what my Reformed brethren in that denomination hold in common with me as a Reformed
Baptist and.
And.
It's such a pleasure and honor to have you on the program now.
Were you an author?
Before you became a believer in the doctrines of the Reformation.
I've done a lot of translations from English to Italian.
So, yeah, that's what I did.
And this first book actually with
Calvin.
Well, this is.
You've got quite a number of accolades for this book that you have written on Martin Luther.
Let me read a couple of them.
Robert Kolb who is professor of systematic theology at Concordia Seminary in
st Louis a very well -known seminary of the Lutheran Church, Missouri.
Synod.
He writes.
Car leads readers into the world in which Martin Luther grew up and then served the church in his
society with sensitivity to the times and places Where his life unfolded
the adventure of bringing the gospel to his people and the drama of his testimony to the truth
Come alive as we follow his footsteps into the heart of the German government when he stood up to the
emperor and into his home and The joys he had in raising his family an
excellent introduction to the life of the great reformer.
And we also have Karl Truman who has been a guest a couple of times on iron sharpens iron.
He is the Paul Woolley professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in
Pennsylvania and pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, which is a Which is a
congregation within the Orthodox Presbyterian Church denomination in Ambler, Pennsylvania and he writes.
I'm a big fan of both Martin Luther and Simon at a car so this book is a dream come true an
author subject marriage made in heaven.
Simona beautifully captures both the life and the key thoughts of dr. Martin and does so in a
manner Which is fast paced and exciting.
Parents will love reading this book to their children and children will love reading it for themselves.
Well quite a commendation for this book.
And.
So Tell us about what exactly you have
put in the writing for younger people in regard to the The life of Martin
Luther in this book that you have written.
No, I I wrote about the life of Martin Luther.
I also tried to explain his Theology and
what the and of course What Martin Luther did for the
church is we could write the few
I had to choose the most important.
Yes.
In fact, I'm gonna give our email address Out right now for any listeners who would like to join us on the air
With a question of your own for Simon at a car.
Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Please give us your first name your city and state in your country of residence if you live outside of
the USA.
Now obviously the Reformation is a very sensitive issue when it comes to
our relationships with our Roman Catholic friends and family did any
of your family members react in a negative way not only when you Converted to
the theology of the Protestant Reformation and the gospel what we would consider the gospel of
the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Did you get much of a negative reaction or opposition from your family and then on top of that writing
about it?
They were very interested in what you've done.
Yeah, yeah, that's Well, that's a blessing from God because
obviously there can be at times there are people who have experienced a lot of hostility and
even have been and even have been shunned by their own family and totally left
out of the Family gatherings and so on as a result of these things, but your family is interested
in what you well in the transformation That has taken place in you.
Well just to let our listeners know something more about this book it is a beautiful hardback
Book that is illustrated beautifully illustrated which obviously is
ideal when you are speaking of Books related to younger
readers and children so on.
The illustrations were done by Troy Howell and This is a really high quality
book that Simonetta has written and You you start.
In the book from when Martin Luther was a law student and he eventually became a
monk.
Can you tell us a little bit of a summary of the events that took place in Martin Luther's life that
led him from Aspiring to be an attorney to entering into a monastery.
Yeah.
Well, I actually start from the time when he was a child because you know children are always
interested in that and He grew up pretty much Like any other
child of that tiny story about the
salsa.
Yeah apart from that.
He says you want to know about the transformation.
Yeah, he
would
event is
pretty famous
when he
didn't made a promise to Think big
made a promise to
a saint today.
He would become a monk and
so he kept his promise and
became a monk even if his father was against it licked
it at that time got
my mom but that
he did
and.
What was it that really started to challenge his thinking and Get him to
become really like a Berean and examine What the Church of Rome was teaching
in light of what the scriptures truly taught.
Yeah, I think he had a very sensitive conscience
that time.
They
really have an
answer.
He
knew
that
there was not Enough it
just and he kept going to confession
and
then he actually
drove it.
Equally, I
can't
overrated
about my sins and I
actually wrote them all down To make sure I wouldn't forget
I know it was it was terrible because
Today, you know, it's impossible.
You have a you
have a bad
thought about something and every commandment I didn't kill
anybody.
Yes, and one of the key figures that propelled him to
begin to protest some of the practices of the church Was Johan Tetzel
who was basically coercing money out of
the ignorant people in the Roman Catholic Church placing fear in
their hearts.
