“Heretics, Revolutionaries, and Reformers”
Commemorating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s nailing of the ninety-five theses on the door at Wittenberg, an act of dissent that is often taken as inaugurating the Protestant Reformation, this series tells four stories of religious dissidents, reformers, and revolutionaries in the centuries surrounding Luther’s catalytic act.
Each of these films engages the dangers of speaking out against or trying to reform powerful political or religious institutions. Each depicts the fluid relations between marginalized figures and centers of power and between the sometimes conflicting authorities of law and of conscience. And each invites us to consider what might be at stake in speaking one’s conscience, critiquing authorities, articulating dissent, calling for reform, or challenging the status quo, not only in the premodern world but also, perhaps, in our own.
- September 10, 3:00 p.m.: “Becket” (1964)
- October 21, 3:00 p.m: “A Man for All Seasons” (1966)
- October 30, 7:00 p.m.: “Luther” (2003)
- December 3, 3:00 p.m.: “The Passion of Joan of Arc” (1928) with live guitar accompaniment.
The College of Arts