Martin Luther: How the Revolution Began | Part 2 | PODCAST

Martin Luther is one of the few people to have genuinely changed the world, igniting a religious revolution that tore Christendom in two, and undermined European tradition in ways that still reverberate today. But along with Luther’s uniquely tortured psyche, three events contributed to his extreme transformation from young lawyer to fervent monk: the loss of a dear friend, a near fatal accident, and a cataclysmic thunderstorm. It was at the University of Wittenberg that Luther’s truly revolutionary understanding of God, theology and scripture began to evolve. His scorn for the state of the Church bubbled underneath the surface, until one day, a friar called Johann Tetzel rolled into Saxony, claiming to sell awesome indulgences, which would allow sinful locals to shorten their stay in purgatory. Such staggering corruption drove Luther to take drastic action, and, marching to Wittenberg Castle’s Church, he legendarily nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door. Or did he?

Join Tom and Dominic as they describe Luther’s tormented journey to priesthood, the events that lead up to the apocryphal nailing of the Ninety-Five Theses, and the truly radical nature of his newfound relationship with God and Christianity.

Watch our other Episode's around Martin Luther here:

*The Rest Is History LIVE in 2024*
Tom and Dominic are back onstage this summer, at Hampton Court Palace in London!

Twitter:
@TheRestHistory
@holland_tom
@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith
Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett
Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

[jasonthomasmt]

I love how you got the other Tom Holland in the chair at the start of the show 😂

[TheCharliehuddy]

Great they decided to do the YT channel! The addition of watching Tom and Dominic react to the stories adds the extra element of story telling that I absolutely love!

[Janika-xjbv]

I'm a staunch Catholic, every time someone shows me the true head of St. John the Baptism, I believe them. Especially if there's more than one on display.

[malicant]

Great timing on the upload. This will be my leg-day listen for the gym!

[michaelkeller]

This is my third series. Thanks for sharing

[schmeed]

this might be the best series you've done recently, great stuff

[DanSme]

I've spent 55+ years, as a modern-day 'mountain monk' (yet like Luther, far from celibacy) studying theology, philosophy, and church history--an autodidact. Given the extraordinary significance of Martin Luther for having unshackled Christianity from the spiritual darkness of Roman Catholicism which led to worldwide social transformation, I urge Dominic Sandbrook and The Rest is History team to free this series from behind the paywall. PS. I hope they (and Tom Holland) were able to procure at copy of Packer and Johnston's Historical and Theological Introduction to Luther's BONDAGE OF THE WILL. This 1957 publication is the best explanation of the spark that ignited the Reformation.

[mikewifak]

Dimension of Sh!t is definitely the name of my next death metal band.

[JonniePolyester]

Really enjoyed these episodes - there was of course the Great Schism 1054 where the Eastern Orthodox and RC churches split which was political as much as theological but showed the competition for power and control as was the Western Schism 1378-1417 then came the ‘Schism of 1521’ the Protestant Reformation.

[TotallyFictional]

Thank you, I am absolutely loving this series.

[meredithchildress]

This is fascinating material and I'm so glad I found this site. I've been watching Tom for a while talking with N.T.Wright and Briersly and several others, but this is pure gold! Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful material!

[miamithijs]

Love the channel. Rest is history on spotify asks what they can do better. 1. Be consistent in timing of uploads. Youtube is uploaded different day than spotify. 2. Number the episodes. 3. Episodes seem to be missing. 4. Do a livestream on youtube sometimes where people can ask questions. You can actually make money with that. 5. Engage with your audience. All this to better the channel. I sincerely love it and with a little more structure you guys will be very succesful growing the audience.

[william]

I listened to your elucidating video.
Thank you.
I will archive and share.

[tonyscriven]

The relic-dealers of Europe must have seen the Elector Friedrich coming from a long way off 😅😂

[grantsmall_Ngenious]

Thank you. Learnt a few new tricks here.

[excellentcomment]

... But "storm clouds" is such an apt metaphor. Can you think of another?

[karlbaresic]

Was fully expecting Luther to be writing in German to use Shiße so many times

[fuferito]

St Anne being the patron saint of miners makes sense;
Her virgin daughter Mary's predicament made her dig herself deeper and deeper.

[tropics]

A bombshell indeed 🤩 brilliantly done 👍

[garrygraham]

I tend to think that Luther's experience in the storm was his conversion moment, rather than just a promise to become a monk out of fear.
His life was never the same and he was empowered to do what no unregenerate soul could achieve.
John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace, had a similar experience in a storm at sea in 1748. Like Luther, his whole life was turned on its head and he eventually became an important figure in the abolitionist movement that brought an end to the Atlantic slave trade.