The Fire of the Reformation

By Brantley Drake

I am sure you have heard of Martin Luther. He is the first person you think of when thinking of the Reformation. He led the Protestant Reformation and boldly put his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg and challenged the entire culture and belief system of the Catholic faith. He is known around the world as the saint who translated the Bible to German, began the Protestant denomination, and challenged the idea of indulgences in the Catholic Church. In 1995, the dome in Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, was painted by Petru Botezatu. In his vibrant dome he depicted many famous saints throughout history, one of these saints being Martin Luther.

Petru Botezatu is well known his murals in Hodges Chapel and other churches. Botezatu was born in Romania but escaped the communist country and fled to Austria. Later he established himself in Canada. He first migrated to the U.S. to paint Hodges Chapel. Later he returned to Romania where he painted frescos in the monumental new Cathedral of St. Vinere  in Zalău. His painting of Luther figures prominently in the dome as it is at its base above the central aisle.

Luther: Herald of The Reformation

In Botezatu’s depiction, Luther holds a big white piece of paper with a nail through the top of it. 95 Theses is written on the paper and Luther is holding it front and center. Botezatu did this because the 95 Theses is what Luther is well known for. The nail on the paper is to represent the nail he used to afix his theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittleburg. The 95 Theses was a list of propositions about the indulgences that the Catholic Church was selling. Indulgences were purchased to release people from purgatory. Roman Catholics believe that purgatory is where believers have their souls purified before entering heaven. Luther was extremely disappointed that the church had begun to convince people they needed to pay money to spend less time in purgatory. Later in his life he began to realize that he did not accept the idea of purgatory at all. Luther’s Theses were written to convince the people of the church that the only way to salvation is repentance and the grace of God. This act by Luther led to what was the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

In the mural, Luther is also depicted holding a Bible in his left hand. Botezatu added this because Luther was also known for translating the Bible into German. Luther translated the New Testament from ancient Greek to German in 1522. Luther believe that scripture alone, and not Church tradition, is what Christians should look to to understand God’s plan of salvation. By reading scripture he became convinced that salvation came only through faith and the free gift of God, that is grace.

In the background of the picture next to Luther’s left arm. Is the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This is where Luther posted the 95 Theses. Posting it here also allowed the people of the church to see it as soon as they enter.

Also there is a cherub located above Luther in his mural. A cherub is an angel figure that almost looks like a baby. The Bible describes cherubs as protectors of paradise, and they are said to serve the will of God. They are depicted with the saints to show that the saint is Christian and a godly person. The cherub above Luther blows a trumpet which symbolizes beginnings. This relates to Luther’s main role in the start of the Protestant Reformation.

Luther’s Struggle

Below Luther on his left is an ink pot spilling over a green creature with horns and wings. The creature represents Satan. There is an old legend about Luther and an ink pot. The legend says that Luther was constantly bothered by Satan, demons, and spirits. It is believed that the spirits bothered him to disturb his work of God. Luther often resorted to prayer to defend himself from these horrors. He often said he was most pestered by the spirits when he stayed at Wartburg Castle for ten months, located in Germany. Many people would try to harass Luther after he lit the flame that was the Protestant Reformation. After he was declared a heretic and exiled, he began to experience problems with robbers so he would go hide in Wartburg Castle to avoid them. When Luther was staying at the castle one night the spirits began to pester him again, so he resorted to throwing his ink pot at him to defend himself. This became a legend because allegedly where Luther stayed after he attacked Satan with his inkpot, a small ink stain would appear on the wall wherever he went.

Over Luther’s right shoulder is Wartburg Castle, where Luther was imprisoned. It was at Wartburg Castle that he translated the New Testament and developed his strongest statements about justification. After Luther’s publication of the Ninety-Five Theses, he was in great danger from angry members of the church. Frederick III staged the capture of Luther to protect him from being arrested or killed after he was condemned at the Diet of Worms in May of 1521.

Luther’s Impact

Botezatu’s painting in the dome of the chapel is not only incredibly beautiful, but it also symbolizes what Luther accomplished throughout his life. All the students who enter the chapel at Samford are constantly reminded of the saints like Luther who developed and preserved Christianity. Martin Luther died on February 18, 1546, in Eisleben, Germany, of a cardiac infarct. Luther sparked the fire of the Protestant Reformation and changed the way Christians thought of salvation. Luther should be held as a model for all Christians to not fall into what society tells you is holy and right. Culture will often trick Christians into thinking that cultured Christianity is okay. Luther taught to stand up for faith and what Christians genuinely believe in. He will be remembered for many years for the amazing things he accomplished as a man of God.

Martin Luther
Medium: painting
Artist: Petru Botezatu
Created and Installed: c. 1995
Location: Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel, Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham Alabama, 35229

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Brantley Drake ‘27 was a student in UCS 102: Icons & Memorials in Samford University’s Howard College of Arts & Sciences in fall 2023.

Published: January 3, 2024