View source for Lutheranism

{{Short description|Major branch of Protestantism}}
{{Redirect|Lutheran church|a list of church buildings|List of Lutheran churches}}
{{Redirect|Evangelical Lutheran|denominations known by this name|Evangelical Lutheran Church (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Lutheranism}}
[[File:Konsekration Alsike Kyrka.png|thumb|Lutheran priest [[elevation (liturgy)|elevating]] the [[Sacramental bread|host]] during the [[Mass (liturgy)#Lutheranism|Mass]] at [[Alsike Church]], [[Sweden]]]]
{{multiple image
| direction = vertical
| width     = 250
| image1    = Altar, Roskilde Cathedral 2017-08-18.jpg
| image2    = Roskilde Cathedral aerial crop.jpg
| footer    = [[Roskilde Cathedral]], a cathedral church of the [[Church of Denmark|Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark]]
}}
{{Protestantism |expanded=Major branches}}
'''Lutheranism''' is a major branch of [[Protestantism]] that emerged under the work of [[Martin Luther]], the 16th-century German [[friar]] and [[Protestant Reformers|reformer]] whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the [[Catholic Church]] launched the [[Reformation]] in 1517.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Markkola |first1=P |year= 2015 |title=The Long History of Lutheranism in Scandinavia. From State Religion to the People's Church |journal= Perichoresis |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=3–15 |doi=10.1515/perc-2015-0007 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The Lutheran Churches adhere to the [[Bible]] and the [[Ecumenical Creeds]], with Lutheran doctrine being explicated in the [[Book of Concord]].<ref name="Fritschel1916">{{cite book |last1=Fritschel |first1=George John |title=The Formula of Concord, Its Origin and Contents: A Contribution to Symbolics |date=1916 |publisher=Lutheran Publication Society |page=123 |language=en}}</ref> Lutherans hold themselves to be in continuity with the apostolic church and affirm the writings of the [[Church Fathers]] and the first four [[ecumenical council]]s.<ref name="Ludwig2016"/><ref name="Remensnyder1893"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Olson |first1=Roger E. |title=The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition Reform |date=1 April 1999 |publisher=InterVarsity Press |isbn=978-0-8308-1505-0 |page=158 |language=English}}</ref>

The schism between Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism, which was formalized in the [[Diet of Worms|Edict of Worms of 1521]], centered around two points: the proper source of [[s:Augsburg Confession#Article XXVIII: Of Ecclesiastical Power.|authority in the church]], often called the formal principle of the Reformation, and the doctrine of [[s:Augsburg Confession#Article IV: Of Justification.|justification]], the material principle of Lutheran theology.{{efn|Cf. [[material and formal principles in theology]]}} Lutheranism advocates a doctrine of justification "by [[Grace (Christianity)|Grace]] alone through [[Sola fide|faith alone]] on the basis of [[Bible|Scripture]] alone", the doctrine that [[Religious text|scripture]] is the final authority on all matters of faith. This contrasts with the belief of the Roman Catholic Church, defined at the [[Council of Trent]], which contends that final authority comes from both Scripture and [[Sacred tradition|tradition]].<ref>''Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent'', Fourth Session, Decree on Sacred Scripture (Denzinger 783 [1501]; Schaff 2:79–81). For a history of the discussion of various interpretations of the Tridentine decree, see Selby, Matthew L., ''The Relationship Between Scripture and Tradition according to the Council of Trent'', unpublished Master's thesis, University of St Thomas, July 2013.</ref> In Lutheranism, tradition is subordinate to Scripture and is cherished for its role in the proclamation of the Gospel.<ref name="Jahn2014">{{cite book |last1=Jahn |first1=Curtis A. |title=A Lutheran Looks At Catholics |date=1 January 2014 |publisher=Northwestern Publishing House |isbn=978-0-8100-2613-1 |language=en|quote=Examples that Chemnitz cites include making the sign of the cross, turning to the east in prayer, the renunciation of Satan in Baptism, and others. Other ancient customs and practices clearly do have their origins already in the New Testament, such as replacing the Jewish Sabbath with Sunday as the regular weekly day for worship, also the laying on of hands when ordaining, installing and commissioning a minister of the gospel for public service in the church (1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 1:6). In Christian freedom, we may observe such ceremonies as they serve the preaching of the gospel. The only traditions Lutherans object to are those that pertain to doctrine and Christian life, have no foundation in Scripture, and are used as sources of doctrines—placed on the same level as the doctrines clearly taught in Scripture.}}</ref>

The Lutheran Churches retain many of the [[Christian liturgy|liturgical]] practices and [[Sacrament#Lutheran teaching|sacramental]] teachings of the pre-Reformation Western Church, with a particular emphasis on the [[s:Luther's Small Catechism#VI. THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR|Eucharist]], or Lord's Supper, although [[Eastern Lutheranism]] uses the [[Byzantine Rite]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blc.edu/comm/gargy/gargy1/liturgical_church.html|title=Why is the Lutheran Church a Liturgical Church?|last=Webber|first=David Jay|year=1992|publisher=[[Bethany Lutheran College]]|language=English|accessdate=18 September 2018|quote=In the Byzantine world, however, this pattern of worship would not be informed by the liturgical history of the Latin church, as with the Reformation-era church orders, but by the liturgical history of the Byzantine church. (This was in fact what occurred with the Ukrainian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession, which published in its 1933 Ukrainian Evangelical Service Book the first ever Lutheran liturgical order derived from the historic Eastern Rite.)}}</ref> Though Lutherans are not dogmatic about the number of [[sacraments]], three Lutheran sacraments are generally recognized including [[baptism]], [[absolution|confession]] and the [[eucharist]].<ref name="Lackmann1963">{{cite book |last1=Lackmann |first1=Max |title=The Augsburg Confession and Catholic Unity |date=1963 |publisher=Herder and Herder |page=54 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Galler2025"/><ref name="Becker2024"/><ref name="Jensen2016">{{cite book|last1=Jensen |first1=Gordon A. |title=Martin Luther's Sacramental Theology |publisher=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion |date=22 December 2016 |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.359|isbn=978-0-19-934037-8 |quote=When Luther turned his attention to the number of sacraments in his 1520 treatise "The Babylonian Captivity of the Church," he reduced them from the seven recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. ...  he reduced the valid sacraments from seven to three: "baptism, penance, and the bread"}}</ref> The Lutheran Churches teach [[baptismal regeneration]], that humans "are cleansed of our sins and born again and renewed in Holy Baptism by the Holy Ghost".<ref name="Walther2008">{{cite book|last=Walther|first=Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm|title=Sermons and prayers for Reformation and Luther commemorations|year=2008|publisher=Joel Baseley|isbn=9780982252321|page=27|quote=Furthermore, the Lutheran Church also thoroughly teaches that we are cleansed of our sins and born again and renewed in Holy Baptism by the Holy Ghost. But she also teaches that whoever is baptized must, though daily contrition and repentance, drown The Old Adam so that daily a new man come forth and arise who walks before God in righteousness and purity forever. She teaches that whoever lives in sins after his baptism has again lost the grace of baptism.}}</ref> Lutheranism teaches that [[sanctification in Christianity|sanctification]] commences at the time of justification and that Christians, as a result of their living faith, ought to do good works, which are rewarded by God.<ref name="Harstad1997">{{cite web |last1=Harstad |first1=Adolph L. |title=Justification Through Faith Produces Sanctification |url=https://els.org/resources/document-archive/convention-essays/essay1997-harstad/ |publisher=[[Evangelical Lutheran Synod]] |date=10 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="Preus2025"/> The act of [[mortal sin]] forfeits salvation, unless individuals turn back to God through faith.<ref name="Chemnitz2007"/> In the Lutheran Churches, the [[Power of the Keys|Office of the Keys]] exercised through [[Confession (Lutheran Church)|confession and absolution]] is the "authority which Christ has given to His Church on earth: to [[Binding and loosing|forgive the sins of the penitent sinners]], but to retain the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent."<ref>{{cite book|title=[[The Lutheran Witness]], Volumes 9–11|date=7 December 1892|publisher=[[English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri and Other States]]|page=98|language=English}}</ref><ref name="ELS">{{cite web |author1=[[Martin Luther]] |title=Part 5: Office of the Keys and Confession |date=11 April 2012 |url=https://els.org/beliefs/luthers-small-catechism/part-5-office-of-the-keys/ |publisher=[[Evangelical Lutheran Synod]] |access-date=25 February 2022 |language=English}}</ref> The doctrine of the [[real presence of Christ in the Eucharist]] via a [[sacramental union]] is central to the Lutheran faith, with the [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] (also known as the [[Divine Service (Lutheran)|Divine Service]]) being celebrated regularly, especially on the [[Lord's Day]].<ref name="MattoxRoeber2012">{{cite book |last1=Mattox |first1=Mickey L. |last2=Roeber |first2=A. G. |title=Changing Churches: An Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran Theological Conversation |date=27 February 2012 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |isbn=978-0-8028-6694-3 |page=54 |language=en |quote=In this "sacramental union," Lutherans taught, the body and blood of Christ are so truly united to the bread and wine of the Holy Communion so that the two may be identified. They are at the same time body and blood, bread and wine. This divine food is given, more-over, not just for the strengthening of faith, nor only as a sign of our unity in faith, nor merely as an assurance of the forgiveness of sin. Even more, in this sacrament the Lutheran Christian receives the very body and blood of Christ for the strengthening of the union of faith. The "real presence" of Christ in the Holy Sacrament is the means by which the union of faith, effected by God's Word and the sacrament of baptism, is strengthened and maintained.}}</ref><ref name="Wieting2020">{{cite web |last1=Wieting |first1=Kenneth |title=Are You Fanatical about the Lord's Supper? |url=https://witness.lcms.org/2020/are-you-fanatical-about-the-lords-supper/ |publisher=[[The Lutheran Witness]] |access-date=27 December 2024 |date=23 November 2020}}</ref> 

