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Lutheran
The
Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant
Christianity by the original definition.
Lutheranism
as a movement traces its origin to the work of Martin Luther,
a German religious scholar who sought to reform the practices
of the Roman Catholic Church in the early 16th century.
The
symbolic beginning of the Protestant Reformation occurred
on October 31, 1517, when professor Luther posted an open
invitation to debate his 95 theses (statements) involving
current Roman Catholic dogma and practices upon the door
of All Saints Church (customarily used as a notice board
by the University) attached to the castle in Wittenberg,
Saxony (Germany).
Between
1517 and 1520, Luther preached and published his scathing
criticisms of the Roman Church in books and pamphlets. His
ideas were supported by many other Christian theologians,
and they also had a certain populist appeal. As a result,
Luther gained many supporters and followers from all levels
of society, from peasants who considered him a folk hero,
to knights who swore to protect him, to rulers of German
lands who wanted more independence from papal interference
in their domestic policies. Luther also gained some powerful
enemies, including the Pope in Rome and the youthful Holy
Roman Emperor Charles V.
Concerned
about the "problem" of Luther, the Pope and Roman
Catholic officials decided to send Luther the papal bull
called the "Exsurge Domine" in 1520, which called
on Luther to recant and abandon his ideas, with the unspoken
threat of being killed if he did not recant (the Roman Church
had killed earlier would-be reformers, notably Czech reformer
Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake). Luther and a group
of his supporters publicly burned the document in December
of 1520.
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Angered,
Charles V wanted to outlaw Luther and his followers, but
he was warned by advisors that doing so outright would cause
a revolt, since Luther had become so popular. More importantly,
the ruler of Luther's land, Frederick the Wise, refused
to allow any of his subjects to be condemned without trial.
So instead, Luther was to be summoned to appear before the
Diet of Worms, where he was to recant his ideas publicly.
Luther went to Worms (pronounced Vorms), but when called
upon by Roman Catholic officials to recant, Luther made
a historic stand, saying the following: "I cannot submit
my faith either to the Pope or to the Councils, because
it is clear as day they have frequently erred and contradicted
each other. Unless therefore, I am convinced by the testimony
of Scripture ... I cannot and will not retract ... Here
I stand, I can do no other. So help me God, Amen!"
--Martin Luther, April 16, 1521
Luther
had been granted a Safe Conduct to travel to and from his
trial, but remembering how a similar promise had been violated
in the case of Jan Hus, Luther's supporters prevailed upon
him to escape from Worms in the dark of night, before he
too could be seized and executed. Luther remained in hiding
for some time, all the while continuing to write and develop
his ideas. Shortly after Luther escaped, Charles V issued
the Edict of Worms, which outlawed Luther and his followers,
declared Luther and his followers heretics, and banned Luther's
writings.
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Other Protestant reformers
The Lutheran movement was bolstered by the work of several
reformers, primarily among the early leaders was Philipp
Melanchthon (a colleague of Luther's at the Leucorea University
in Wittenberg), Huldreich Zwingli, and John Calvin (the
founder of the Calvinist movement).
Religious war
What had started as a strictly theological and academic
debate had now turned into something of a social and political
conflict as well, pitting the Luther and his German supporters
against the king of Spain (the francophone Charles V who
also ruled the Low Countries, the New World and the Holy
Roman Empire -- of which Germany was then a part), and the
Italian Pope, as well as the supporters of the latter two.
The conflict would erupt even further into a religious war,
fueled by the political climate of the Holy Roman Empire
and strong personalities on both sides.
At the
1526 session of the Diet, meeting that year in Speyer, it
was decided that, until a General Council could meet and
settle the theological issues raised by Martin Luther, the
Edict of Worms would not be enforced and each Prince could
decide if Lutheran teachings and worship would be allowed
in his territories (Cuius regio, eius religio). But the
1529 session, also meeting Speyer, the decision the previous
Diet of Speyer was reversed — despite the strong protests
of the Lutheran princes and free cities (giving rise to
the term protestant).
