Luther
AGG
limited distribution I had to drive 50 miles to a multiplex that was
showing the film).
Surprisingly, the film, which was produced and funded by the Luthern
Church in Europe, was not anti-Catholic. At times it was somewhat
sympathetic to the RCs who were portrayed as not having the foresight
to understand Luther's "reforms". The film made it clear that Luther
was not seeking to found a new church, but return the RCC to its
mission.
The film hit heavily on 16th century indulgences which, it made clear,
were aimed not at increasing the RCC's wealth, but for erasing the
papal deficit. Rome, it seems, was broke and heavily in debt.
Disturbing, and something I did not know before, was the rampage
Luther's followers conducted against RCC property in Germany...and the
killing of priests, monks, and nuns. However, what I had never known
before was the slaughter by papal followers of between 50,000 and
100,000 German peasants who were Luther's followers.
"Luther" told a story. It was not overly dramatic, nor was it a
dynamic film. But, if historically acurate, it is a good teaching
film.
Al
Charles Hogg
1. The Peasants' War was not conducted by Luther's followers, but by German
peasants, against the nobility.
2. The slaughter of the rebellious peasants was not by papal followers, but
by the princes (certainly by Lutheran ones, and I don't know if by any papal
ones).
PS Did you notice Luther's pro-Greek statement near the beginning of the
film?
FYI
Robb
"AGG" <canonical_o...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:14fcd270.03100...@posting.google.com...
Al
> Dear Al,
>
> 1. The Peasants' War was not conducted by Luther's followers, but by German
> peasants, against the nobility.
***I got the sense that the movie portrayed the killing of RC priests,
monks, and nuns as by peasants whipped into a frenzy by a zealous
follower of Luther (from the theological school). At the time, all
thought Luther had been killed while, in fact, Luther was in hiding.
The movie portrayed Luther as riding to the rescue and turning back
the maurading peasants and saving some of the religious who were his
friends.
> 2. The slaughter of the rebellious peasants was not by papal followers, but
> by the princes (certainly by Lutheran ones, and I don't know if by any papal
> ones).
***My impression is that at that at the time of the slaughter all of
the princes were devout, staunch papists who were killing Luther's
followers in an effort to stamp out what appeared to be Luther's
growing movement. I don't think I got the wrong impression on this. I
had the feeling, too, that the princes were 4either doing the bidding
of the local cardinal or the pope himself. Later in the flick, of
course, the princes defied the cardinal (and Rome) and sided with
Luther and the reading in the royal court of the Augsberg Confession.
>
> PS Did you notice Luther's pro-Greek statement near the beginning of the
> film?
***Being Orthodox, Luther's film statement about the Greek Christians
sounded louder and more prominent that it actually was. However,
Luther did mention the Greek Catholics at least three times in the
theological exchange with the professor. Apparently, Luther did not
agree with the RD council that had decreed that there was no salvation
outside the RCC.
***What was your overall impression of the film?
Al
edjlb
> "Charles Hogg" <pasto...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:<9zadnRm32KO...@comcast.com>...
>> Dear Al,
>>
>> 1. The Peasants' War was not conducted by Luther's followers, but by
>> German peasants, against the nobility.
>
> ***I got the sense that the movie portrayed the killing of RC priests,
> monks, and nuns as by peasants whipped into a frenzy by a zealous
> follower of Luther (from the theological school). At the time, all
> thought Luther had been killed while, in fact, Luther was in hiding.
> The movie portrayed Luther as riding to the rescue and turning back
> the maurading peasants and saving some of the religious who were his
> friends.
Just a few snippets from Luther's _Against the Murderous, Pillaging Hordes
of Peasants_, 1525.
"In short, they practice mere devil's work, and it is the arch-devil himself
who reigns at Mühlhausen , indulging in nothing but robbery, murder, and
bloodshed; as Christ says of the devil in John viii. 44, "he was a murderer
from the beginning.
"With threefold horrible sins against God and men have these peasants loaded
themselves, for which they have deserved a manifold death of body and soul.
"Therefore, whosoever can, should smite, strangle, and stab, secretly or
publicly, and should remember that there is nothing more poisonous,
pernicious, and devilish than a rebellious man. Just as one must slay a mad
dog, so, if you do not fight the rebels, they will fight you, and the whole
country with you."