Lutheranism became the [[Christian state|state church]] of many parts of [[Northern Europe]], starting with [[Duchy of Prussia|Prussia]] in 1525. In Scandinavia, the Roman Catholic bishops largely accepted the [[Reformation in Sweden|Lutheran reforms]] and the Church there became Lutheran in belief; the threefold ministry of [[bishop]]s, [[priest]]s, and [[deacon]]s was continued.<ref name="Benedetto2008"/><ref name="RichardsonJohn1983"/> Lutheran divines who contributed to the development of Lutheran theology include Martin Luther, [[Martin Chemnitz]], [[Philip Melanchthon]], [[Joachim Westphal (of Hamburg)|Joachim Westphal]], [[Laurentius Petri]], [[Olaus Petri]], and [[Laurentius Andreae]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gassmann |first1=Günther |last2=Oldenburg |first2=Mark W. |title=Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism |date=10 October 2011 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7482-4 |page=xxi |language=en}}</ref> 

Lutheranism has contributed to [[hymn|Christian hymnody]] and the [[Lutheran art|arts]], as well as the development of education.<ref name="Lamport2017">{{cite book|last=Lamport|first=Mark A.|title=Encyclopedia of Martin Luther and the Reformation|date=31 August 2017|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|language=English|isbn=9781442271593|page=138}}</ref><ref name="Porras2021">{{cite web |last1=Porras |first1=Gabriel |title=The Impact of Luther’s Reformation on Education |url=https://sda1844.org/the-impact-of-luthers-reformation-on-education/ |publisher=International Missionary Society |access-date=9 May 2025 |date=9 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lutheran Worship |url=https://www.lutheran.org.uk/3406-2/lutheran-worship/ |publisher=Council of Lutheran Churches |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> [[Christian missions]] have been established by Lutherans in various regions.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Granquist |first1=Mark |title=Lutherans in America: A New History |date=9 January 2015 |publisher=Fortress Press |isbn=978-1-4514-9429-7 |page=269 |language=en}}</ref> Lutheran Churches operate a number of [[Lutheran school]]s, colleges and universities around the world, in addition to hospitals and orphanages.<ref name="2015Granquist">{{cite book |last1=Granquist |first1=Mark |title=Lutherans in America: A New History |date=9 January 2015 |publisher=Fortress Press |isbn=978-1-4514-9429-7 |page=154, 196 |language=en}}</ref> A number of Lutheran [[religious order]]s, as well as [[Christian monasticism|monasteries]] and [[convent]]s, live in community to [[Ora et labora|pray and work]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kurian |first1=George Thomas |last2=Lamport |first2=Mark A. |title=Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States |date=10 November 2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-4432-0 |page=1940 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Joy1995">{{cite book |last1=Joy |first1=Janet |title=A Place Apart: Houses of Prayer & Retreat Centers in North America |date=1995 |publisher=Source Books |isbn=978-0-940147-30-0 |page=88 |language=en}}</ref> Lutherans are found across all continents of the globe, numbering 90 million.<ref name="GassmannOldenburg2011">{{cite book |last1=Gassmann |first1=Günther |last2=Oldenburg |first2=Mark W. |title=Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism |date=10 October 2011 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7482-4 |page=202 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lutheranism |url=https://stmatthewswelland.com/lutheranism/ |publisher=St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Welland, Ontario, Canada |access-date=10 May 2025 |language=en |date=6 September 2012}}</ref>

==Etymology==
[[File:St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Altar.jpg|thumb|upright|The high altar of [[Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)|Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church]], a parish of the [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]] in [[Milwaukee]]]]
The name Lutheran originated as a derogatory term used against Luther by German [[Scholasticism#High Scholasticism|Scholastic]] theologian [[Johann Eck|Johann Maier von Eck]] during the [[Leipzig Debate]] in July 1519.<ref name=OOE796>Espín, Orlando O. and Nickoloff, James B. ''An introductory dictionary of theology and religious studies''. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, p. 796.</ref> Eck and other [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] followed the traditional practice of naming a [[Heresy in Christianity|heresy]] after its leader, thus [[Labelling#Labelling in argumentation|labeling]] all who identified with the [[theology of Martin Luther]] as Lutherans.<ref name=ENC3>Fahlbusch, Erwin, and Bromiley, Geoffrey William, ''The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 3''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2003. p. 362.</ref>

Martin Luther always disliked the term ''Lutheran'', preferring the term ''evangelical'', which was derived from {{lang|grc|εὐαγγέλιον}} ''euangelion'', a Greek word meaning "good news", i.e. "[[The gospel|Gospel]]".<ref name=OOE796/> The followers of [[John Calvin]], [[Huldrych Zwingli]], and other theologians linked to the [[Reformed tradition]] also used that term. To distinguish the two evangelical groups, others began to refer to the two groups as ''Evangelical Lutheran'' and ''Evangelical Reformed''. As time passed by, the word ''Evangelical'' was not always used. Lutherans themselves began to use the term ''Lutheran'' in the middle of the 16th century, in order to distinguish themselves from other groups such as the [[Anabaptism|Anabaptists]] and [[Calvinism|Calvinists]]. That being said, many personal opinions of Martin Luther were not adopted by the Lutheran Churches in the [[Augsburg Confession]] (the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church), and because Lutheranism retained much of the pre-Reformation liturgical and devotional practices, the Lutheran Reformation is generally considered to be the most conservative among the Protestant traditions.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Christopher Boyd |title=Singing the Gospel: Lutheran Hymns and the Success of the Reformation |date=30 June 2009 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-02891-3 |page=59-60 |language=en |quote=Luther's example and influence helped to ensure not only the place of vernacular hymns, but also the preservation of much traditional church music along with the new polyphony; wherever there were Latin schools, Luther desired that the traditional music should be maintained. Though Luther and his followers eliminated some elements of medieval liturgy for theological reasons—especially the canon of the Mass—Lutherans retained not only the structure and texts of the liturgy but also a great many of the associated hymns and music.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Charles |last1=Charles Augustus Briggs |title=Protestantism—What It Is and What It is Not |date=1912 |publisher=The Homiletic Review |page=184 |language=en |quote=Luther, like most great men, said and wrote at times many things that were his own peculiar personal opinions and were not adopted by the Lutheran churches. ... Luther may be regarded as the father of Protestantism. Strictly speaking, he was the most prominent of many fathers; but his personal opinions the Protestant churches do not now stand for, and have never stood for, except so far as they have been appropriated in the Augsburg Confession and other official statements of the three great churches of the Reformation. |author1-link=Charles Augustus Briggs }}</ref><ref name="Manos2024">{{cite web |last1=Manos |first1=John K. |title=Lutheranism |url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/lutheranism |publisher=[[EBSCO Information Services]] |access-date=10 June 2025 |language=en |date=2024|quote=Luther was an Augustine monk and teacher at the University of Wittenberg in Germany. His initial effort was not to create a schism within the Roman Catholic Church; he originally only wanted to reform some Church practices and theological beliefs. Thus, the Reformation inspired by Luther was very conservative; the original Lutherans sought to retain Roman Catholic elements to the greatest possible extent. As a result, Lutheran worship is more similar to the Roman Catholic style of worship than any other Protestant church. ... In practice, Lutheran worship bears a closer resemblance to Roman Catholic services than it does to most other Protestant denominations. Luther did not seek to reject the Roman Catholic Church but to reform it. Many aspects of Lutheran worship are quite similar to Catholic services, and generally speaking, Roman Catholics will feel a greater familiarity with Lutheran practices than most other Protestants.}}</ref> 

In 1597, theologians in [[University of Halle-Wittenberg|Wittenberg]] defined the title ''Lutheran'' as referring to the true church.<ref name=ENC3/>

==History==
{{Main|History of Lutheranism}}
{{Further|Reformation}}
[[File:Dresden Martin Luther statue in front of Frauenkirche 04.JPG|thumb|upright|Bronze statue of [[Martin Luther]], in front of the [[Dresden Frauenkirche|Lutheran Church of Our Lady]] in Dresden (1885).]]
Lutheranism has its roots in the work of [[Martin Luther]], who sought to reform the Western Church to what he considered a more biblical foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bethanylutheranvv.org/lutherans_started.html|title=Bethany Lutheran Ministries – Home|work=Bethany Lutheran Ministries|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-date=18 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118164526/http://www.bethanylutheranvv.org/lutherans_started.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090502220318/http://www.biblehistory.com/Lutheran.html Lutherans], Biblehistory.com</ref> The reaction of the government and church authorities to the international spread of his writings, beginning with the ''[[Ninety-five Theses]]'', divided [[Western Christianity]].<ref>MSN Encarta, s.v. "[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761561935/Lutheranism.html Lutheranism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131191959/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761561935/Lutheranism.html|date=31 January 2009}}" by [[George Forell|George Wolfgang Forell]]; ''Christian Cyclopedia'', s.v. "[http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/cyclopedia/02/display.asp?t1=r&word=REFORMATION.LUTHERAN Reformation, Lutheran]" by Lueker, E. et al. [https://web.archive.org/web/20091029103835/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761561935/Lutheranism.html Archived] 2009-10-31. Lutherans believe that the Roman Catholic Church is [[Criticism of the Catholic Church#cite ref-47|not the same as the original Christian church]].</ref> During the Reformation, Lutheranism became the [[state religion]] of numerous states of northern [[Europe]], especially in [[northern Germany]], [[Scandinavia]], and the then-[[Livonian Order]]. Lutheran clergy became civil servants and the Lutheran churches became part of the state.<ref name=":0" />