That they needed to give money in order to not only lessen their own time in purgatory, but to get their
The souls of their deceased loved ones out of purgatory.
And there's that famous Jingle for lack of a better term that was
popular then as soon as the coin in the coffer rings the soul from purgatory springs and That
really angered that began to anger Martin Luther.
Did it not then isn't that what one of the main reasons he? posted the 95 theses to the
door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany.
Yes, I
Think he He had a very high view of God and he
just didn't understand how To forgive
a
sin
and also he
was
wondering it
the church.
Just because
he
wanted to.
Yeah.
A lot of people don't realize that that enormous.
Well, I guess a lot of it would depend upon one's aesthetic taste but.
Some would call it an enormous beautiful Edifice some would say it is gaudy and grotesque.
But the st. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican that was built on the money
from these these scare tactics of the Church of Rome to get
their souls of their loved ones out of purgatory through their
their contributions to the church and.
And.
This is where the the famous Sistine Chapel is and so on that Michelangelo had
painted.
We do have a couple of listeners have who have already written in to
us.
We have a listener in Slovenia Named Joe who says.
I'm wondering if sister Simonetta is familiar With Primo's true bar
the Slovenia reformer from Italy's neighboring country to the east.
He is considered the father of the Slovenian people because he created the Slovenian language By
being the first person to put into writing put it put it into writing.
He did this by writing a a reformed catechism in Slovenian and translating the Bible
into Slovenian.
While in exile in Germany Could she possibly study his life and write a book about him in a
similar way that she did for Martin Luther?
Do you know anything about this?
Reformer.
Simonetta Primo's.
I don't know.
Well jokes keep praying that Simonetta finds it within her schedule to eventually write a book about that so
you could use it as An evangelism tool over there in Slovenia and thank you for
providing your United States address Joe for your daughter because you are getting
a free copy of this beautiful book published by Reformation Heritage books
Called Martin Luther, which is a part of the Christian biographies for young readers this gorgeous
hardcover color full -color illustrated book and.
So we thank you for that question and you should be getting that book.
God willing within a week or so.
Compliments not only of Reformation Heritage books, but also of Cumberland Valley Bible book service
who is shipping that out to you.
CV bbs .com CV as in Cumberland Valley bbs
.com we also have a
question from Aaron in Indianapolis, Indiana.
She says thank you for interviewing Simonetta.
I'm so thankful She has written such excellent biographies for children to learn about reformed
heroes of the faith.
Has she considered writing such high caliber caliber books for adults biographies
of other nonfiction subjects.
I Believe you have written Books for adults isn't your book on Lady
Jane for for adults.
That's right, I'm sorry right but the one what we're gonna be covering in the second hour.
Okay, well, well, thank you Aaron and you are also getting a free copy of this
beautiful book provided by Reformation Heritage books Martin Luther, so
keep your eye out for that in the mail.
Thank you very much Aaron from Indianapolis, Indiana for contributing to our program today.
Let's see we have another listener we have Seth in
Randlesman, North Carolina.
What would dr. Carr say to people who disavow reading or advocating books by Luther
based on his remarks about the epistle by James and His comments
on Jews.
I have pastors who regularly tell me we shouldn't Recommend anything from Luther.
Obviously, I disagree with their view.
Yes, there is the story that Luther thought that James was an epistle of
straw he wanted To throw Jimmy in the stove is the famous
quote.
Whether or not that's an actual quote or not.
I don't know but but He did have a conflict with James because it on on the
surface wrongly appeared to him to be teaching that Works
contributed to faith for justification Before God and you know in
order to enter eternal life, but do you have any comments on that seminata?
Practically say he was the father of the Reformation although there were a few minor
reformers before him so I think he There's a
lot of things that he Developed in his thought as time went
on when he posted in 95 pieces.
For example, he was asking some questions and it was mainly
wondering about Repentance and
all
came
gradually.
So I think he was still learning a lot
For him and
He was
Many
other
things there
is so much.
Second thing you mentioned was
that did you see the Jews?
Yes, there are many people who are very critical of Luther because he Apparently
from what I have heard from history He was expecting the Jews to convert in
mass After the Reformation had a stronghold and he when that did not
happen when you know there was still only a trickle of Jewish people coming to faith in Christ.
He was furious by this and I also had heard that there were rabbis
writing a Horrible negative pamphlets about him as well.
