Lutheranism
On the 31st of October 1517, a German friar named Martin Luther nailed a document to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This paper contained ninety-five arguments challenging specific practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The text questioned the sale of indulgences and the authority of the Pope to grant forgiveness for sins through money. Luther did not intend to start a new church at that moment. He sought only to spark an academic debate among theologians about how salvation was obtained. The reaction from church authorities was immediate and severe. Johann Maier von Eck, a prominent Scholastic theologian, publicly labeled Luther's followers as "Lutherans" during the Leipzig Debate in July 1519. This name began as a derogatory term intended to mark them as heretics. It eventually became the standard identifier for the movement itself.
Lutheranism spread rapidly across Northern Europe during the sixteenth century. Prussia adopted the faith as its state religion in 1525. Monarchs in Denmark-Norway and Sweden embraced the reforms to gain control over church properties. King Christian III of Denmark advanced the Reformation after winning a civil war in 1536. The constitution of the Danish Norwegian Church rested on the pure word of God found in Scripture. A complete Bible in Danish was published in 1550 with three thousand copies printed in the first edition. In Sweden, brothers Olaus Petri and Laurentius Petri led the king Gustav Vasa toward Lutheran belief. The Uppsala Synod declared Holy Scripture the sole guideline for faith in 1593. Lutheranism also spread into Estonia and Latvia through Baltic-German rule. In Lithuania Minor, it remained the dominant branch of Christianity until the end of the seventeenth century.
Doctrinal unity among German Lutherans required resolving internal disputes that raged throughout the middle of the sixteenth century. Groups known as Crypto-Calvinists, Philippists, Sacramentarians, Ubiquitarians, and Gnesio-Lutherans argued fiercely over theological points. These conflicts ended when over eight thousand leaders signed the Formula of Concord. This document replaced earlier incomplete collections of doctrine and unified all German Lutherans under identical teaching. The resulting collection became known as the Book of Concord, which was published in 1580. It contains ten documents including the Augsburg Confession and the Smalcald Articles. Lutheran scholasticism developed gradually to argue against Jesuit opponents. Johann Gerhard established this scholastic tradition, while Abraham Calovius represented its climax. The period of Lutheran Orthodoxy is divided into three sections: Early Orthodoxy from 1580 to 1600, High Orthodoxy from 1600 to 1685, and Late Orthodoxy from 1685 to 1730.
Rationalist philosophers like Immanuel Kant and Gottfried Leibniz influenced German society during the eighteenth century. Their work led to an increase in rationalist beliefs at the expense of faith in God. In response, layman Johann Georg Hamann began a revival movement called the Erweckung or Awakening around 1806. Small groups sprang up in universities to study the Bible and read devotional writings. The emphasis shifted around 1830 to restoring traditional liturgy and doctrine within the Neo-Lutheran movement. Danish pastor N. F. S. Grundtvig reshaped church life throughout Denmark by writing about fifteen hundred hymns. Hans Nielsen Hauge, a lay street preacher in Norway, sparked the Haugean movement which emphasized spiritual discipline. Paavo Ruotsalainen, a farmer in Finland, began the Finnish Awakening when he preached about repentance and prayer. Frederick William III of Prussia ordered the Lutheran and Reformed churches to unite in 1817. This decree caused many Lutherans known as Old Lutherans to leave state churches despite imprisonment and military force. Some formed independent free churches while others emigrated to the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The core teaching of Lutheranism is justification by grace alone through faith alone on the basis of Scripture alone. Orthodox theology holds that Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, resulting in original sin for all humanity. People are born sinful and unable to avoid committing sinful acts. Every human thought and deed is infected with sin and sinful motives. Consequently, all of humanity deserves eternal damnation in hell. God sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to redeem people from the power of the devil. Justification is possible only because of the grace of God made manifest in the birth, life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Individuals receive this gift of salvation through faith alone. Saving faith is the knowledge, acceptance, and trust in Christ. Even faith itself is seen as a gift of God created in the hearts of Christians by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Lutherans generally recognize three sacraments: baptism, confession, and the eucharist. Baptism is viewed as a saving work of God mandated and instituted by Jesus Christ. It serves as a means of grace through which God creates and strengthens saving faith. Lutherans administer baptism to both infants and adults. The doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist via a sacramental union is central to the Lutheran faith. Within the Lord's Supper, the true body and blood of Christ are truly present in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine. Private Confession is expected before receiving the Eucharist for the first time. An order of Confession and Absolution is contained in the Small Catechism. Clergy are prohibited from revealing anything said during private Confession per the Seal of the Confessional. Lutherans observe four additional rites including confirmation, ordination to holy orders, anointing of the sick, and holy matrimony.
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Common questions
When did Martin Luther start the Lutheran movement?
Martin Luther started the Lutheran movement on the 31st of October 1517 when he nailed ninety-five arguments to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This document challenged specific practices of the Roman Catholic Church such as the sale of indulgences and the authority of the Pope.
Who gave the name Lutherans to followers of Martin Luther?
Johann Maier von Eck publicly labeled Luther's followers as Lutherans during the Leipzig Debate in July 1519. The term began as a derogatory label intended to mark them as heretics before becoming the standard identifier for the movement itself.
What is the Book of Concord and when was it published?
The Book of Concord is a collection of ten documents that unified all German Lutherans under identical teaching and was published in 1580. It replaced earlier incomplete collections of doctrine after over eight thousand leaders signed the Formula of Concord to resolve internal disputes.
Which countries adopted Lutheranism as their state religion during the sixteenth century?
Prussia adopted Lutheranism as its state religion in 1525 while monarchs in Denmark-Norway and Sweden embraced the reforms to gain control over church properties. King Christian III of Denmark advanced the Reformation after winning a civil war in 1536.
How do Lutherans define justification by grace alone through faith alone?
Lutherans believe individuals receive salvation through faith alone which is the knowledge acceptance and trust in Christ created by the work of the Holy Spirit. This gift of salvation comes from the grace of God made manifest in the birth life suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.