The Reformation Polka

November 7, 2007 By 8 Comments

Thanks to Bob Waters at Watersblogged! for putting me on to this. I’d like to learn more about the creators of this little work of art:

Filed Under: Art, Movies, Theology 8 Comments
About Gene Veith

Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry College, the Director of the Cranach Institute at Concordia Theological Seminary, a columnist for World Magazine and TableTalk, and the author of 18 books on different facets of Christianity & Culture.

  • http://truthadorned.org/ Scott Moonen
  • Booklover

    Loved it! I did not realize that “Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious” was a polka! I’m glad that Katie only dropped her lute. Great cartoon art! And I love the men’s choir at the beginning–would like to know where that came from.

  • http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com Robert Perry

    No squeezebox? No “yump dilly dilly dilly Yump dilly-I” or whatever it is? (OK, I know I couldn’t sing that one….)

  • john wiers

    Dr. Veith, I’m not sure if this the same Reformation Polka that I’m familiar with because I couldn’t get the one on the link to open, but the one I know about was written by LCMS pastor Robert Gebel. Robert was until just recently the associate pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Iowa City, IA, but he resigned due to health reasons and he and his wife have just recently moved to the Milwaukee area. I knew Robert– his wife and my wife were very good friends and I believe she has Sue Gebel’s email address. As a PCA pastor I had some good times discussing our common Reformation faith as well as Lutheran-Reformed differences with Robert. Once when we were visiting at the Gebels, Robert played the Reformation Polka for us and it was truly hilarious. I think he should make it available for all who love the Reformation. Hopefully this is helpful in tracking down at least one version of the Reformation polka.

    John Wiers

  • http://watersblogged.blogspot.com Bob Waters

    Scott, in that other version… isn’t that Eric Idle as Charles V? ;)

  • http://www.geneveith.com Veith

    Thanks, John. That’s helpful. I’m curious about whoever did the art and the animation. Was Rev. Gebel too?

  • Rev. Robert Gebel

    GEV and friends: The Reformation Polka is proof positive that I had far too much time on my hands during my student days at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. The Polka first appeard in the CSL student newspaper in 1995, and from there it was picked up by Old Lutheran.com on their humor pages and the rest, as they say, is history. Over the years I have given permission to “Fungli,” a Renasissance Fair musician, to add it to his act (that’s the one YouTube entry) and then Prof. Sam Mulberry of Bethel College/University in St. Paul, MN added the animation (that’s the other YouTube entry). I know, “supercalifarilistic” is not a “pure” polka; but slow the tempo and add the oompah and it does the job. Thanks you all for adding to the surprising longevity of my little piece. I’m glad you enjoyed it. RJG

  • Sam Mulberry

    I was just following some of the links from the YouTube site with the Reformation Polka and I stumbled onto this site. You (or someone) said that they had questions about the cartoon. Please feel free to get ahold of me. My e-mail is (s-mulberry@bethel.edu)

    I’m glad you liked it. We also have a “rap” version of Augustine’s Confessions and another cartoon we made about Galileo and interpretation of Scriptures (a Mr. Peabody Parody). Hopefully there will be more to come.

    Sam Mulberry


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