New ILBF Documentary marks 500th anniversary of the Protestant reformation
Date Posted: October 23, 2017
To mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Gaelic scholar Dr Art Hughes examines the impact of Martin Luther and his ideas on the Gaelic-speaking peoples of Scotland and Ireland in Irish Language Broadcast Fund documentary, Luther agus An Domhan Gaelach on BBC Two Northern Ireland on Sunday 29 October at 10pm.
Five hundred years ago in 1517, little-known German friar Martin Luther pinned a document to the door of a Catholic church in the central European town of Wittenburg, laying the foundation for the birth of the Protestant religion.
Martin Luther’s document, titled the Ninety-Five Theses, was a one-man protest against the extravagance of Pope Leo X, the Catholic hierarchy in Rome, and in particular the practice of ‘indulgences’, whereby freedom from God’s punishment for sin could be purchased with money.
It was only ever intended to spark debate among theologians, however, when the document was made into a pamphlet and distributed, it started centuries of religious and political upheaval across Europe.
The Ninety-Five Theses and Luther’s subsequent teaching and writings were adapted by his disciples, including Frenchman John Calvin and Calvin’s student John Knox, future founder of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland.
In a journey that takes him from Rome, Germany and Geneva to the Outer Hebrides, Dublin and Randalstown, Co Antrim, Art tracks the spread of the Protestant faith from 16th century Europe to the Gaelic-speaking areas of Scotland and Ireland.
He also investigates why the new religion hit a brick wall in Ireland, despite the best efforts of a succession of English monarchs. And he finds out why Scotland largely converted to Protestantism while most of Ireland remained Catholic.
Luther agus An Domhan Gaelach was produced by Waddell Media for BBC Gaeilge, with funding from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund.
Clár fainséise nua de chuid an CCG a dhéanann comóradh ar chothrom 500 bliain ón Reifirméisean Protastúnach
Le cothrom 500 bliain ón Reifirméisean Protastúnach a chomóradh, beidh an Dr Art Hughes, scoláire Gaeilge, ag amharc ar thionchar Martin Luther agus a chuid smaointe ar lucht labhartha na Gaeilge in Albain agus in Éirinn, sa scannán faisnéise seo de chuid BBC Gaeilge, Luther agus An Domhan Gaelach (BBC Two Northern Ireland, Dé Domhnaigh 29 Deireadh Fómhair, 10 i.n.).
Cúig chéad bliain ó shin, sa bhliain 1517, chuir bráthair gan iomrá darbh ainm Martin Luther doiciméad suas ar dhoras teach pobail Caitliceach i mbaile Wittenburg, i lár na hEorpa. Leis sin, leagadh bunchloch an chreidimh Phrotastúnaigh.
Is é a bhí i ndoiciméad Martin Luther, dar teideal na Cúig Théis agus Nócha, agóid aonair in éadan chaiteachas an Phápa Leo X, an chliarlathais Chaitlicigh sa Róimh, agus thar rud ar bith eile, nós na ‘loghanna’, nós a ligeadh do dhuine airgead a íoc le maithiúnas a fháil ina chuid peacaí agus le bheith saor ó phionós Dé.
Ní raibh de rún aige ach díospóireacht a spreagadh i measc lucht na diagachta, ach nuair a rinneadh paimfléad den doiciméad agus nuair a dáileadh i measc an phobail é, chuir sé tús leis na céadta bliain de shuaitheadh creidimh agus polaitíochta ar fud na hEorpa.
Rinne a chuid deisceabal na Cúig Théis agus Nócha agus na scríbhinní a rinne Luther ina dhiaidh sin a chur in oiriúint. Ina measc siúd, bhí an Francach John Calvin agus mac léinn Calvin, John Knox, a bhí leis an Eaglais Phreispitéireach a bhunú in Albain ina dhiaidh sin.
Téann Art ar thuras ón Róimh, ón Ghearmáin agus ón Ghinéiv go dtí Inse Ghall Amuigh, Baile Átha Cliath agus Baile Raghnaill i gContae Aontroma, turas ina rianaíonn sé leathadh an chreidimh Phrotastúnaigh ón Eoraip sa 16ú haois go dtí Gaeltachtaí na hAlban agus na hÉireann.
Chomh maith leis sin, fiosraíonn sé an fáth nár éirigh leis an chreideamh úr in Éirinn, in ainneoin na dtréaniarrachtaí a rinne monarcaí Shasana thar na céadta. Agus faigheann sé amach an fáth ar thiontaigh mórchuid mhuintir na hAlban ina bProtastúnaigh, cé gur fhan an chuid ba mhó de na hÉireannaigh ina gCaitlicigh.
Ba é Waddell Media a rinne Luther agus An Domhan Gaelach do BBC Gaeilge, le maoiniú ó Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge Scáileán Thuaisceart Éireann.