And so he had these outbursts of anger where he wrote Horrible things about the Jews about
Destroying their places of business and forcing them to work in the fields and all kinds of things like
that that that even the Nazis had took him taking some of that
literature and and used it to further their own cause but
Luther was a sinner.
He was a sinner saved by grace and obviously that was some of the The
the fruit of a life that was not a hundred percent purified as no one is here on this earth.
Am I right?
Right, so at that time that attitude toward the Jews as
it is prominent at that time
among Christians and it was definitely wrong but it was very prominent.
So.
I remember reading actually Kurt Truman saying that
We should not be as much surprised and
favored the Jews.
He wrote a very positive
Initially at which it which was an exception at that time.
So that was even more surprising the second part.
Yeah, he was more to the Mentality
of it.
It was
definitely wrong.
He handled it.
Yes and.
At that time also the rhetoric between those of different
Religions was very very harsh a lot Harsher than it is today.
Seth if you give us your full mailing address.
There in Randleman, North Carolina, you will receive a free copy of this beautiful hardcover
full color illustrated book Martin Luther a part of the Christian biographies for
young readers series by Simon at a car.
And so we look forward to getting your full mailing address.
We have to go to a break right now.
If you'd like to join us on the air with a question of your own for Simon at a car.
Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Please give us your first name your city and state in your country of residence if you live outside of the USA.
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Welcome back.
This is Chris Arns.
And if you just tuned us in our guest today for the full two hours is Simonetta Carr.
She is from Italy and now resides in San Diego, California here in the United States.
And we are today are discussing two of her books for the first hour.
We are discussing her book on Martin Luther, which is a part of the Christian
biographies for the young readers.
Published by Reformation Heritage Books.
The second hour.
We are going to be addressing a Figure from history that is a lot less known than
Martin Luther.
In fact, I did not even know of her existence until reading this book by
Simonetta Carr on Rene of France and that is a work
published by Evangelical Press or EP books and.
If you'd like to join us on the air with a question of your own.
For Simonetta Carr our email address is Chris Arns and at gmail .com Chris Arns and at
gmail .com.
We have someone writing with an alias from Valley Stream, Long Island, New York.
Lamb lamb.
Lamb lamb says, please express.
Thanks to miss Carr For writing the Christian biography series
that is interesting and informative.
I would like to ask her I read in one of your other books in the series that using the word
reformer to title or describe Martin Luther.
Is there a glossary list in the back of the book how parents are to explain the idea
of? reformation or Reformer and how can parents as when teaching their
younger children to connect all the dots among the series?
In relate in relationship to the Chronicle as a whole picture in the Reformation history.
Did you get that question?
Simonetta.
Yes.
I have Talked to my publisher a couple of times about including a
glossary.
I Could ask him again.
The problem is that The book is quite packed already.
So if we add a glossary we may have to cut out something
else or Reuse the pages for the story, but
Yeah, I can ask him again that Could be a
Reformation.
I think actually I explained it in my first
book
did it
for the better moving
and
overcoming.
It's mistake.
I don't know if I answered the first question.
Oh, that's that's fine.
Well, well, thank you.
But if you were if you were going to do something.
Write something that connects all the dots between all of the figures from history that you've
written about.
And we have let's see.
We have a couple more listeners here and well before I go back to another listener I'm
going to ask a question of my own.
How far into the story of Martin Luther's life do you take this book.
Obviously when he defies the magisterium.
That he will not back down from what he believes to be biblically faithful and so on.
How far into his life do you go with this book?
Well, I actually go to pretty much cover.
Hey, I don't call that every single
and.
Why do you think that it is important for children to know about?
Things that we might ordinarily view as deeper subjects.
Fit for adults such as some of these deep theological issues that separate Roman
Catholicism and the Protestant Reformation.
Why do you think it's important for us to instill in the minds and hearts of children these things?
So if other people ask us We know we know what to say.
I have Catholic friends.
They think That the only thing that divides us is that we don't believe that the
Pope has authority over our Christian.
But you know, obviously There's much more than that.
Most people don't know and I think it's important for
To fully know their faith and fully know what they believe in
and I think that you may be.
Accidentally, I don't know if you're aware of this, but you're accidentally touching a button on your phone.
That keeps beeping.
There's something that you're doing with your phone that periodically it beeps.
I think you're accidentally perhaps pressing a button With either with it.
That's okay.
We can deal with it.
That's all right.
We have Casey in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
And.
Casey writes.
Can you ask Simon at a car about how we can have a modern Reformation for
our children today in the church.