Lutheranism
would become known as a separate movement after the 1530
Diet of Augsburg, which was convened by Charles V to try
to stop the growing Protestant movement. At the Diet, Philipp
Melanchthon presented a written summary of Lutheran beliefs
called the Augsburg Confession. Several of the German princes
(and later, kings and princes of other countries) signed
the document to define "Lutheran" territories.
These princes would ally to create the Schmalkaldic League
in 1531, which lead to the Schmalkald War that pitted the
Lutheran princes of the Schmalkaldic League against the
Roman Catholic forces of Charles V.
After
the conclusion of the Schmalkald War, Charles V attempted
to impose Roman Catholic religious doctrine on the territories
that he had defeated. However, the Lutheran movement was
far from defeated. In 1577, the next generation of Lutheran
theologians gathered the work of the previous generation
to define the doctrine of the persisting Lutheran church.
This document is known as the Formula of Concord, and in
1580, all documents were bound and distributed in a volume
titled The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
This book is still used today, and is referred to as the
Book of Concord.
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Results of the Lutheran Reformation
Luther and his followers began a large exodus from the Roman
Catholic Church known as the Protestant Reformation. In
the years and decades following Luther's posting of the
95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg church, large numbers
of Europeans left the Roman Church, including the vast majority
of Germanic people (the only Germanics who remained in the
Catholic church were those under the domain and/or influence
of Roman Catholic Austria). Because Luther sparked this
mass movement, he is known as the father of the Protestant
Reformation, and the father of Protestantism in general.
Today,
1 out every 4 Christians in the world is a Protestant, and
1 out of every 5 Protestants in the world is a Lutheran.
Approximately 1 out of every 20 Christians in the world
is a Lutheran.
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Lutheran doctrine
The Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions (formal
principle)
One of the signature teachings of the Lutheran Reformation
is the teaching named Sola scriptura -- "Scripture
alone." Lutherans believe that the Bible is the only
standard by which teachings and doctrines can be judged.
Lutherans also hold that the Holy Scripture is explained
and interpreted by the Book of Concord -- a series of Confessions
of faith composed by Lutherans in the 16th Century. Traditionally,
Lutheran pastors, congregations and church bodies agree
to teach in harmony with the Book of Concord because it
teaches and faithfully explains the Word of God. For this
reason, Lutherans who follow the Book of Concord closely,
especially conservative Lutherans, often refer to themselves
as Confessional Lutherans. Other Lutherans, who agree with
the main teachings of the Lutheran Confessions, but may
take exception to some of its doctrine, subscribe to the
Book of Concord in so far as they are in harmony with Holy
Scripture.
Some
Lutheran church bodies also teach Biblical inerrancy. Others
adopt the viewpoint that the Bible contains God's Word,
but is essentially a human document, subject to error in
non-spiritual matters. Those who hold to the former reject
modern liberal scholarship, while those that hold to the
latter embrace it.
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Central doctrines (material principle)
The central teaching of Lutheranism is the doctrine of salvation
by God's grace alone (Sola Gratia), through faith alone
(Sola Fide) for the sake of Christ's merit alone (Sola Christus).
Lutherans believe that God made the world perfect, holy
and sinless. However, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God,
trusting in their own strength, knowledge and wisdom. Because
of this Original Sin -- the sin from which all other sins
come -- all of human beings are born sinful and sinners.
For Lutherans, it is not actual sins -- the sinful acts
committed by an individual -- that earn God's wrath. It
is who they are that condemns them.
Lutherans
teach that sinners cannot do anything to satisfy God's justice.
Every human thought and deed is believed to be colored by
sin and sinful motives. God must intervene in this world
because He loves sinners and, by His grace alone -- His
free gift of mercy -- a person is forgiven, adopted as a
child of God and given eternal salvation.
Lutherans
believe that individuals receive this gift of salvation
by faith alone -- a full and complete trust in God's promises
to forgive and to save. Even faith itself is seen as a gift
of God, created in the hearts of Christians when they hear
God's Word preached and when they are baptized.