In 1521, the split between the Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic Church was made public and clear with the [[Edict of Worms]], in which the [[Diet (assembly)|Diet]] condemned Luther and officially banned subjects of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] from defending or propagating Luther's ideas, facing advocates of Lutheranism with forfeiture of all property. Half of it would be then forfeited to the imperial government and the remaining half to the accusing party.<ref name=ENC3/> In Scandinavia, the Roman Catholic bishops largely accepted the Lutheran reforms and the Church there became Lutheran in belief; the threefold ministry of [[bishop]]s, [[priest]]s, and [[deacon]]s was continued.<ref name="Benedetto2008">{{cite book|last1=Benedetto|first1=Robert |last2=Duke|first2=James O. |title=The New Westminster Dictionary of Church History: The Early, Medieval, and Reformation Eras |date=13 August 2008 |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |isbn=978-0664224165 |page=594|quote=In Sweden the apostolic succession was preserved because the Catholic bishops were allowed to stay in office, but they had to approve changes in the ceremonies.}}</ref><ref name="RichardsonJohn1983">{{cite book|author1=Alan Richardson |author2=John Bowden John |title=The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology|year=1983|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press|isbn=0664227481|quote=The churches of Sweden and Finland retained bishops and the conviction of being in continuity with the apostolic succession}}</ref>

===Spread to Northern Europe===
[[File:Gustav Vasa Bible 1541.jpg|thumb|upright|The title page of the Swedish [[Gustav Vasa Bible]], translated by brothers [[Olaus Petri]] and [[Laurentius Petri]] and [[Laurentius Andreae]]|alt=]]
Lutheranism spread through all of [[History of Scandinavia|Scandinavia]] during the 16th century as the monarchs of [[Denmark–Norway#Origins of the Union|Denmark–Norway]] and [[Reformation in Sweden|Sweden]] adopted the faith. Through Baltic-German and Swedish rule, Lutheranism also spread into [[Estonia#Middle Ages|Estonia]] and [[Religion in Latvia#History|Latvia]]. It also began spreading into [[Lithuania proper|Lithuania Proper]] with practically all members of the Lithuanian nobility converting to Lutheranism or [[Calvinism]], but at the end of the 17th century Protestantism at large began losing support due to the [[Counter-Reformation]] and [[religious persecution]]s.<ref>[https://istorijai.lt/kulturiniai-ir-tikybiniai-santykiai-xvi-amziuje/ ''<nowiki>Kultūriniai ir tikybiniai santykiai XVI amžiuje [The cultural and religious relations in the 16th century]</nowiki>''](in Lithuanian). Istorijai.lt. Original archived on 5 August 2018. Retrieved on 4 April 2023.</ref> In German-ruled [[Lithuania Minor]], however, Lutheranism remained the dominant branch of Christianity.<ref>[http://parodos.mab.lt/2018-02/reformacijos-pradzia-lietuvoje/liuteronybe-mazojoje-lietuvoje/ ''<nowiki>Liuteronybė Mažojoje Lietuvoje [Lutheranism in Minor Lithuania]</nowiki>''] (in Lithuanian). Reformacijai – 500.</ref> Lutheranism played a crucial role in preserving the [[Lithuanian language]].<ref>Vyšniauskienė, M. (31 October 2015) [https://www.bernardinai.lt/2015-01-22-mindaugas-sabutis-jei-ne-liuteronai-turbut-siandien-lietuviskai-nekalbetume/ ''<nowiki>Mindaugas Sabutis. Jei ne liuteronai, turbūt šiandien lietuviškai nekalbėtume [If not for Lutherans, we probably wouldn't be speaking in Lithuanian today]</nowiki>''] (in Lithuanian). [[Bernardinai.lt]].</ref>

Since 1520, regular<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=29k9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA195 |title=Historisk fremstilling af reformationens indførelse i Danmark|access-date=5 March 2015|last1=Rohmann|first1=J. L|year=1836}}</ref> Lutheran services have been held in [[Copenhagen]]. Under the reign of [[Frederick I of Denmark|Frederick I]] (1523–1533), Denmark–Norway remained officially Catholic. Although Frederick initially pledged to persecute Lutherans, he soon adopted a policy of protecting Lutheran preachers and reformers, the most significant of which was [[Hans Tausen]].<ref name="Gilbert-12"/>

During Frederick's reign, Lutheranism made significant inroads in Denmark. At an open meeting in Copenhagen attended by [[Christian III|King Christian III]] in 1536, the people shouted, "We will stand by the holy Gospel, and do not want such bishops anymore".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=29k9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA195 |title=Historisk fremstilling af reformationens indførelse i Danmark|location=Kjobenhavn|year=1836|pages=195|access-date=5 March 2015|last1=Rohmann|first1=J. L}}</ref> Frederick's son was openly Lutheran, which prevented his election to the throne upon his father's death in 1533. However, following his victory in [[Count's Feud|the civil war]] that followed, in 1536 he became [[Christian III of Denmark|Christian III]] and advanced the [[Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein|Reformation in Denmark–Norway]].

The constitution upon which the Danish Norwegian Church, according to the [[Church Order (Lutheran)|Church Ordinance]], should rest was "The pure word of God, which is the Law and the Gospel".<ref>{{cite book | author = J. L. Rohmann | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=29k9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA202 | title = Historisk fremstilling af reformationens indførelse i Danmark |location = Kjobenhavn | year = 1836 | pages=202|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref> It does not mention the [[Augsburg Confession]].<ref name="books.google.com"/> The priests had to understand the Holy Scripture well enough to preach and explain the Gospel and the [[Epistle#New Testament epistles|Epistles]] to their congregations.<ref name="books.google.com" />

The youths were taught<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=29k9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA195 |title=Historisk fremstilling af reformationens indførelse i Danmark|access-date=5 March 2015|last1=Rohmann|first1=J. L|year=1836}}</ref> from ''[[Luther's Small Catechism]]'', available in [[Danish language|Danish]] since 1532. They were taught to expect at the end of life:<ref name="books.google.com"/> "forgiving of their sins", "to be counted as just", and "the eternal life". Instruction is still similar.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=72723|title=Danmarks og Norges Kirke-Ritual (Kirkeritualet) |date=25 July 1685 |publisher=retsinformation.dk|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>

The first complete [[Bible]] in [[Danish language|Danish]] was based on [[Luther Bible|Martin Luther's translation]] into [[German language|German]]. It was published in 1550 with 3,000 copies printed in the first edition; a second edition was published in 1589.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rxt3f6fbHGgC&pg=PA416 |title=A Dictionary of the Bible|access-date=5 March 2015|isbn=9781410217301|last1=Hastings|first1=James|date=October 2004|publisher=The Minerva Group }}</ref> Unlike Catholicism, Lutheranism rejects the view that only the communion of the [[Bishop of Rome]] has been entrusted to interpret the "Word of God".<ref name="books.google.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html|title=Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>

The [[Religion in Sweden#Lutheran Reformation|Reformation in Sweden]] began with [[Olaus Petri|Olaus]] and [[Laurentius Petri]], brothers who took the Reformation to Sweden after studying in Germany. They led [[Gustav Vasa]], elected king in 1523, to Lutheranism. The pope's refusal to allow the replacement of an archbishop who had supported the invading forces opposing Gustav Vasa during the [[Stockholm Bloodbath]] led to the severing of any official connection between Sweden and the papacy in 1523.<ref name="Gilbert-12">[http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/gilbert/12.html Chapter 12: The Reformation In Germany And Scandinavia], ''Renaissance and Reformation'' by William Gilbert.</ref>

Four years later, at the {{interlanguage link|Diet of Västerås|sv|Västerås riksdag}}, the king succeeded in forcing the diet to accept his dominion over the national church. The king was given possession of all church properties, as well as the church appointments and approval of the clergy. While this effectively granted official sanction to Lutheran ideas,<ref name="Gilbert-12"/> Lutheranism did not become official until 1593. At that time the [[Uppsala Synod]] declared Holy Scripture the sole guideline for faith, with four documents accepted as faithful and authoritative explanations of it: the ''[[Apostles' Creed]]'', the ''[[Nicene Creed]]'', the ''[[Athanasian Creed]]'', and the unaltered ''Augsburg Confession'' of 1530.<ref>N.F. ''Lutheran Cyclopedia'', article, "[https://books.google.com/books?id=93ErAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA528 Upsala, Diet of]", New York: Schrivner, 1899. pp. 528–529.</ref> [[Mikael Agricola]]'s translation of the first ''[[Se Wsi Testamenti|Finnish New Testament]]'' was published in 1548.<ref>''Lutheran Cyclopedia'', article, "[https://books.google.com/books?id=H3NBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA5 Agricola, Michael]", New York: Schrivner, 1899. p. 5.</ref>