I'm not a hundred percent sure what Casey means by that and perhaps Casey if you want to clarify that with
another email but Can you answer what he has written here?
Can you ask Simon at a car about how we can have a modern Reformation for our children today in the church?
Yeah, I'm not completely sure either but I think what we can do is
inform our children of What it
means to
be reformed and maybe
maybe that's a human.
Yeah, and there's
there's plenty that the church needs to be.
Reformed of Today even with an evangelicalism.
There are a lot of things That would contradict with the scripture teaches that are going on
that children today might want to be and have something instilled within their hearts and
minds to be a little reformers of the future if you will because of the fact that you know, the
church has become a place of entertainment and the church has become a place where
Our feelings and our needs are primary Above the gospel of
Jesus Christ above the glory majesty and holiness of God.
The the things that selfishness seems to be at the height of What
is happening in the modern Christian Church, even in those churches that are the heirs of the
Reformation and it's sad to say so.
Perhaps that was a part of his intent.
Um, and by the way, Casey, I apologize if you are a woman I keep calling you a he I'm not really sure.
I keep thinking of the You know Casey Stengel and other men
And the mighty Casey has struck out that famous baseball poem, but huh, so I
apologize if you are a woman Casey but by the way, Casey if you give us your
full mailing address.
You are also getting a free copy of this gorgeous hardcover full color
illustrated book Martin Luther By simonet a car a part of the Christian
biographies for young readers published by Reformation Heritage books and We thank you for
submitting that question.
And I want before we run out of time on this first hour Simonetta I want you to
make sure that you Provide our listeners with what you most want etched on their
hearts and minds In regard to the life of Martin Luther and the book you have written here.
I think.
Yes, and it is.
I think it is something that is very inspiring to know that.
Even if you think that because you're outnumbered By by by
thousands of times over.
By.
People who are in opposition to you as you stand for the truth of
God and the Holy Scriptures that you are not alone if you are on God's side and
If he more importantly is on your side.
Then it doesn't matter how many people are opposing what you say or do if you're standing up for truth
that God will bring about Whatever he desires to occur and in that
particular circumstance for his praise honor and glory.
And you have the Protestant Reformation Largely Catching
fire as it did in spreading all over the globe Largely due to this one
Augustinian monk.
Obviously, there were other people involved, but he is a key figure in history of all this occurring
and it also reminds me of centuries earlier with Athanasius When
Athanasius was standing up in defense of the deity of Jesus Christ
one that nearly all of the bishops in the church had become Arian or those
who rejected the fact that Jesus was both God and man and Athanasius didn't care how
many people Even if they were leaders in the church were in opposition to him.
He stood firm knowing that God was on his side.
That's a very Inspiring thing to know that what we can
accomplish even though we'd be outnumbered and frail and weak
in and of ourselves and even though we're sinners God can do mighty things through us can he not.
Yeah, and I think that's a valuable lesson for children to know that when They may be being bullied or
mocked or being made fun of or they may be outcasts with other children because they are following
Christ.
These are important things for them to know.
Because he didn't just go out to defy the church.
In fact, he tried to respect it as as much as possible.
He Wrote a letter to the Pope in full hope that the Pope would
finish
teaching and Blurt them out.
They say I'm right you're wrong.
In fact in those days It didn't even exist.
Everyone was supposed to the church and
Remember
the
action that.
Amen now Before we go into the the topic of our second
hour, which is going to be on Rene of France I wanted to get a little bit more
background of what is going on in Italy in regard to the gospel.
Since that is the home of your birth and You
obviously have a great love for Italy and the people there you obviously still have relatives there and so on and
loved ones.
It is very unusual for me to meet somebody from Italy Who is a firm
believer in? Reformed theology, I've met many Italian Americans who are a second or
third generation.
But you are from Italy.
How prevalent is The or are the doctrines of sovereign
grace or reformed theology in Italy today?
Um, well not prevalent of is
the different denominations is the
Valencian the Valencian Church is
I'm
very happy about is that now we have up
there and
That makes me very happy.
And some people from there are coming to America, I
mean, Eric, California,
they're there.
Yeah, there's a real lack of there's
one church to that,
you know a few other places
that
in
Italy
does
they
now.
As far as the state of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy, obviously we would
view the Roman Catholic Church as Heretical and
in disobedience to the scriptures on many things.
But are there people what what are the majority of those Catholics in Italy.
