Church History from Kingstone

Three publications by Kingstone Media inform readers about Luther, Vladimir, and Martyrs of the 1^st-3^rd centuries.

Luther by Dr. Rich Melheim, illustrated by various artists. Published by Faith Inkubators, Distributed by Kingstone Press.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 12-18

Our story begins with Jan Hus, the Bohemian priest condemned as a heretic by the Catholic Church for his teaching, particularly about salvation by faith alone. At his execution Hus, nicknamed “the Goose,” predicted that God would in time raise up a Swan to proclaim His truth, which the church would not be able to silence. Fast-forward to a young law student terrified by a lightning storm, who promises a life dedicated to God in exchange for deliverance. Of course it’s young Martin Luther, whose parents were extremely disappointed by his decision to become a monk. They couldn’t have guessed that their son would become the “Swan” foreseen by Jan Hus.

Most of us know at least the outlines of this story, but the graphic-novel format fills in a surprising amount of context along with the images. The author communicates some of Luther’s earthy style with words like “crap” and “fart” (which were probably even earthier in the original German. This biography doesn’t sugar-coat the man’s faults either: his temper, his occasional depressions, and his antisemitism. God builds his kingdom with flawed men, and no one can doubt Luther’s significance in church history.

Overall Rating: 4.5

• Worldview/moral value: 5
• Artistic/literary value: 4

Vladimir: Price of Russia by Lee Vanaselja and various artists.  Kingstone Media, 2011, 64 pages.

Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15

Recommended for: ages 13-18

Vladimir, a descendent of the Swedish Vikings who founded the state of Rus, had an inauspicious beginning when his father raped his grandmother’s maid. The grandmother, Olga, was a Christian, and probably had some early influence on the child. Vladimir was raised as a pagan, and the recognized though illegitimate son of his father Stanislov, a regional chieftan. The boy had considerable leadership skills and in time wrestled the kingdom of Kiev from his two half-brothers. Eventually, through the friendship of Olaf, a noble captive, Vladimir developed some interest in religion—enough to investigate which he should follow. He bargained with God to take over towns and princesses, but at the height of his conquests he was struck by illness and blindness. After miraculous healing in baptism (AD 988), he established Orthodox Christianity as the official religion and elevated his mother Malusha as the personification of “Holy Mother Russia” (an image that has not entirely disappeared from the Russian consciousness.)

The story is worth knowing, but may be hard to follow for those who aren’t particularly knowledgeable about medieval Russian history. An introduction would have helped establish context. Also, sex is a factor: three rapes take place, which are not graphically portrayed but nevertheless unmistakable.

Overall Rating: 4

• Worldview/moral value: 4.5
• Artistic/literary value: 3.5

Voices of the Martyrs by Ben Avery and Art Ayris, illustrated by various artists. Kingstone Media (hardcover), 2017, 504 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages10-12

Recommended for: ages 12-18

Note the length: Voice of the Martyrs is not an original publication but a collection of several previous comics published in softcover format. They’re all gathered here: mostly New Testament figures such as Peter, Paul, James the brother of Jesus, and most of the apostles. Also Mary and the apostle John, though neither were (as far as we know) martyred. Justin and Perpetua, early church figures of the second and third centuries, are the only extra-biblical characters. Their stories are well-known and well-told here. There’s more speculation about the biblical figures, because we don’t know how any of the apostles were killed, except for James the brother of John (Acts 12:2). Much of the narration relies on “tradition says.” There’s also more speculation than necessary about the life of Paul—it’s not known, for example, that his parents rejected him. Since the apostles’ lives, in particular, overlap, there’s lots of repetition in story line. Also, the art styles vary more widely than in the previous books—understandable in a compilation but it can be a bit jarring.

Overall Rating: 3.5

• Worldview/moral value: 4.5
• Artistic/literary value: 3

Read more about our ratings here.  

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Resource: See our Church History booklist!
• Reviews: Our favorite Kingstone publication is still The Book of God, an excellent survey of the Bible and how it came down to us, from early manuscripts to the latest English translations. Also see our review of The Epic Bible, a must-have for graphic-novel fans.

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