===Counter-Reformation and controversies===
[[File:Toleranzbethaus Fresach, copy Hundskirche in der Kreuzen.jpg|thumb|upright|A Hundskirche replica]]
After the death of [[Martin Luther]] in 1546, the [[Schmalkaldic War]] started out as a conflict between two German Lutheran rulers in 1547. Soon, Holy Roman Imperial forces joined the battle and conquered the members of the [[Schmalkaldic League]], oppressing and exiling many German Lutherans as they enforced the terms of the [[Augsburg Interim]]. Religious freedom in some areas was secured for Lutherans through the [[Peace of Passau]] in 1552, and under the legal principle of ''[[Cuius regio, eius religio]]'' (the religion of the ruler was to dictate the religion of those ruled) and the [[Declaratio Ferdinandei]] (limited [[religious tolerance]]) clauses of the [[Peace of Augsburg]] in 1555.<ref>Fuerbringer, L., ''[https://archive.org/details/concordiacyclope009499mbp Concordia Cyclopedia]'' [[Concordia Publishing House]]. 1927. p. 425</ref>

Religious disputes among the [[Crypto-Calvinism|Crypto-Calvinists]], [[Philippists]], [[Sacramentarians]], [[Ubiquitarians]], and [[Gnesio-Lutherans]] raged within Lutheranism during the middle of the 16th century. These finally ended with the resolution of the issues in the ''[[Formula of Concord]]''. Large numbers of politically and religiously influential leaders met together, debated, and resolved these topics on the basis of Scripture, resulting in the Formula, which over 8,000 leaders signed. The ''[[Book of Concord]]'' replaced earlier, incomplete [[Body of Doctrine|collections of doctrine]], unifying all German Lutherans with identical doctrine and beginning the period of Lutheran Orthodoxy.

In lands where [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]] was the state religion, Lutheranism was officially illegal, although enforcement varied. Until the end of the [[Counter-Reformation#Politics|Counter-Reformation]], some Lutherans worshipped secretly, such as at the Hundskirke (which translates as dog church or dog altar), a triangle-shaped [[Mass rock|Communion rock]] in a ditch between crosses in [[Paternion]], Austria. The crowned serpent is possibly an allusion to [[Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor]], while the dog possibly refers to [[Peter Canisius]]. Another figure interpreted as a snail carrying a church tower is possibly a metaphor for the Protestant church. Also on the rock is the number 1599 and a phrase translating as "thus gets in the world".<ref>This photograph is of a replica of the original Hundskirche stone. [https://books.google.com/books?id=oACQQTZugRgC&pg=PA363 Zeitschrift für Oesterreichische Volkskunde], (Google Books) by Theodor Vernaleken, 1896</ref>

===Lutheran orthodoxy===
{{Main|Lutheran orthodoxy}}
[[File:Collegium Jenense.jpg|thumb|The [[University of Jena]] in Germany, the center of [[Gnesio-Lutherans|Gnesio-Lutheran]] activity leading up to the [[Formula of Concord]], and a center of Lutheran orthodoxy]]
[[File:Sophie Magdalene, queen of Denmark and Norway.jpg|thumb|upright|Danish Queen [[Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach|Sophie Magdalene]] expressed her [[Pietism|Pietist]] sentiment in 1737 by founding a [[Vallø stift|Lutheran convent]].]]
The historical period of Lutheran Orthodoxy is divided into three sections: Early Orthodoxy (1580–1600), High Orthodoxy (1600–1685), and Late Orthodoxy (1685–1730). [[Lutheran scholasticism]] developed gradually, especially for the purpose of arguing with the [[Jesuits]], and it was finally established by [[Johann Gerhard]]. [[Abraham Calovius]] represents the climax of the [[Scholasticism|scholastic]] paradigm in orthodox Lutheranism. Other orthodox Lutheran theologians include [[Martin Chemnitz]], [[Aegidius Hunnius]], [[Leonhard Hutter]], [[Nicolaus Hunnius]], [[Jesper Rasmussen Brochmand]], [[Salomo Glassius]], [[Johann Hülsemann]], [[Johann Conrad Dannhauer]], [[Johannes Andreas Quenstedt]], [[Johann Friedrich König]], and [[Johann Wilhelm Baier]].

Near the end of the [[Thirty Years' War]], the compromising spirit seen in [[Philip Melanchthon]] rose up again in the [[University of Helmstedt|Helmstedt]] School and especially in theology of [[Georgius Calixtus]], causing the [[syncretistic controversy]]. Another theological issue that arose was the Crypto-Kenotic controversy.<ref>[http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=L&word=LUTHERANTHEOLOGYAFTER1580 Lutheran Theology after 1580] article in [[Christian Cyclopedia]]</ref>

Late orthodoxy was torn by influences from [[Rationalism#Classical rationalism|rationalism]], philosophy based on reason, and [[Pietism]], a revival movement in Lutheranism. After a century of vitality, the Pietist theologians [[Philipp Jakob Spener]] and [[August Hermann Francke]] warned that orthodoxy had degenerated into meaningless intellectualism and [[Formalism (philosophy)#Religion|formalism]], while orthodox theologians found the emotional and subjective focuses of Pietism to be vulnerable to Rationalist propaganda.<ref name=CC426>Fuerbringer, L., ''[https://archive.org/details/concordiacyclope009499mbp Concordia Cyclopedia]'' Concordia Publishing House. 1927. p. 426</ref> 

The last famous orthodox Lutheran theologian before the rationalist ''Aufklärung'', or ''Enlightenment'', was [[David Hollatz (dogmatician)|David Hollatz]]. Late orthodox theologian [[Valentin Ernst Löscher]] took part in the controversy against [[Pietism|Pietistic Lutheranism]]. Medieval [[Christian mysticism|mystical]] traditions continued in the works of [[Martin Moller]], [[Johann Arndt]], and [[Joachim Lütkemann]]. Pietism became a rival of orthodoxy but adopted some devotional literature by orthodox theologians, including Arndt, [[Christian Scriver]], and [[Stephan Prätorius]].

===Rationalism===
Rationalist philosophers from France and England had an enormous impact during the 18th century, along with the German Rationalists [[Christian Wolff (philosopher)|Christian Wolff]], [[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz#Ecumenism|Gottfried Leibniz]], and [[Immanuel Kant#Religious writings|Immanuel Kant]]. Their work led to an increase in rationalist beliefs, "at the expense of faith in God and agreement with the Bible".<ref name=CC426/>

In 1709, [[Valentin Ernst Löscher]] warned that this new Rationalist view of the world fundamentally changed society by drawing into question every aspect of theology. Instead of considering the authority of divine revelation, he explained, Rationalists relied solely on their personal understanding when searching for truth.<ref>Kleinig, Vernon P. "Confessional Lutheranism in Eighteenth-Century Germany." ''[http://www.ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/kleinigconfessionallutheranism.pdf Concordia Theological Quarterly 60(1–2)]'' Jan–April 1996: Part I, Valentin Ernst Loescher p. 102.</ref>

[[Johann Melchior Goeze]] (1717–1786), pastor of [[St. Catherine's Church, Hamburg|St. Catherine's Church in Hamburg]], wrote [[Christian apologetics|apologetical]] works against Rationalists, including a theological and historical defence against the [[historical criticism]] of the Bible.<ref>Kleinig, Vernon P. "Confessional Lutheranism in Eighteenth-Century Germany." ''[http://www.ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/kleinigconfessionallutheranism.pdf Concordia Theological Quarterly 60(1–2)]'' Jan–April 1996: Part II, Melchior Goeze pp. 109–112.</ref>

Dissenting Lutheran pastors were often reprimanded by the government bureaucracy overseeing them, for example, when they tried to correct Rationalist influences in the parish school.<ref>Rietschel, William C. ''An Introduction to the Foundations of Lutheran Education''. St. Louis: Concordia, 2000. p. 25 (Although this reference specifically mentions Saxony, government promoted rationalism was a trend across Germany)</ref> As a result of the impact of a local form of rationalism, termed [[Neology]], by the latter half of the 18th century, genuine piety was found almost solely in small Pietist conventicles.<ref name=CC426/> However, some of the laity preserved Lutheran orthodoxy from both Pietism and rationalism by reusing old catechisms, hymnbooks, [[postil]]s, and devotional writings, including those written by [[Johann Gerhard]], [[Heinrich Müller (theologian)|Heinrich Müller]] and [[Christian Scriver]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stolaf.edu/people/lund/Research.htm|title=Untitled Document|access-date=5 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924110723/http://www.stolaf.edu/people/lund/Research.htm|archive-date=24 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Revivals===
[[File:A Tidemand-Haugianerne.jpg|thumb|A 19th century [[Haugean movement|Haugean]] [[conventicle]]|alt=]]
[[File:Olbers.jpg|thumb|The ''Olbers'', one of the ships that carried Old Lutherans to the [[Western Hemisphere]]]]
[[File:Konfirmaatio Aholansaari 2009.JPG|thumb|Representing a continuous tradition of the [[Awakening (Finnish religious movement)|Finnish Awakening]], youth are [[confirmation|confirmed]] at [[Paavo Ruotsalainen]]'s homestead in [[Nilsiä]], Finland.|alt=]]
Luther scholar [[Johann Georg Hamann]] (1730–1788), a layman, became famous for countering Rationalism and striving to advance a [[Christian revival#19th century|revival]] known as the ''Erweckung'', or ''Awakening''.<ref name=Gritsch180>Gritsch, Eric W. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fIhb4-iBk6EC&pg=PA180 A History of Lutheranism]. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002. p. 180.</ref> In 1806, [[War of the Fourth Coalition|Napoleon's invasion of Germany]] promoted Rationalism and angered German Lutherans, stirring up a desire among the people to preserve Luther's theology from the Rationalist threat. Those associated with this ''Awakening'' held that reason was insufficient and pointed out the importance of emotional religious experiences.<ref name="Armin Sierszyn p. 155">Armin Sierszyn: 2000 Jahre Kirchengeschichte, Book.4, Die Neuzeit, p. 155</ref><ref name="Suelflow, Roy A. 1967. p. 10">Suelflow, Roy A. ''Walking With Wise Men''. Milwaukee: [[South Wisconsin District (LCMS)]], 1967. p. 10</ref>

