Lutherans make up the largest Protestant denomination in the world. Lutheran churches have about 75 million members. Lutheranism grew out of the Reformation, a religious movement of the 1500’s. It is based largely on the doctrines and beliefs of the German reformer Martin Luther. Lutherans also trace their beliefs to the ancient Christian tradition. For example, they accept the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian creeds of the early church.
Lutherans emphasize congregational participation in the liturgy and have a tradition of hymn singing. Preaching is also important. Lutherans do not have a unique form of church organization. Bishops, synods (representative church councils), congregational government, or a mixture of the three are found in different Lutheran bodies. Lutherans have variety in their worship, but most Lutheran Communion liturgies (worship services) generally follow the Roman Catholic Mass.
Doctrine.
The teachings of Luther’s Reformation set the Lutherans apart from other Christian churches. The best-known statements of Luther’s teachings appear in two catechisms (formal summaries of beliefs) he wrote in 1529. Lutheran doctrine is also contained in the Augsburg Confession of 1530. All these statements and the three early creeds are included in the Book of Concord (1580). They express the Lutheran belief that God rescues people from sin’s control through the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s forgiveness and acceptance, called justification, is solely the gift of God’s grace (loving kindness) and cannot be earned by religious practices or good deeds. This message of salvation is received through faith and sets the faithful free to serve their neighbors. Lutherans see this message of God’s forgiving love as uniquely set forth in the Bible. They believe the Bible is the final authority and basis for the church’s teaching.
Two sacraments—baptism and the Lord’s Supper—are important parts of Lutheran worship. The Lord’s Supper is also called the Sacrament of the Altar, Communion, and the Eucharist.
Lutheran attitudes have been shaped by various historical and cultural forces. In several countries of northern Europe, Lutheranism is or has been a state religion under government authority. A traditional tendency among Lutherans toward conformity and restraint on political and social issues may be rooted partly in Martin Luther’s opposition to revolutionary disorder. But from the 1500’s through the 1900’s, Lutherans resisted government attempts to control their doctrine or worship. Lutherans also have helped groups in Europe and South Africa fight for freedom.
Lutheranism in America.
Lutherans first settled permanently in the American Colonies during the mid-1600’s. Many Lutherans arrived in the 1700’s, settling mainly in Pennsylvania. But most of them arrived in the United States in the 1800’s. Lutherans came primarily from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and what is now Slovakia. Most of them settled in the Midwest. Today, Lutherans are one of the largest Christian groups in the United States.
Lutheran immigrants usually formed their own ethnic church bodies, but the trend in the 1900’s was toward unification. Most Lutherans in the United States belong to one of three synods: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, or the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was formed in 1988 by a merger of the American Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church in America, and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches.
In 2009, the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to permit the ordination of people in committed, long-term, same-sex relationships. It also voted to respect the conscience of dissenters. In response, some conservative congregations voted to leave the ELCA.
