what s luther about
“Luther” can mean two different things that people often ask about: the historical figure Martin Luther, and the BBC crime series Luther with Idris Elba. I’ll give you a quick scoop on both so you’re covered.
What’s Luther about?
1. The TV series: dark crime thriller
When people online say “Luther” in a pop‑culture context, they usually mean the BBC crime drama starring Idris Elba. It follows DCI John Luther , a brilliant but emotionally unstable London detective who works in a Serious Crime Unit and becomes obsessed with catching violent criminals.
Core idea in one line
A gifted, obsessive detective hunts horrific criminals in London, but his own rage, trauma, and moral compromises slowly destroy his life.
Key elements
- Luther is a “whirlwind genius” detective, amazing at seeing patterns others miss.
- He’s also dangerous: he bends rules, crosses ethical lines, and sometimes gets pulled toward violence himself.
- Cases are intense and often disturbing, focusing on serial killers and psychologically twisted criminals.
- His relationships (with colleagues, enemies, and especially the brilliant psychopath Alice Morgan) blur the line between friend, foe, and something in between.
A common forum take is: “It’s like a darker, more emotionally wrecked Sherlock, set in London, with way more moral grey areas.”
Mini sections
Tone & vibe
- Gritty, bleak, emotionally heavy.
- Lots of tension, cat‑and‑mouse mind games.
- Less “who did it?” mystery and more “how will Luther stop them, and what will it cost him?”
Why people like it
- Idris Elba’s intense, haunted performance as Luther.
- The villains are memorable and often terrifying.
- It gives strong “tragic hero” energy: a man who’s great at saving others but terrible at saving himself.
If your question “what’s Luther about” is coming from Netflix, BBC, or general TV chatter, it’s almost certainly this show.
2. The person: Martin Luther and the Reformation
In history or religion discussions, “Luther” usually means Martin Luther , the German monk and theologian who kicked off the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.
Core idea in one line
Martin Luther challenged the Catholic Church’s teachings and practices, especially the sale of indulgences, and ended up reshaping Christianity across Europe.
What he’s “about” in history
- He was a German priest and theologian, born in 1483 in Eisleben and ordained in 1507.
- He grew angry at the Church selling indulgences (payments for remission of punishment for sins) and other abuses.
- In 1517, he wrote the Ninety‑five Theses , attacking indulgences and papal abuses; this document spread rapidly thanks to the printing press and sparked huge debate.
- His core belief: people are saved by faith , not by their own works or by buying indulgences.
- He was excommunicated and declared a heretic, but his ideas spread and helped create Protestantism as a major branch of Christianity.
- He later translated the entire Bible into German in 1534, which helped shape both German language and personal Bible reading.
3. Quick HTML table: which “Luther” do you mean?
| Context | Who/what “Luther” is | What it’s about |
|---|---|---|
| TV, Netflix, BBC, Idris Elba | BBC crime drama Luther | [2]A brilliant but unstable London detective hunting violent criminals while battling his own dark side. | [2]
| History, church, theology | Martin Luther, German reformer | [7][1][3]Monk and theologian who attacked indulgences and sparked the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. | [5][1][3][7][9]
4. Latest / trending angle
- The TV series got renewed attention when the feature film Luther: The Fallen Sun released on streaming, which pulled in a new wave of viewers and forum threads breaking down Luther’s psychology and morality.
- Martin Luther himself keeps trending every October around “Reformation Day” (October 31), when people discuss his Ninety‑five Theses, church history, and debates about faith vs. works.
TL;DR:
- If you mean the show, Luther is about a genius but broken London detective chasing brutal criminals and getting dragged into darkness himself.
- If you mean the man, Luther is the 16th‑century German monk who attacked church abuses, wrote the Ninety‑five Theses, and helped launch Protestantism.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
