A Review of the Movie LUTHER
A Brief Review of the Motion Picture Luther
Church History
June 18, 2006
David J. Manning
In the movie Luther, we are presented with the struggles and victories faced by Martin Luther from the time of his early commitment to the Augustinian order up to the time when the German princes stood up for the Christian faith as expressed in Lutheranism. While the movie focuses mostly on the political and ecclesiological tensions caused by Martin’s teachings, it also portrays his personal and spiritual lives as well.
From the perspective of church historian, I’d have to say the movie was fairly accurate overall. Of course, that asessment is based only on what I have learned from this course thus far. From what I could tell, every major phase in Martin Luther’s life was present in the movie, from his dangerous close call during the lighting storm to the Diet of Worms to his marriage to Katie. In fact, I noticed that much of the dialogue, at least during the Diet of Worms, was taken straight from the historical record itself.
What I found lacking was Martin Luther’s emphasis on salvation by God’s grace through faith alone. Salvation was spoken of as trusting in the goodness and love of God through faith, but we were not presented with an accurate depiction of Luther’s outlook on personal salvation. Even so, I do not believe the producers intentionally tried to edit history so much as their focus was on emphasising the political and ecclesiological ramifications of Luther’s actions and beliefs.
Personally, I found the movie captivating. As one who knew nothing but Lutheranism up through the fourth grade, I was enthralled to visit again the story of the man who shaped my early Christian traditions. I’ve always had a vague mental sketch about his life and beliefs, but up until this course, none of the details had ever been fleshed out. Now I have a curiosity burning, and the movie only added fuel to the fire.
The movie Luther was so good, that I hope to have a chance to watch it again soon. The found the portrayal of Martin Luther’s passion and zeal for the gospel infectious and inspiring. I hope to learn more about him in the very near future.
Church History
June 18, 2006
David J. Manning
In the movie Luther, we are presented with the struggles and victories faced by Martin Luther from the time of his early commitment to the Augustinian order up to the time when the German princes stood up for the Christian faith as expressed in Lutheranism. While the movie focuses mostly on the political and ecclesiological tensions caused by Martin’s teachings, it also portrays his personal and spiritual lives as well.
From the perspective of church historian, I’d have to say the movie was fairly accurate overall. Of course, that asessment is based only on what I have learned from this course thus far. From what I could tell, every major phase in Martin Luther’s life was present in the movie, from his dangerous close call during the lighting storm to the Diet of Worms to his marriage to Katie. In fact, I noticed that much of the dialogue, at least during the Diet of Worms, was taken straight from the historical record itself.
What I found lacking was Martin Luther’s emphasis on salvation by God’s grace through faith alone. Salvation was spoken of as trusting in the goodness and love of God through faith, but we were not presented with an accurate depiction of Luther’s outlook on personal salvation. Even so, I do not believe the producers intentionally tried to edit history so much as their focus was on emphasising the political and ecclesiological ramifications of Luther’s actions and beliefs.
Personally, I found the movie captivating. As one who knew nothing but Lutheranism up through the fourth grade, I was enthralled to visit again the story of the man who shaped my early Christian traditions. I’ve always had a vague mental sketch about his life and beliefs, but up until this course, none of the details had ever been fleshed out. Now I have a curiosity burning, and the movie only added fuel to the fire.
The movie Luther was so good, that I hope to have a chance to watch it again soon. The found the portrayal of Martin Luther’s passion and zeal for the gospel infectious and inspiring. I hope to learn more about him in the very near future.
posted by bigdaddydave at 5:00 PM
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