Small groups sprang up, often in universities, which devoted themselves to Bible study, reading devotional writings, and revival meetings. Although the beginning of this ''Awakening'' tended heavily toward Romanticism, [[patriotism]], and experience, the emphasis of the ''Awakening'' shifted around 1830 to restoring the traditional liturgy, doctrine, and confessions of Lutheranism in the [[Neo-Lutheranism|Neo-Lutheran]] movement.<ref name="Armin Sierszyn p. 155"/><ref name="Suelflow, Roy A. 1967. p. 10"/>

This Awakening swept through all of [[Scandinavia]] except [[Iceland]].<ref name="Latourette p.165">[[Kenneth Scott Latourette|Latourette, Kenneth Scott]]. ''Christianity in a Revolutionary Age, Volume II, The Nineteenth Century in Europe''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 165.</ref> It developed from both German Neo-Lutheranism and Pietism. Danish pastor and philosopher [[N. F. S. Grundtvig]] reshaped church life throughout Denmark through a reform movement beginning in 1830. He also wrote about 1,500 hymns, including ''[[God's Word Is Our Great Heritage]]''.<ref name = Gritsch182>Gritsch, Eric W. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fIhb4-iBk6EC&pg=PA182 A History of Lutheranism]. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002. p. 182.</ref>

In [[Norway]], [[Hans Nielsen Hauge]], a lay street preacher, emphasized spiritual discipline and sparked the [[Haugean]] movement,<ref name= Gritsch183>Gritsch, Eric W. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fIhb4-iBk6EC&pg=PA183 A History of Lutheranism]. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002. p. 183.</ref> which was followed by the ''Johnsonian Awakening'' within the state-church as spearheaded by its namesake, [[Dogmatic theology|dogmatician]] and Pietist [[Gisle Johnson]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=6QszAQAAQBAJ&dq=%22usually+referred+to+as+the+%27Johnsonian+awakening%27%22&pg=PA22 Building God's Kingdom: Norwegian Missionaries in Highland Madagascar 1866–1903] by Karina Hestad Skeie, p. 22</ref> The ''Awakening'' drove the growth of foreign missions in Norway to non-Christians to a new height, which has never been reached since.<ref name="Latourette p.165"/> In Sweden, [[Lars Levi Læstadius]] began the [[Laestadianism|Laestadian movement]] that emphasized moral reform.<ref name=Gritsch183 /> In Finland, a farmer, [[Paavo Ruotsalainen]], began the [[Finnish Awakening]] when he took to preaching about repentance and prayer.<ref name=Gritsch183/>

In 1817, [[Frederick William III of Prussia]] ordered the Lutheran and Reformed churches in his territory to unite, forming the [[Prussian Union of Churches]]. The unification of the two branches of German Protestantism sparked the [[Prussian Union (Evangelical Christian Church)#Quarrels over the union|Schism of the Old Lutherans]]. Many Lutherans, called "[[Old Lutherans]]", chose to leave the state churches despite imprisonment and military force.<ref name = Gritsch180 /> Some formed independent church bodies, or "[[free church]]es", at home while [[Old Lutherans#North American migrations|others left]] for the United States, Canada and Australia. A similar legislated merger in [[Silesia]] prompted thousands to join the Old Lutheran movement. The dispute over ecumenism overshadowed other controversies within German Lutheranism.<ref>{{Cite book | year=1974 | contribution=Lutheran Churches | editor-last=Benton | editor-first=William | editor-link=William Benton (senator) | title=Encyclopædia Britannica | edition=15 | place=Chicago | publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. | volume=11 | page=198 | isbn=978-0-85229-290-7 }}</ref>

Despite political meddling in church life, local and national leaders sought to restore and renew Christianity. Neo-Lutheran [[Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe]] and Old Lutheran free church leader Friedrich August Brünn<ref>[http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/cyclopedia/02/display.asp?t1=b&word=BRUNN.FRIEDRICHAUGUST Christian Cyclopedia article on Brünn]</ref> both sent young men overseas to serve as pastors to [[German American]]s, while the [[Inner Mission (Germany)|Inner Mission]] focused on renewing the situation home.<ref name=Gritsch184>Gritsch, Eric W. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fIhb4-iBk6EC&pg=PA184 A History of Lutheranism]. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002. p. 184.</ref> [[Johann Gottfried Herder]], [[superintendent (ecclesiastical)|superintendent]] at Weimar and part of the Inner Mission movement, joined with the Romantic movement with his quest to preserve human emotion and experience from Rationalism.<ref name=Gritsch187>Gritsch, Eric W. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fIhb4-iBk6EC&pg=PA187 A History of Lutheranism]. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002. p. 187.</ref>

[[Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg]], though raised Reformed, became convinced of the truth of historic Lutheranism as a young man.<ref name=KSL21>[[Kenneth Scott Latourette|Latourette, Kenneth Scott]]. ''Christianity in a Revolutionary Age, Volume II, The Nineteenth Century in Europe.'' Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1959, p. 21.</ref> He led the Neo-Lutheran ''Repristination School'' of theology, which advocated a return to the orthodox theologians of the 17th century and opposed modern Bible scholarship.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Repristination Theology |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=6 Apr 2010 |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/498536/Repristination-Theology}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=March 2019}} As editor of the periodical ''[[Evangelische Kirchenzeitung]]'', he developed it into a major support of Neo-Lutheran revival and used it to attack all forms of theological liberalism and rationalism. Although he received a large amount of slander and ridicule during his forty years at the head of revival, he never gave up his positions.<ref name=KSL21/>

The theological faculty at the [[University of Erlangen]] in [[Bavaria]] became another force for reform.<ref name=KSL21/> There, professor [[Gottlieb Christoph Adolf von Harless|Adolf von Harless]], though previously an adherent of rationalism and [[German idealism]], made Erlangen a magnet for revival oriented theologians.<ref name=KSL22>[[Kenneth Scott Latourette|Latourette, Kenneth Scott]]. ''Christianity in a Revolutionary Age, Volume II, The Nineteenth Century in Europe.'' Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 22.</ref> Termed the ''Erlangen School'' of theology, they developed a new version of the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation]],<ref name=KSL22/> which they felt emphasized the humanity of [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus]] better than the ecumenical creeds.<ref name=HJN175>Nichols, James Hastings. History of Christianity 1650–1950: Secularization of the West. New York, Ronald Press, 1956, p. 175.</ref> As theologians, they used both modern historical critical and Hegelian philosophical methods instead of attempting to revive the orthodoxy of the 17th century.<ref>Gassmann, Günther, et al. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Htz8M1Xlqi4C&pg=PA32 Historical dictionary of Lutheranism]. Augsburg Fortress, Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2001. p. 32.</ref>

[[Friedrich Julius Stahl]] led the ''[[High Church Lutheranism|High Church Lutherans]]''. Though raised Jewish, he was baptized as a Christian at the age of 19 through the influence of the Lutheran school he attended. As the leader of a [[neofeudalism|neofeudal]] Prussian political party, he campaigned for the [[divine right of kings]], the power of the [[Junker|nobility]], and [[episcopal polity]] for the church. Along with [[Theodor Kliefoth]] and [[August Friedrich Christian Vilmar]], he promoted agreement with the Roman Catholic Church with regard to the [[Magisterium|authority of the institutional church]], [[ex opere operato]] effectiveness of the sacraments, and the divine authority of clergy. Unlike Catholics, however, they also urged complete agreement with the ''Book of Concord''.<ref name=HJN175/>

The Neo-Lutheran movement managed to slow secularism and counter atheistic [[Marxism]], but it did not fully succeed in Europe.<ref name=Gritsch184/> It partly succeeded in continuing the Pietist movement's drive to right social wrongs and focus on individual conversion. The Neo-Lutheran call to renewal failed to achieve widespread popular acceptance because it both began and continued with a lofty, idealistic [[Romanticism]] that did not connect with an increasingly [[Second Industrial Revolution#Socio-economic impacts|industrialized]] and [[Religion in Europe#Irreligion|secularized]] Europe.<ref name=Gritsch188>Gritsch, Eric W. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fIhb4-iBk6EC&pg=PA188 A History of Lutheranism]. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002. p. 188.</ref> The work of local leaders resulted in specific areas of vibrant spiritual renewal, but people in Lutheran areas became increasingly distant from church life.<ref name=Gritsch184/> Additionally, the revival movements were divided by philosophical traditions. The Repristination school and Old Lutherans tended towards Kantianism, while the Erlangen school promoted a [[Right Hegelians#Hegelian theologians|conservative Hegelian perspective]]. By 1969, Manfried Kober complained that "unbelief is rampant" even within German Lutheran parishes.<ref>Detzler, Wayne A. ''The Changing Church in Europe.'' Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979. p. 17. Quotation from Manfred Kober, ''Theology in Germany'', from the Reformation Review, April 1969.</ref> 

