Wednesday, November 6, 2024

MARTIN LUTHER JUBILEE 1983

*** This is a rough transcript of today’s show ***

It is the 6th of November 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

A number of you commented on the recent show about the esteemed but fictitious theologian Franz Bibfeldt- a good time was had by Robert Clawson, Martin Marty, and the rest of us, and yes, we poked a little fun at Concordia Seminary- but, all jokes aside- today’s show takes us to the campus of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri (students have pointed out to me it’s on Demun avenue… but enough).

We head back to 1983- the year both A Christmas Story and Scarface debuted alongside U2’s War and REM’s Murmur. It was also 500 years past 1483, and here in 1517, we love ourselves a good Quincentenary celebration, and 1983 was that for the birth of Martin Luther.

It was on the campus of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis on this, the 6th of November that the historical world- theological and otherwise- came to the campus for a series of talks that mark the high water mark of late 20th century Luther studies. Today’s show is NOT about these talks, but just so you know- check out a link in the show notes to get free audio versions of these talks, now 41 years old.

1983 saw a resurgence of “Luthermania” with events and books, projects, and memorials sprung up all over the globe. In East and West Germany, he was used politically (as he often has been), and this conference, coming up to Luther’s Quincentenary on the 10th, was a highlight. 

The conference started on this, the 6th of November in 1983, which was somewhat awkward as it was a Sunday, but the plan had already been made for a world premiere to take place in St. Louis of a new movie about Martin Luther starring Jonathan Price (an English actor you certainly would recognize).

The project was undertaken by the BBC in cooperation with Concordia Publishing House, also in St. Louis. There had been two primary Luther films that this new BBC production would have to reckon with- the first was the 1953 version in black and white, starring the robust Niall MacGinnis as Luther it was nominated for academy awards but is a little slow and heady.

The 1974 version starring Stacy Keach as Luther is based on the stage play Luther written by John Osborne, who was in turn influenced by the child psychologist Erik Erikson, who also wrote a book called “Young Man Luther.” You get the brooding and troubled Luther and even some implicit criticism concerning his part in the Peasants War. Keach, like Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood, keeps an American accent when all around him are trying… ‘something’ else.

And then there was this the BBC version- how would it deal with Luther?

Martin Luther: Heretic is, for me, the best of all the Luther biographies on film. It’s the shortest at just over an hour, and it doesn’t try to do too much. You get him from the time of his theological breakthrough up through 1517 and at the Diet of Worms and then on his way to the Wartburg, where he would stay and translate the Bible into German.

Pryce’s Luther is much slight- skinnier- than we think Luther was, but he gives a good performance with his deep eyes, and the dialogue seems to have been vetted by a theologian as it passes a test sometimes failed by directors who want their old heroes to sound more relevant.

None of the Luther films get the geography or topography just right, and this suffers some of theses common problems. This one is filmed mostly in England and only available in VHS quality (and lesser for free on Youtube), but you get in and out of the Luther story- the prime issues for him “How am I made right with a Holy God” and “who is in charge”- these are made central to the film and the use of medieval mystery plays to tie sections together is fun and a nice tip of the hat to how Luther’s own day would learn and be entertained.

Around 2017, we saw some fine documentaries/biographies of Luther, and the 2002 film likely had the biggest budget and had recognizable actors, but my pick for best Luther movie, Martin Luther: Heretic, debuted in St. Louis as part of a larger Lutherfest centered at Concordia in St. Louis took place on this, the 6th of November in 1983.

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary and a good post-election word here in the US:

31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 6th of November 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a Fort Wayne Grad and sporting his own Junker Georg beard, he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man most happy with Pryce’s “Lutherbeard” as the Junker in the 83 film- I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.