Are they just nominal Catholics by name only or are they
fervently religious and going to their masses and saying their rosaries.
Or most people just secular who may have a very faint identity as a
Catholic.
Yeah, I
think.
Right exactly.
Yeah, in fact, it would be impossible for them to renounce the Council of Trent
without crumbling as an institution.
They would have to they would have to reject people infallibility and all kinds of things.
Right, in fact, I often will tell my Catholic friends and family
members who are ecumenical When they get upset with me when I say
that their gospel is false and That they have a different gospel than I do.
And when they get upset with me I point them to the fact that hundreds of years before I was born
the Council of Trent declared what I believe Today to be the
gospel.
They declared it as something to be accursed and they Anathematized me before I was even born
for believing in this.
So therefore I am NOT the bad guy here.
Your your church the Roman Catholic Church already has said That the gospel of the
Reformation is a different gospel than theirs and they declared our gospel false
so therefore.
We.
Recognize that they do have a different gospel.
The that's the only thing that we agree with Trent on is in that regard.
We we believe that we though are the ones who have the true biblical gospel that Jesus Christ
Stood upon and that they are the ones who have departed from the scriptures.
Yeah, and so the the Council of Trent even though the Pope The current
Pope Francis is a very liberal Pope He still has not renounced or overturned those
strict and very harsh anathemas, has he?
No, he has not.
He kind of ignored them, but they're there.
I just read an article by Someone else in the Catholic Church another church
actually Celebrating
Luther on
Trent.
Well, we are going to our second hour now and By the way, Tyler and
mastic Beach Long Island if you're listening, we're switching subjects now so if you have a question that you'd like to
send us on Rene of France who is quite a fascinating figure from history
a very little known figure but quite a fascinating one.
I know that Tyler was wanting to ask a question about Luther but if you would like to
ask a question about Rene of France instead of our New topic now as we go into the second hour of
the broadcast We would love to hear from you and we would love to hear from anybody out there who has a question for
Simonetta Carr at Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris Arnzen at gmail .com and Please include your first name your city and
state and your country of residence if you live outside of the USA.
Don't go away.
We will be right back after these messages with Simonetta Carr.
I.
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Welcome back.
This is Chris Ornson.
If you just tuned in our guest today for the full two hours with one hour to go is
Simonetta Carr the first hour we addressed her book on Martin Luther and
now we are addressing a Second book of hers, which is a truly fascinating story of
Rene of France and Just to give you a little background Rene of
France is little known today.
But this fascinating and often controversial woman was a correspondent of John Calvin.
She loved the Reformation but in 16th century Italy such a position could not be
lightly held in a husband.
Add in a husband the Duke of Ferrara who served the Pope and was determined to
oppose Rene plus the complexity and Intrigues of Italian society of the
time and you have all the ingredients for a gripping biography.
Simonetta Carr Has succeeded in making the reader of her fine book a contemporary.
Yes, even a close friend of Rene of France based on the sources written with great quality
and a pleasure to read is The fascinating story of this royal woman.
I look forward to more of such books and that was a commendation by
professor dr. Herman J Silderhus professor of church history and the
church polity at the Theological University of Appledorn in the
Netherlands and author of several books on John Calvin.
But it's such a great pleasure to have you on for the full two hours today, Simonetta.
I thank you for taking time out of your schedule to do this.
How did you first discover this obscure woman from history Rene of France?
I've been very interested in that.
So I read about different people that Lived at that
time and I I just studied how they reacted to the reformation.
You know, I
thought you know people who were
interested in the Protestant doctrines, which were many because people were
basically tired of The church and its corruption and abuses
so there were different reactions, but you know some people They in
the teachings only looking for
a reformation of.
That.
Children and some
money.
So there were people
with it
and made fun of it.
They were just very different reactions, but of the people who.
Who were the closest to the Protestant doctrine some people really understood the
doctrinal justification
formation point they had
you
know,
and.
So, how did Rene wind up becoming the wife of the Duke of
Ferrara?
Well, she was French by birth.
So she grew up in France.
And in France actually she was Introduced to
Doctrine
around
her people around the
servants.
She grew up Learning Protestant doctrines
at that time.
You know, she was involved in a typical world of that time.
So her father.
So she was already Acquainted with the teachings of the Protestant Reformation in France
and she was going into a marriage With somebody who was still very loyal to the Pope and
the Roman Catholic Church.
Yes, and that was very common at that time.