In the 21st century, Lutheranism has experienced growth, especially in Africa and Asia, as well as among young adults in the West. Conversion to Lutheran Christianity is colloquially known as having "walked the Wittenberg Trail".<ref name="McFadden2023">{{cite web |last1=McFadden |first1=Dennis E. |title=Wittenberg Trail |url=https://issuesetc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/mcfadden.pdf |publisher=Lutheran Public Radio |access-date=5 June 2025 |date=2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Are Your Pews Filling With Young and New Christians? |url=https://www.adcrucem.news/p/are-your-pews-filling-with-young |publisher=Ad Crucem |access-date=16 May 2025 |language=en |quote=Confessional and liturgical Lutheran churches have also enjoyed an influx of young men and women, which is part of an overall trend that has arrested the long-term decline in Christian affiliation in the US.}}</ref><ref name="Block2014">{{cite web |last1=Block |first1=Mathew |title=Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church welcomes Iranian converts |url=https://ilcouncil.org/2014/02/04/germanys-independent-evangelical-lutheran-church-welcomes-iranian-converts/ |publisher=[[International Lutheran Council]] |access-date=16 May 2025 |date=4 February 2014}}</ref><ref name="Siirila2024">{{cite web |last1=Siirila |first1=Rob |title=Helping Asian leaders remain faithful and fruitful amidst challenges |url=https://wels.net/helping-asian-leaders/ |publisher=[[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]] |access-date=16 May 2025 |date=2024 |quote=WELS ministry in Asia now serves people in at least a dozen countries. The church is growing quickly, but it faces many pressures.}}</ref>

==Doctrine<!--'Lutheran theologian' and 'Lutheran theology' redirect here-->==
===Bible===
[[File:Lutherbibel.jpg|thumb|[[Luther Bible|Luther's 1534 translation of the Bible]]]]
[[File:Lucas Cranach (I) - The Law and the Gospel.jpg|thumb|[[Moses]] and [[Elijah]] point the sinner looking for God's salvation to the cross to find it, a Lutheran ideal known as the [[Theology of the Cross]].]]
Traditionally, Lutherans hold the [[Bible|Scriptures]] of the [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]]s to be the only divinely inspired books, the only presently available sources of divinely revealed knowledge, and the only infallible source of Christian doctrine.<ref>For the traditional Lutheran view of the Bible, see {{cite book|last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |pages=3ff |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712193848/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |archive-date=12 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}. For an overview of the doctrine of verbal inspiration in Lutheranism, see [http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/cyclopedia/02/display.asp?t1=i&word=INSPIRATION.DOCTRINEOF Inspiration, Doctrine of] in the Christian Cyclopedia.</ref> The [[Luther Bible]] placed the [[biblical apocrypha|Apocrypha]] in a section in between the Old Testament and New Testament, being books that were useful for edification and instruction in moral matters, though noncanonical.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ewert |first=David |title=A General Introduction to the Bible: From Ancient Tablets to Modern Translations |date=11 May 2010 |publisher=Zondervan |isbn=9780310872436 |page=104}}</ref> [[Sola scriptura|Scripture alone]] is the [[Formal and material principles of theology|formal principle]] of the faith, the [[Rule of Faith|final authority]] for all matters of faith and morals because of its inspiration, authority, clarity, efficacy, and sufficiency.<ref>{{cite book|last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |pages=7ff |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712193848/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |archive-date=12 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}, {{cite book|last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n58 29] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934 }}</ref>

The authority of the Scriptures has been challenged during the history of Lutheranism. Martin Luther taught that the Bible was the written Word of God, and the only infallible guide for faith and practice. He held that every passage of Scripture has one straightforward meaning, the literal sense as interpreted by other Scripture.<ref>Braaten, Carl E. (1983). Principles of Lutheran Theology. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, p. 9</ref> These teachings were accepted during the [[Lutheran Orthodoxy|orthodox Lutheranism]] of the 17th century.<ref>Preus, Robert. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=McgOAAAAIAAJ The Inspiration of Scripture: A Study of the Theology of the 17th Century Lutheran Dogmaticians].'' London: Oliver and Boyd, 1957. p. 39.</ref> During the 18th century, Rationalism advocated reason rather than the authority of the Bible as the final source of knowledge, but most of the [[Laity#Protestantism|laity]] did not accept this Rationalist position.<ref>{{Cite book | year=1978 | contribution=Lutheran Churches | editor-last=Benton | editor-first=William | editor-link=William Benton (senator) | title=Encyclopædia Britannica | edition=15 | place=Chicago | publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. | volume=11 | pages=197–98 | isbn=978-0-85229-290-7 }}</ref> In the 19th century, a [[Confessional Lutheran|confessional revival]] re-emphasized the authority of the Scriptures and agreement with the Lutheran Confessions.

Today, Lutherans disagree about the inspiration and authority of the Bible. Theological conservatives use the [[historical-grammatical method]] of Biblical interpretation, while [[Liberal Christianity|theological liberals]] use the [[higher criticism|higher critical]] method.

====Inspiration====
Although many Lutherans today hold less specific views of [[Biblical inspiration|inspiration]], historically, Lutherans affirm that the Bible does not merely contain the Word of God, but every word of it is, because of plenary, verbal inspiration, the direct, immediate word of God.<ref>{{cite book |last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n55 26] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934}}</ref> The ''[[Apology of the Augsburg Confession]]'' identifies Holy Scripture with the Word of God<ref>"God's Word, or Holy Scripture" from the [http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_2_originalsin.php Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article II, of Original Sin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022004920/https://bookofconcord.org/defense_2_originalsin.php |date=22 October 2020 }}</ref> and calls the Holy Spirit the author of the Bible.<ref>"the Scripture of the Holy Ghost." [http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_greeting.php Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Preface, 9] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031090229/http://bookofconcord.org/defense_greeting.php |date=31 October 2020 }}</ref> Because of this, Lutherans confess in the ''Formula of Concord'', "we receive and embrace with our whole heart the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the pure, clear fountain of Israel".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/sd-ruleandnorm.php|title=The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-date=28 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228130027/http://www.bookofconcord.org/sd-ruleandnorm.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> The prophetic and apostolic Scriptures are confessed as authentic and written by the prophets and apostles. A correct translation of their writings is seen as God's Word because it has the same meaning as the original Hebrew and Greek.<ref name="Engelder 1934 27">{{cite book |last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934 |location=Saint Louis, MO |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n56 27]}}</ref> A mistranslation is not God's word, and no human authority can invest it with divine authority.<ref name="Engelder 1934 27"/>

====Clarity====
Historically, Lutherans understand the Bible to present all doctrines and commands of the Christian faith [[Clarity of scripture|clearly]].<ref>{{bibleverse||Psalm|19:8|50}}, {{bibleverse||Psalm|119:105|50}}, {{bibleverse||Psalm|119:130|50}}, {{bibleverse|2|Timothy|3:15|50}}, {{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|30:11|50}}, {{bibleverse|2|Peter|1:19|31}}, {{bibleverse||Ephesians|3:3–4|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|8:31–32|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|4:3–4|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|8:43–47|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Peter|3:15–16|31}}, {{cite book|last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n58 29] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934 }}, {{cite book|last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |pages=11–12 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712193848/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |archive-date=12 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In addition, Lutherans believe that God's Word is freely accessible to every reader or hearer of ordinary intelligence, without requiring any special education.<ref>{{cite book|last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=11 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712193848/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |archive-date=12 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}, {{cite book|last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n57 28] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934 }}</ref> A Lutheran must understand the language that scriptures are presented in, and should not be so preoccupied by error so as to prevent understanding.<ref>{{cite book|last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=11 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712193848/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |archive-date=12 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As a result of this, Lutherans do not believe there is a need to wait for any clergy, pope, scholar, or [[ecumenical council]] to explain the real meaning of any part of the Bible.<ref>{{cite book |last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n57 28] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934}}
</ref>

