I find Martin Luther a very interesting and inspiring individual. I was reading about him yesterday and watched a television documentary on him a few years ago. The topic on the television show which I found most interesting was how he struggled to accept the teachings of Christ. From what I remember from the show, Martin Luther was a historian and scholar himself. It wasn't until later in life that he accepted the fact that Christ did in fact walk the Earth, and did perform miracles, and thus may be the Son of God... He arrived at these conclusions by reading the history of the scriptures, pouring over the sources- like many of us today. While traversing the research path, it became clear to him over time that Christ must me the Son of God. It was a transformation for him, later in life. I believe that many people, as I, can relate to this.
The other topic of interest is from what I was reading yesterday- The Significance of the Reformation.
Nineteenth-century liberal descendants of Protestantism argued that Martin Luther's appeal to conscience represented the "birth of individual liberty,"... Marxist historians argued that the popular appeal of Luther made him part of an "early bourgeois revolution," while the rebellious peasants were proletarians before their time.
In politics the fact that the church had been a political as well as spiritual power led to realignments at every level from villages to international diplomacy. Religious adherence became an important factor in political alliances until the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648. The emerging Protestant states of northern Europe were strengthened by the windfalls of property they seized from their churches, and gained new authority over daily life through their tight control over the Protestant clergy.
In other words, the actions of Martin Luther laid groundwork for the founding fathers of the United States.
Source- "reformation." Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. The Gale Group, Inc, 2004. Answers.com 24 Apr. 2010.http://www.answers.com/topic/reformation
PBS Documentary on Martin Luther
Posted on November 21, 2008 by Clark Bunch
Over the years, PBS has produced a series of programs on the history of empires. In 2003, they made 2 special episodes on Martin Luther. (Liam Neeson provides the narration.) Thanks to Hulu, these are available for your viewing pleasure at any time. Each is one hour in length, so you may want to come back when you have the time. If you don’t know about Hulu, you can choose between 360 and 480p resolutions, as well as view in full screen mode. You can also check out the other series produced on the Roman Empire, Kingdom of David, etc.
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PBS- About Martin Luther