Luther

Martin Luther is one of the most prominent figures in Protestant history.  The movie Luther is based upon his life and contributions to the Christian faith.  Because I didnt get to see most of the movie, I am going to have to talk about his life mostly based on research.  I will try to remember resources but no guarantees. Martin Luther was born in 1483 and was one of his parents' only sons to survive to adulthood and there was much pressure on him to carry on his father's position at the mine, but God had other plans for his life.  He later committed his life to be a monk which disappointed his parents greatly. Martin Luther began teaching and would critique the Roman Catholic Church around him.  He threw out ideas that were unthought of. He said the pope could make mistakes which was a big one at that time.  In 1517 he posted his famous 95 Theses to the University's chapel door.  In these he critiqued the indulgences and activities of the pope and also explained the fundamentals of grace by faith alone. Because he never backed down from what he believed, he was excommunicated from the church and had to go into hiding.  He hid for many years of his life, before he returned to teaching and got married.  I think Martin Luther is a great man that is often forgotten as the years between us and him grow, but movies like Luther are great reminders of what he really did, stood for, and the example he can be to us. I think he is a great example for us on how to affect change in our churches.  He didnt want to separate the church but just show them what was wrong, now we all know he was unable to accomplish this change without the split, but he didnt want it that way.  Just a side note but along those lines all Protestant churches branch from this split from the Roman Catholic Church.  We should have the same feelings when we think something needs changed rather than just leaving in a storm and starting a new church. I think he is also a great example of not backing down no matter what trials we face.  The movie did a great job of portraying the struggle he went through deciding rather to renounce his writings or not. I think this scene alone stands out because it reminds of the reality of the decisions he faced and how he handled them.  Overall I thought the movie was historically accurate and reminded us of what Martin Luther did and how it still affects us today. I hope that reminders like this continue to come up because I am not reminded very often of exactly what he did and who does and it is really good for me and others to know his life and actions.
  *Facts and story of his life are from a biography of him located at ccel.org.