A Return to Grace: Luther's Life and Legacy

It is strange that perhaps the most influential figure of the last thousand years (certainly THE most influential of his era) has only seldom been discussed on television and in films. Yet, somehow apart from a few movies on the life of Martin Luther, he's rarely talked about in the media. I don't think this is any conspiracy...far from it. It's probably a case of omission due to our tendency to focus on recent history. Fortunately, this documentary has come along to help cast a new look at this incredibly influential man.

Originally, this film was shown in private showings across the country--in churches and movie theaters here and there. Somehow it made it to PBS and it surprised me a bit as the film certainly is very religious in nature. I applaud their decision to air it, as you cannot separate the strong religious message from the historical figure...and the film does an excellent job in discussing his impact, the man's deficiencies and his strengths...all with great balance and respect. Rarely do you see any documentary that takes on the entirety of a historical figure. Often they either laud the person excessively or attack them...but here you see Luther, warts and all...and in a way that conveys who he is, shows respect to his followers and puts it all into wonderful context. I also appreciate how in addition to the many, many experts who discuss the man, they also recreate Luther and his life--using an excellent actor, wonderful costumes and on location shooting throughout Europe. A quality production all around and I really wish all historical documentaries were made with this much care.

In many senses, surprising. Obvious, in very good way. Because the portrait of Martin Luther is complex, nuanced and fair crafted. Because the docu-drama is not a pledge, homage and demonstration but a fascinating exploration of traits defining his life, his message, his legacy.

For many reasons, it is just brilliant because it creates a large mage, objective in high measure, proposing the honest light on his attitudes and reasons of them, his profound humanity and vulnerabilities, stubborn and loyalty to the Scripture.

Result - a film clearing the contribution of a significant pre-modern personality to the radical transformations defining our world.

So, surprising good.

Explicit promotion of Timothy Dolan, directly involved in the earlier sexual abuse scandal. It is hard to grasp why a Catholic even appears in a documentary on the Reformation, but it is even harder to grasp why specifically one had been chosen who had been involved in covering up such a scandal.

The documentary also does not even mention once Luther's connections to the Augustian order, that he famously wanted Hebrews, James, Jude and the book of Revelation removed from the Christian Canon, that he gave his blessing to have Anabaptists executed simply based on their correct opposition of infant baptism and emphasis on adult baptism, his ruthless rejection of biblical inerrancy in his commentary on Chronicles, his anti-Judaistic views that contributed significantly to the development of antisemitism in Germany and of the Nazi Party, and his entire rejection of the biblical concept of 'Free Will'.

I do not expect all those details to be reflected, but I expect at least some discernment and honesty. Minor issues can be left out, but to overlook all those details previously mentioned and to only paint a distorted picture with the positive attributes, is certainly not a Christian attitude.

RELEASED IN 2017 and directed by David Batty, "Martin Luther: An Idea That Changed the World" (aka "A Return to Grace: Luther's Life and Legacy") is a documentary/biography about the influential Protestant reformer of early 16th century Europe.

The most important points of Luther's life are reenacted with Padraic Delany in the title role. Any words ascribed to Luther are those of which he actually said or wrote. In between and during these segments are the insightful commentaries of roughly two dozen scholars of varied theologies (including a Catholic Cardinal). The producers picked a nicely diversified group of theologians and historians, each interesting in his/her unique manner.

It's all here: The absurdity of the Roman Church selling indulgences in Germany & elsewhere to fund St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City; Luther's Ninety-five Theses (debate points) that he (probably) nailed to the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517; his taking advantage of the printing press, a new technology; His excommunication by Pope Leo X and subsequent condemnation by Emperor Charles V in 1520-21 after refusing to renounce his writings; his emphasis on sola Scriptura ("by Scripture alone"); his exile to the security of the Wartburg Castle at Eisenach; his simple revelation about God's grace of salvation coming through faith in Christ alone so that no one may boast; his German translation of the New Testament in a mere eleven weeks in 1522 so that the common people could read God's Word; The tragic Peasant's War where approximately 100,000 "commoners" lost their lives; his marriage to ex-Nun Katharina von Bora in 1525 and subsequent family; his attempts to organize the Protestants; his manual in 1529 for pastors & teachers, the Large Catechism, as well as the abridged Small Catechism for general believers; his initial kindness toward Jews in 1523 contrasted by his teachings two decades later; how the wicked (Hitler) and the righteous (Martin Luther King Sr. and Jr.) used Luther's iconic status and words to fuel their ideologies.

Too often biographies either overly applaud the individual or attack him/her. Yet this documentary does an admirable job addressing Luther's impact, his strengths, his weaknesses and failings, all with honesty, balance and deference.

THE MOVIE RUNS 2 hours. WRITER: Mike Trinklein.

GRADE: A