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Arts & Culture

Martin Luther: The Idea That Changed The World

Padraic Delany as Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms in 1517.
Courtesy of Jake Thomas / Producer: Boettcher/Trinklein
Padraic Delany as Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms in 1517.

Airs Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019 at 1 p.m. on KPBS TV

An obscure monk challenges kings and popes, sparking a change in culture, politics and religion

The year 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of one on the most important events in western civilization — the birth of an idea that continues to shape the life of Americans today.

In 1517, power was in the hands of the few, thought was controlled by the chosen, and common people lived lives without hope.

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On October 31 of that year, a penniless monk named Martin Luther sparked the revolution that would change everything.

He had no army.

In fact, he preached nonviolence so powerfully that — 400 years later — Michael King would change his name to Martin Luther King to show solidarity with the original movement.

This movement, the Protestant Reformation, changed western culture at its core, sparking the drive toward individualism, freedom of religion, women's rights, separation of church and state, and even free public education.

Without the Reformation, there would have been no Pilgrims, no Puritans, and no America in the way we know it.

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Luther nails the famous 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.
Courtesy of Jake Thomas / Producer: Boettcher/Trinklein
Luther nails the famous 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.

"Martin Luther: The Idea That Changed The World" follows the dramatic story of Martin Luther's life: the massive lightning storm that nearly killed him, the bleak self-punishment of his time in the monastery, the corruption that unleashed his anger, his trial before the most powerful man in Europe, and the staged kidnapping that helped him escape the death penalty.

The documentary features elaborate full-scale dramatizations filmed in the castles and monasteries and on the cobblestone streets of Eastern Europe.

Dozens of historians from Europe and the Americas were interviewed, with a careful eye to ensure that all sides of the story are represented.

Martin Luther bows to Cardinal Cajetan. The meeting was an early step in Luther's rejection of Catholic teachings.
Courtesy of Jake Thomas / Producer: Boettcher/Trinklein
Martin Luther bows to Cardinal Cajetan. The meeting was an early step in Luther's rejection of Catholic teachings.

Hugh Bonneville (DOWNTON ABBEY) narrates; Padraic Delaney (THE TUDORS, “The Man Who Knew Infinity”) portrays Luther.

Premiered Sept. 12, 2017

Produced by Boettcher+Trinklein Inc.