And I I'm not really sure why but I found out that many women
Go to the Protestant doctrine much more than the man.
Huh?
Yeah, I don't know why especially in Italy and France some people say because they
had more time.
Because we're talking about the women of nobility, you know, so they yeah, they
definitely had more.
I don't know if that really don't know that
it happened quite often and the Calvin had to address many of these Problems
because there were many women Calvin and
others said
he basically and.
Well, you described her marriage to the Duke of Ferrara as a stormy one.
Tell us about that.
Yeah, it's only because of her religious
beliefs things I think.
A.
Combination of that reason and the fact that many of them were
I think initially he didn't really care.
You know, you were at
that time and I don't think he
became a bully.
That was not acceptable.
Well,
we have BB from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania who wants to know how.
Renee developed a purse a personal relationship with John Calvin.
When she was in Italy married to a Roman Catholic Duke and Calvin was by the
time perhaps in Switzerland.
You said that you said
that he went there incognito in like in disguise or something.
Now did Calvin know before going to her court.
To stay there for a time.
Did he know?
Prior to that that Renee had some kind of affinity or affection
towards the doctrine of the Reformation.
And.
BB if you give us your full mailing address in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania You're getting a free
copy of Renee of France by our guest Simonetta Carr compliments of EP
books and Also compliments of Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service who will be shipping that out to you
at no charge to us or to you.
Cv bbs .com.
CV for Cumberland Valley bbs for Bible book service.
Calm we look forward to shipping that out to you and you should get that God
willing within a week or so.
We have Harrison and mechanics bird, Pennsylvania who wants to know
if Renee was actually risking her life by this correspondence with John
Calvin in Italy or was Italy a safer place at this time to be conducting
this kind of correspondence.
Now.
Now.
I'm assuming that Since you have described their marriage as stormy
partially not only because of her being somewhat of a spendthrift, but But
partially because of her theological views.
I'm assuming that she was very open with her husband the Duke of Ferrara about these
theological difference and differences and did what she challenging him was she
Evangelizing him.
How would how would this manifest itself these differences that that turned the marriage into a stormy
relationship?
Yeah.
So she was actually harboring Protestant Refugees for lack of a
better term.
She was hiding them and protecting them as long as she could.
Were they were did they actually did.
They eventually have to flee from her because of the awareness that the Vatican
had of their existence and their their location and so on.
The
straight
way.
Yeah, she
needed
guidance
she needed
guidance
and I
think
it was
Sent by Calvin by the
way.
Harrison to Mechanics Berg if you give us your full mailing address.
You'll also get a free copy of Renee of France by our guest Simonetta Carr
Compliments of EP books which stands for evangelical press and this will be shipped out to
you free of charge by Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service CVBBS .com.
CV for Cumberland Valley BBS for Bible book service.
Calm.
We are going to our final station break right now and we do have a couple of people still waiting
to have their questions asked and answered by Simonetta so we Appreciate your
patience.
We will get to you as soon as possible.
But if anybody would like to join them To have your own question asked and answered
on the air by Simonetta.
Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Please give us at least your first name your city and state and your country of residence if you live outside
of the USA.
Don't go away we are going to be right back with Simonetta Carr and more on Renee of
France.
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And here's one of my favorite guests Todd Friel to tell you about a conference.
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I.
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Welcome back.
This is Chris Arnzen.
If you just tuned us in for the last 90 minutes in the next half hour to come our guest has
been and will continue to be Simonetta Carr.
The first hour of the program we discussed her wonderful book on Martin Luther with the
title Martin Luther, which is a part of the Christian biographies for young readers series
published by Reformation Heritage Books.
Now in our second hour, we have been discussing Rene of France which has been
published by EP books or evangelical press as it's also known and If you'd
like to join us on the air with a question about Rene of France.
Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris Arnzen at gmail .com before I return to our discussion.
I just want to remind you that Our friends at the Alliance of confessing Evangelicals
are going to be hosting the doctrines of grace conference this weekend Friday and Saturday
November 11th and 12th in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.
And I intend to be there.
So I hope to meet many of you in the iron sharpens iron audience who also attend this
conference.
The speakers include dr. Joel Beeky who I'm sure Simonetta Carr must know who
dr Beeky is since the book on Martin Luther that she wrote was published by
Reformation Heritage Books the very publisher that was founded by dr. Joel Beeky.
He is going to be there.
He's the president of Puritan Reform Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
He's a prolific writer and he's been a guest on iron sharpens iron many times.
