OCTOBER 2017 ISSUE

In this fall season, we continue our exploration of persuasion.

Our October issue presents Martin Luther (Pichel, 1953), a movie brought to our attention because of the special anniversary of Luther’s publication of his 95 theses. It was 500 years ago in October 1517.

According to one account (“The Reluctant Revolutionary,” 2003), when Martin Luther, Professor of Theology and Augustinian Priest, attacked the Catholic Church in his famous document, he

unleashed a tornado,  . . .  a hurricane of violence and revolution that raged across Europe, and changed . . . a continent forever.

From IMDb on the 1953 movie:

Biopic of German priest Martin Luther covering his life between 1505-1530 AD and the birth of the Protestant Reformation movement.

Historians consider Martin Luther among the most persuasive and influential people that have ever lived. Yet, this reputation must also give consideration to Luther’s use of the printing press, a technology that arguably brought change to Luther’s world that matches the dramatic changes brought about by today’s technology of the World Wide Web.

Follow along as PBS editor Kim Lawton visits key sites in Germany associated with Martin Luther.

Note: We watched the movie, Luther (Till, 2003), a few years back, a version of this story that was made 50 years after this one.

These are our articles about the 1953 movie.

References

Lawton, K. (2017, Feb 3). In the Footsteps of Martin Luther. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/video/religion-and-ethics-newsweekly-martin-luthers-footsteps/

The Reluctant Revolutionary. (2003). Devillier Donegan Enterprises. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/empires/martinluther/about_relu.html

Pichel, I. [Director]. (1953). Martin Luther [Motion Picture]. Germany/USA: Louis De Rochemont Associates.

Till, E. [Director]. (2003). Luther [Motion Picture]. Germany/USA: R.S. Entertainment.