Lutherans
teach that salvation is possible only because of the birth,
perfect life of obedience, sufferings, death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. In the person of Jesus Christ, Lutherans
believe God and Man meet. Because He is God, He is sinless
and so a worthy sacrifice, without spot or blemish. Because
He is a man, He could die. In His death, death is destroyed,
our debt paid for and our sins forgiven.
Lutherans
believe that all who trust in Jesus alone can be sure of
their salvation. They teach that, at death Christians are
immediately taken into the presence of God in Heaven, where
they await the resurrection of the body at the second coming
of Christ.
Most
Lutherans also teach:
Single
Predestination: God chose to save His children before the
world was created, but does not predestine the lost to be
damned. Unlike Calvin, who said explained how the reprobate
come to be damned (double predestination), Luther said it
was a mystery-something which humanity cannot, and probably
should not, comprehend.
Infant Baptism
Baptismal Regeneration
The Real Presence of Christ's Body and Blood "in, with
and under" the Bread and wine of the Lord's Supper.
Amillennialism
For an overview of Lutheran theology, see:
ELCA
Perspective: Braaten, Carl E., Principles of Lutheran Theology
Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983.
LCMS
Perspective: Pieper, Franz. Christian dogmatics. Saint Louis,
Mo. : Concordia Pub. House, 1950-1957.
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Lutheran religious practices
Lutherans generally place great emphasis on a liturgical
approach to worship services; music also forms a large part
of a traditional Lutheran service. Lutheran hymns are sometimes
known as chorales, and Luther himself composed hymns and
hymn tunes, the most famous of which is "A Mighty Fortress
is Our God" ("Ein Feste Burg"). Many Lutheran
churches have active music ministries, including choirs,
hand-bell choirs, children's choirs and sometimes carillon
societies (to ring bells in a bell tower). Johann Sebastian
Bach, a devout Lutheran, composed music for the Lutheran
church.
Children's
ministries are considered fundamental in most Lutheran churches.
Almost all maintain Sunday Schools, and many host or maintain
private nursery-schools, primary schools, regional high
schools and universities. Lutheran pastors and staff are
repeatedly reminded that most evangelism occurs within the
church, with children.
Pastors
usually teach in the common language of the parish. In the
U.S., some congregations and synods traditionally taught
in German or Norwegian, but this custom has been in significant
decline since the early/middle 20th century.
Pastors
almost always have substantial theological educations, including
Greek and Hebrew so that they can refer directly to the
canonical Christian scriptures in the original language.
Lutheran pastors may marry and have families.
Lutheran
Churches in the United States use a number of hymnals. The
most widely uses are: Christian Worship (WELS), The Lutheran
Book of Worship (ELCA), The Lutheran Hymnal (LCMS and WELS)and
Lutheran Worship (LCMS). The Lutheran Church -- Missouri
Synod recently approved a new hymnal, Lutheran Service Book,
which will be available in 2007.
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Lutheran
ecumenism
Lutherans believe in the idea that there should be a single
Christian church, and a single Christian faith. This belief
is ingrained in the Lutheran confessions, and reflects the
history of Lutheranism as a reform movement rather than
a separatist movement.
For
that reason, a number of modern Lutheran denominations,
now largely separated from state control, are reaching out
to other Lutheran denominations as well as other Christian
denominations.
However,
more conservative varieties of Lutheran strive to maintain
historical distinctiveness.
The
largest organizations of Lutheran churches around the world
are the Lutheran World Federation and the International
Lutheran Council, which include the great majority of Lutheran
denominations around the globe.
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Lutheranism
in the United States
In the U.S., congregations are grouped into over 20 different
denominations. The three largest Lutheran bodies in the
United States are, in order of size: the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA), the more conservative Lutheran
Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), and the even more conservative
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). These denominations
provide seminaries, pastoral care, and Sunday School and
liturgical materials. Local congregations contribute funds
to support them and receive services and materials. Denominations
help to start new congregations affiliated with them.
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From
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