====Efficacy====
Lutherans confess that Scripture is united with the power of the Holy Spirit and with it, not only demands, but also creates the acceptance of its teaching.<ref>{{bibleverse||Romans|1:16|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Thessalonians|2:13|50}}, {{cite book|last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=11 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712193848/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |archive-date=12 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}, {{cite book|last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n56 27] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934 }}</ref> This teaching produces faith and obedience. Holy Scripture is not a dead letter, but rather, the power of the Holy Spirit is inherent in it.<ref>{{bibleverse||Romans|1:16|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Thessalonians|1:5|50}}, {{bibleverse||Psalm|119:105|50}}, {{bibleverse|2|Peter|1:19|50}}, {{bibleverse|2|Timothy|1:16–17|31}},{{bibleverse||Ephesians|3:3–4|50}}, {{cite book|last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |pages=11–12 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712193848/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |archive-date=12 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}, {{cite book|last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n57 28] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934 }}</ref> Scripture does not compel a mere intellectual assent to its doctrine, resting on logical argumentation, but rather it creates the living agreement of faith.<ref>{{bibleverse||John|6:63|31}}, {{bibleverse||Revelation|1:3|31}}, {{bibleverse||Ephesians|3:3–4|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|7:17|31}}, {{cite book|last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=12 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712193848/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |archive-date=12 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}, {{cite book|last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n57 28] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934 }}</ref> As the [[Smalcald Articles]] affirm, "in those things which concern the spoken, outward Word, we must firmly hold that God grants His Spirit or grace to no one, except through or with the preceding outward Word".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/smalcald.php#confession|title=Smalcald Articles – Book of Concord|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731111923/http://www.bookofconcord.org/smalcald.php#confession|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Sufficiency====
[[File:Cranach Gesetz und Gnade Gotha.jpg|thumb|''Law and Grace'', a portrait by [[Lucas Cranach the Elder]]; the left side shows humans' condemnation under God's law and the right side presents God's grace in Christ.|alt=]]
Lutherans are confident that the Bible contains everything that one needs to know in order to obtain salvation and to live a Christian life.<ref>
{{bibleverse|2|Timothy|3:15–17|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|5:39|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|17:20|31}}, {{bibleverse||Psalm|19:7–8|31}}, {{cite book |last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n57 28] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934}}</ref> There are no deficiencies in Scripture that need to be filled with by tradition, [[Obsequium religiosum|pronouncements of the Pope]], new revelations, or present-day [[development of doctrine]].<ref>{{bibleverse||Isaiah|8:20|50}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|16:29–31|50}}, {{bibleverse|2|Timothy|3:16–17|31}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=13 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807135035/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/bibliology.txt |archive-date=7 August 2007 |df=dmy-all }}, {{cite book |last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W. |url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 |title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n57 28] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934 }}</ref>

====Role of Tradition====
The Lutheran divines held that "Scripture was still to be read within a living ecclesial Tradition, and especially though the writings of the Church Fathers".<ref name="Kringlebotten2014">{{cite web |last1=Kringlebotten |first1=Kjetil |title=Some Lutheran reflections on Scripture and Tradition |url=https://katolikken.wordpress.com/2014/07/27/some-lutheran-reflections-on-scripture-and-tradition/ |publisher=The Lutheran Neoplatonist |language=en |date=27 July 2014}}</ref> Furthermore, the Lutheran Churches teach "Scripture as ‘the norm which norms (but which is not itself normed)’ (''norma normans'' or ''norma normans non normata'') and Tradition, especially the ecumenical creeds, as ‘the norms which are normed’ (''norma normata'')."<ref name="Kringlebotten2014"/> As such, Lutherans hold that "Although Scripture cannot be normed by Tradition (''norma normans non normata''), it can be, and is, interpreted through Tradition. Tradition is still a norm (''norma normata'')."<ref name="Kringlebotten2014"/>

In the Lutheran Churches, [[sacred tradition|tradition]] is revered in the sense of the "transmission of the Scriptures from one generation to the next", the [[Ecumenical Creeds]], the [[Book of Concord]], "the true exposition and understanding of Scripture received from the apostles and handed down to future generations", "Christian doctrines not explicity stated in Scripture but drawn from clear Scripture on the basis of sound reason", "the teachings of the early church fathers as they taught Scripture", "ceremonies as they serve the preaching of the gospel" such as "making the [[sign of the cross]], [[direction of prayer|turning to the east in prayer]], [and] the [[Minor exorcism in Christianity|renunciation of Satan in Baptism]]".<ref name="Jahn">{{cite book |last1=Jahn |first1=Curtis A. |title=A Lutheran Looks At Catholics |date=1 January 2014 |publisher=Northwestern Publishing House |isbn=978-0-8100-2613-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Kringlebotten2014"/>

As Lutheranism emerged, it did reject what it see as Roman Catholic traditions that "have no foundation in Scripture, and are used as sources of doctrines—placed on the same level as the doctrines clearly taught in Scripture."<ref name="Jahn"/>

====Law and Gospel====
Lutherans understand the Bible as containing two distinct types of content, termed [[Law and Gospel]] (or Law and Promises).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.com/defense_4_justification.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118113812/http://www.bookofconcord.com/defense_4_justification.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 January 2013|title=Defense of the Augsburg Confession – Book of Concord|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref> Properly distinguishing between Law and Gospel prevents the obscuring of the Gospel teaching of justification by grace through faith alone.<ref>Walther, C. F. W. [http://lutherantheology.com/uploads/works/walther/LG/index.html The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel]. W. H. T. Dau, trans. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1929.</ref>

===Lutheran confessions===
[[File:Bookofconcord.jpg|thumb|upright|The cover page of the ''[[Book of Concord]]'', published in 1580]]
The ''[[Book of Concord]]'', published in 1580, contains 10 documents which many Lutherans believe are faithful and authoritative explanations of Holy Scripture. Besides the three [[Ecumenical Creeds]], which date to [[Roman Empire|Roman times]], the ''Book of Concord'' contains seven [[Creed|credal]] documents articulating Lutheran theology in the Reformation era.

The doctrinal positions of Lutheran churches are not uniform because the ''Book of Concord'' does not hold the same position in all Lutheran churches. For example, the [[State religion#Lutheran|state churches]] in Scandinavia consider only the ''Augsburg Confession'' as a "summary of the faith" in addition to the three ecumenical creeds.<ref>F.E. Mayer, The Religious Bodies of America. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1954, p. 184. For further information, see [http://www.wlsessays.net/node/491 The Formula of Concord in the History of Swedish Lutheranism] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707192443/http://www.wlsessays.net/node/491 |date=7 July 2010 }} by Seth Erlandsson</ref> Lutheran pastors, congregations, and church bodies in Germany and the Americas usually agree to teach in harmony with the entire Lutheran confessions. Some Lutheran church bodies require this pledge to be unconditional because they believe the confessions correctly state what the Bible teaches. Others allow their congregations to do so "insofar as" the confessions are in agreement with the Bible. In addition, Lutherans accept the teachings of the first seven [[ecumenical councils]] of the Christian Church.<ref name="Olson1999">{{cite book|title=The Ecumenical Councils and Authority in and of the Church|date=10 July 1993|publisher=The Lutheran World Federation|url=https://www.lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/1993-Lutheran_Orthodox_Dialogue-EN.pdf|quote=The seven ecumenical councils of the early Church were assemblies of the bishops of the Church from all parts of the Roman Empire to clarify and express the apostolic faith. These councils are Nicaea (325 AD), Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), Constantinople II (553), Constantinople III (680/81), and Nicaea II (787)... As Lutherans and Orthodox we affirm that the teachings of the ecumenical councils are authoritative for our churches ... The Seventh Ecumenical Council, the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, which rejected iconoclasm and restored the veneration of icons in the churches, was not part of the tradition received by the Reformation. Lutherans, however, rejected the iconoclasm of the 16th century, and affirmed the distinction between adoration due to the Triune God alone and all other forms of veneration (CA 21). Through historical research this council has become better known.  Nevertheless it does not have the same significance for Lutherans as it does for the Orthodox. Yet, Lutherans and Orthodox are in agreement that the Second Council of Nicaea confirms the christological teaching of the earlier councils and in setting forth the role of images (icons) in the lives of the faithful reaffirms the reality of the incarnation of the eternal Word of God, when it states: "The more frequently, Christ, Mary, the mother of God, and the saints are seen, the more are those who see them drawn to remember and long for those who serve as models, and to pay these icons the tribute of salutation and respectful veneration. Certainly this is not the full adoration in accordance with our faith, which is properly paid only to the divine nature, but it resembles that given to the figure of the honored and life-giving cross, and also to the holy books of the gospels and to other sacred objects" (Definition of the Second Council of Nicaea).}}</ref><ref name="Kelly2009">{{cite book|title=Ecumenical Council|publisher=Titi Tudorancea Encyclopedia|year=1991–2016|url=https://www.tititudorancea.net/z/ecumenical_council.htm|quote=The Lutheran World Federation, in ecumenical dialogues with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has affirmed all of the first seven councils as ecumenical and authoritative.}}</ref>

The Lutheran Church traditionally sees itself as the "main trunk of the historical Christian Tree" founded by Christ and the Apostles, holding that during the [[Reformation]], the [[Holy See|Church of Rome]] fell away.<ref name="Remensnyder1893">{{cite book |author1=Junius Benjamin Remensnyder |title=The Lutheran Manual |date=1893 |publisher=Boschen & Wefer Company |page=12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rWA3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA12 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Frey|first=H.|title=Is One Church as Good as Another?|volume=37|year=1918|magazine=[[The Lutheran Witness]]|language=en|pages=82–83|quote=There can only be one true visible Church. Of this our Catechism speaks in Question 192: "Whom do we call the true visible Church?" Answer: "The whole number of those who have, teach and confess the entire doctrine of the Word of God in all its purity, and among whom the Sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's institution." That there can be but one true visible Church, and that, therefore, one is not just as good as another stands to reason because there is only one truth, one Bible, one Word of God. Evidently that Church which teaches this truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is the true visible Church. Christ says John 8, 31. 32: "If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Again Christ says Matt. 28, 20: "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Whatsoever He has commanded us, His Word, and nothing else, we should teach. And again, all things which He has commanded us we should teach. That, therefore is the true visible Church which does this. But that all visible Churches do not this is plain from the fact that they do not agree among themselves. If every Church would teach the whole truth and nothing but the truth as God has revealed it, there could be no difference. So, then, by calling other denominations Churches, we do not mean to say that one Church is just as good as another. Only that one is the true visible Church which teaches and confesses the entire doctrine of the Word of God in all its purity, and in whose midst the Sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's institution. Of all Churches, this can only be said of our Lutheran Church.}}</ref> As such, the ''Augsburg Confession'' teaches that "the faith as confessed by Luther and his followers is nothing new, but the true catholic faith, and that their churches represent the true catholic or universal church".<ref name="Ludwig2016">{{cite magazine|title=Luther's Catholic Reformation|last=Ludwig|first=Alan|date=12 September 2016|magazine=[[The Lutheran Witness]]|language=en|quote=When the Lutherans presented the ''Augsburg Confession'' before Emperor Charles V in 1530, they carefully showed that each article of faith and practice was true first of all to Holy Scripture, and then also to the teaching of the church fathers and the councils and even the canon law of the Church of Rome. They boldly claim, "This is about the Sum of our Doctrine, in which, as can be seen, there is nothing that varies from the Scriptures, or from the Church Catholic, or from the Church of Rome as known from its writers" (AC XXI Conclusion 1). The underlying thesis of the ''Augsburg Confession'' is that the faith as confessed by Luther and his followers is nothing new, but the true catholic faith, and that their churches represent the true catholic or universal church. In fact, it is actually the Church of Rome that has departed from the ancient faith and practice of the catholic church (see AC XXIII 13, XXVIII 72 and other places).}}</ref> When the Lutherans presented the ''Augsburg Confession'' to [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]], they explained "that each article of faith and practice was true first of all to Holy Scripture, and then also to the teaching of the church fathers and the councils".<ref name="Ludwig2016"/>