One of my favorite guests one of my favorite of all -time preachers.
Another speaker who we've had on Iron sharpens iron who will be at the doctrines of grace conference is
Anthony Carter.
Tony Merida will also be there who I have not yet met or spoken to.
I'm looking forward to meeting him and Richard Taylor and Timothy Whitmer.
If you'd like to find out more information on how to register for this conference go to Alliance net
org.
That's Alliance net dot o -r -g and go to the very top of the page and click on
events.
The very first event will be the doctrines of grace conference, November 11th and the 12th in Quakertown,
Pennsylvania.
It's being held at the grace Bible Fellowship Church on 1811 Old Bethlehem
Pike North in Quakertown.
Go to Alliance net org to register and please Mention iron sharpens iron
when you register and let them know that we are the ones that referred you To the doctrines of
grace conference and we thank Bob Brady and the whole gang over there
at the Alliance of confessing evangelicals for hosting such Really important and
wonderful Bible conferences.
And as I said before if you'd like to join us on the air for the next 25 minutes or so We are
going to be continuing our discussion on Rene of France with our guest simone at a car.
And our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Arnie and Perry County, Pennsylvania wants to know Simonetta if
if Rene of France ever regained a relationship with her children
and was able to Teach them the doctrines of the Reformation as well.
And if there was any fruit born out of that in their lives in other words, did
they ever become faithful Bible -believing Christians also
known as theologically faithful Protestants.
Yeah.
I mean Didn't have
much Much authority over.
You know.
Traditionally at that time Educated by the
father the father would choose Tutors for them
and address
them
son.
They
call
Kelly.
Yes
about that.
She just shed more influence on the
girls.
She had three girls and The
oldest
one, but they did marry
death and again they made
it.
So anyway, she did.
She did influence her daughters and we don't
know for the oldest
well.
Thank you very much for that email and give us your your full mailing address and you
will also receive a free copy of this book Rene of France by Simonetta Carr
compliments of evangelical press or EP books and Also of CV bbs .com.
We'll be shipping that out to you.
Thank you very much Arnie.
In Perry County, Pennsylvania.
So did Rene live out a long life
being spared of physical persecution and execution.
What became of her after?
Being a well -known rebel against the Church of Rome.
And she actually did live a long life.
She had a time.
She loved the first full
country either.
She moved there after her daddy.
Should have been
there in a castle there
and
the same thing.
France had its own
problems at that time
in France.
And she asked at the time.
Yeah.
Yes.
They were
very difficult she
managed to at one
point.
She denied their fate and that's one part of the book.
Actually, that's
one of the reasons why I was Interested in writing this
book is the other
Margin
of never to me.
That
was
interesting
for the Calvin Never give up on her and
you know, it was
very comforting.
Oh,
yeah.
Oh, yeah, definitely.
Like for instance, that's one of the reasons why the life of Thomas Cranmer is very
Very fascinating to me.
He Who wrote the 39 articles of religion for the Church of England when they were going
through the English Reformation a very Calvinist?
Creed the 39 articles and Thomas Cranmer was very Calvinistic in his theological
leanings and when King Henry the eighth died and the
Church of England went back to being under Roman Catholic control
his life was Threatened and he out of fear for his life
Recanted his Protestant faith, but then later Recanted his recantation
and when he was being executed he's being burned alive.
He asked that the hand that signed his initial recantation of Protestantism
be burned first as a as a sign that he Repented and
regretted ever having signed the recantation of Protestantism to begin with and They granted his
request and they did burn his hand first before consuming his entire body with flames.
But very fascinating story.
Now, what were the Circumstances that you know of that would cause Renee to
recant her faith.
Was it fear of her life or was it just something else?
Yeah, I think it was Fear.
I Don't know if so much of her life.
I don't know if the husband Could have killed
her
again.
I think she
like
I said, they took her daughters away from her and
She could not see them again.
They just
didn't leave it
at all.
CJ from Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York wants to know if If the
husband of Renee of France the Duke of Ferrara Was
truly in love with Renee in spite of their differences because of the fact that she remained
alive and Died of an old age rather than being executed.
I mean did he The Duke of Ferrara protect her even though he was
angry with her and disputed with her over their differences.
He she obviously didn't turn her over to the the Roman Catholic
Church for persecution.
Well, they
did it in
England.
They did
it in England.
Yeah, I don't think in Italy or France.
Thank
You
CJ.
And you also have won a free copy of Renee of France by Simon at a car.
Published by EP books and God willing you'll be getting that in the mail
shortly.
We are once again getting a question from lamb lamb in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York.
As with any other books one will first look at the table of contents and the
comments in the back of the book.
As looking into the content the titles of the first chapter and the last Might create
some sort of confusion or false impression on the relationship of Renee of France and Calvin.
Which might mislead readers to ideas other than the doctrinal theological and Reformation.
Can you describe a little more about the last chapter and what is her contribution or influence to the
country in? terms of Reformation in history.
I think that she may be.
Implying that it may have looked like a romantic relationship.
I may be putting words in lamb lamb's mouth, but.
But did anybody suspect there being some kind of a romantic connection between Calvin
and Renee?
I don't think anybody.
Okay, and there's anything else you would like to
Go
ahead.
I'm
sorry.
No, I
was just
saying
that.
Their relationship was was most needed.
He's encouraged her life
even if she was surrounded by Resistance, you
know, there
were people who have an influence
on her and
who.
Passed into glory first.
Was it Renee or John Calvin?
As far as who died who entered into heaven.
Okay, and did did he always until his death have some kind of connection or correspondence with
Renee.
Yes
I.
Want
you to.
Make sure our listeners know what you primarily want etched in their hearts and minds about Renee of
France Before they leave this program today.
And.
What other books have you written that we can perhaps do interviews on in the future.
I know that one we already mentioned before is the story of Lady Jane Grey.
If you could if you could give us a little information about that.
Yeah.
Well,
you have
quite a lineup of books that I would love to eventually interview you on all of them you have.
John Calvin you've written on.
You've written on Augustine of Hippo.
As we've already discussed Martin Luther today on this program Marie Durand.
We have Lady Jane Grey that we just mentioned John Knox.
We have Jonathan Edwards.
And Athanasius who I mentioned earlier.
Athanasian again.
Athanasius against the world.
Athanasius contramundum I think is the phrase when he was battling against the entire church nearly.
Who that had succumbed to Arianism.
John Owen the great? Puritan writer Anselm
of Canterbury.
And.
The list goes on.
You've got quite a impressive list of books and I hope to have you back on the program
very soon.
And.
We do have one more.
Questioner.
Listener in the audience.
Who is?
Let's see.
This is RJ from White Plains, New York.
And he wants to know how did you become such a prolific writer?
Coming from Italy and entering here in the United States.
You seem to have really captured the attention of some impressive reform publishing
companies.
That's a very good question.
I wrote John Calvin.
That was my first book.
I Didn't in my mind I would ever
write the book.
I just needed it to be written and
I asked.
In fact, I asked another person in my church a student with Mr. Seminary who had
studied church history.
I wanted him to write it because he gave some Lectures on
church history and I said, why don't you write this?
Finally he said why don't you try and I did.
Well,
praise
God for that and.
Well, I want to make sure that our listeners also have the
websites of these publishers we have Heritage books org
is the website for Reformation heritage books.
Any of you who either didn't win a book today or you want to even if you won you want to get more copies
for your Family friends and loved ones, especially with Christmas coming up heritage
books org and just Type Simonetta in the search engine.
They're not too many people named Simonetta.
In fact Simonetta that is my guest today is the first Simonetta I have ever spoken
with.
And I'm sure all of her books that they publish will come up.
And there's also EP books Which is evangelical press EP books
org EP for evangelical press books org and you could do
a search on Simonetta car CARR There as well.
You could also go to Cumberland Valley Bible Book Services website CV for Cumberland
Valley BBS for Bible book service dot com that's CV
BBS comm for Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service and Do you
have any personal contact information that you care to share?
So that's Simonetta Si M o n e t t a dash
CARR Yeah dot -com yeah, and so I
hope that all of you will go to that website and and Frequent it and
get to know Simonetta and I hope to have you back on the program
Simonetta because I've found it an absolute joy to have you on the program today.
I.
Hope I did a adequate job on my end because I think I kept up with you fairly well.
Understanding that you were saying I don't recall you saying anything that I didn't understand.
Well, I want to thank everybody who listened today especially those who took the time to write questions.
I hope to see many of you at the Alliance of confessing evangelicals conference in Quakertown.
Remember to go to Alliance net org Alliance net org to look up information
on that conference this Friday and Saturday.
And I hope you all always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far
greater Savior than you are a sinner.
God bless you all and look forward to hearing from you with your questions.