===Justification===
[[File:Lucas Cranach d. Ä. - The Lamentation of Christ - The Schleißheim Crucifixion - Alte Pinakothek.jpg|thumb|upright|The Lutheran faith preaches that whoever has faith in Jesus alone will receive salvation from the grace of God and will enter heaven for eternity.|alt=]]
The key doctrine, or [[Formal and material principles of theology|material principle]], of Lutheranism is the doctrine of [[Justification (theology)#Lutheranism|justification]]. Lutherans believe that humans are saved from their [[Sin#Protestant views|sins]] by God's grace alone (''[[Sola Gratia]]''), through faith alone (''Sola Fide''), on the basis of Scripture alone (''Sola Scriptura'').<ref name=solascriptura>{{cite web |url=https://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?1518&cuTopic_topicID=39&cuItem_itemID=12132 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090927214527/https://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?1518&cuTopic_topicID=39&cuItem_itemID=12132 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-09-27 |title=Sola Scriptura? |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=15 May 2006 |website=WELS Topical Q&A |publisher=Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod |access-date=26 May 2024 |quote=[M]any passages...state sola scriptura, such as Revelation 22:18-19. If we cannot add anything to the words of Scripture and we cannot take anything away from them, that is Scripture alone.}}</ref> Orthodox Lutheran theology holds that God made the world, including humanity, perfect, holy and sinless. However, [[Adam and Eve]] chose to disobey God, trusting in their own strength, knowledge, and wisdom.<ref>Paul R. Sponheim, "The Origin of Sin", in ''Christian Dogmatics'', Carl E. Braaten and Robert W. Jenson, eds. (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984), 385–407.</ref><ref name="Pieper">[[Franz August Otto Pieper|Francis Pieper]], "Definition of Original Sin", in ''Christian Dogmatics'' (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1953), 1:538.</ref> Consequently, people are saddled with [[Original sin#Lutheranism|original sin]], born sinful and unable to avoid committing sinful acts.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Krauth|first1=Charles P. |url=https://archive.org/details/conservativeref00kraugoog|title=The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology: As Represented in the Augsburg Confession, and in the History and Literature of the Evangelical Lutheran Church|location=Philadelphia|publisher=J. B. Lippincott & Co. |year=1875|pages=335–455|chapter=Part IX The Specific Doctrines Of The Conservative Reformation: Original Sin}}</ref> For many Lutherans, original sin is the "chief sin, a root and fountainhead of all actual sins".<ref>''Formula of Concord'', [http://www.bookofconcord.com/fc-sd/originalsin.html Original Sin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927035144/http://www.bookofconcord.com/fc-sd/originalsin.html |date=27 September 2007 }}.</ref>

Lutherans teach that sinners, while capable of doing works that are outwardly "good", are [[Incurvatus in se|not capable]] of doing works that satisfy God's justice.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+7:18 Rom. 7:18], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:7;&version=9; 8:7] [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor.%202:14;&version=31; 1 Cor. 2:14], Martin Chemnitz, [[Examination of the Council of Trent]]: Vol. I. Trans. Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, pp. 639–652, "The Third Question: Whether the Good Works of the Regenerate in This Life Are So Perfect that They Fully, Abundantly, and Perfectly Satisfy the Divine Law".</ref> Every human thought and deed is infected with sin and [[Concupiscence|sinful motives]].<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen.%206:5;&version=9; Gen. 6:5], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen.%208:21;&version=31;#en-NIV-205 8:21], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mat.%207:17;&version=31; Mat. 7:17] {{cite book|last1=Krauth|first1=Charles P. |url=https://archive.org/details/conservativeref00kraugoog|title=The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology: As Represented in the Augsburg Confession, and in the History and Literature of the Evangelical Lutheran Church|location=Philadelphia|publisher=J. B. Lippincott & Co.|year=1875|pages=388–390|chapter=Part IX The Specific Doctrines Of The Conservative Reformation: Original Sin}} Thesis VII The Results, Section ii Positive</ref> Because of this, all of humanity deserves eternal damnation in [[Christian views on hell|hell]].<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Dt.%2027:26;&version=31; Dt. 27:26],[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+5:12 Rom. 5:12],[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Th%201:9%20;&version=31; 2 Th. 1:9] [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+6:23 Rom. 6:23], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 38–41, Part VIII. "Sin"</ref> God in eternity has turned His Fatherly heart to this world and planned for its redemption because he loves all people and does not want anyone to be eternally damned.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Tim.%202:4;&version=31; 1 Tim. 2:4], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 43–44, Part X. "Saving Grace", paragraph 55.</ref>

To this end, "God sent his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, into the world to redeem and deliver us from the power of the devil, and to bring us to Himself, and to govern us as a King of righteousness, life, and salvation against sin, death, and an evil conscience", as [[Luther's Large Catechism]] explains.<ref>''Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church''. St. Louis: Concordia, 1921. [http://bookofconcord.org/lc-5-ourfather.php#para51 Large Catechism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214115202/http://bookofconcord.org/lc-5-ourfather.php#para51 |date=14 February 2015 }}, The Lord's Prayer, The Second Petition, Par. 51.</ref> Because of this, Lutherans teach that justification is possible only because of the grace of God made manifest in the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and continuing presence by the power of the [[Holy Spirit]], of Jesus Christ.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gal.%203:13;&version=31; Gal. 3:13], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 43, Part X. "Saving Grace", paragraph 54.</ref> By God's grace, made known and effective in the person and work of Jesus Christ, a person is forgiven, adopted as a child and heir of God, and given eternal salvation.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom.%2010:4;&version=31; Rom. 10:4], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gal.%204:4-5;&version=31; Gal. 4:4–5], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 42, Part X. "Saving Grace", paragraph 52.</ref> Christ, because he was entirely obedient to the law with respect to both his human and divine natures, "is a perfect satisfaction and reconciliation of the human race", as the ''Formula of Concord'' asserts, and proceeds to summarize:<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ig5PF6Tf07UC&pg=PA572 Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article III, "Concerning the Righteousness of Faith before God"]. par. 57–58. trans. Kolb, R., Wengert, T., and Arand, C. Minneapolis: [[Augsburg Fortress]], 2000.</ref>
<blockquote>[Christ] submitted to the law for us, bore our sin, and in going to his Father performed complete and perfect obedience for us poor sinners, from his holy birth to his death. Thereby he covered all our disobedience, which is embedded in our nature and in its thoughts, words, and deeds, so that this disobedience is not reckoned to us as condemnation but is pardoned and forgiven by sheer grace, because of Christ alone.</blockquote>

Lutherans believe that individuals receive this gift of justification through faith alone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.com/augsburgconfession.html#article4|title=Augsburg Confession – Book of Concord|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-date=10 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010210355/http://www.bookofconcord.com/augsburgconfession.html#article4|url-status=dead}}</ref> Saving faith is the knowledge of,<ref>{{bibleverse||John|17:3|31}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|1:77|31}},{{bibleverse||Galatians|4:9|31}}, {{bibleverse||Philippians|3:8|31}}, and {{bibleverse|1|Timothy|2:4|31}} refer to faith in terms of knowledge.</ref> acceptance of,<ref>{{bibleverse||John|5:46|31}} refers to acceptance of the truth of Christ's teaching, while {{bibleverse||John|3:36|31}} notes the rejection of his teaching.</ref> and trust<ref>{{bibleverse||John|3:16,36|50}}, {{bibleverse||Galatians|2:16|31}}, {{bibleverse||Romans|4:20–25|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Timothy|1:12|31}} speak of trust, confidence, and belief in Christ. {{bibleverse||John|3:18|31}} notes belief in the name of Christ, and {{bibleverse||Mark|1:15}} notes belief in the gospel.</ref> in the promise of the Gospel.<ref name = "Engelder">Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 54–55, Part XIV. "Sin"</ref> Even faith itself is seen as a gift of God, created in the hearts of Christians<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps.%2051:10;&version=31; Ps. 51:10], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 57 Part XV. "Conversion", paragraph 78.</ref> by the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017:20;&version=31; John 17:20], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom.%2010:17;&version=47; Rom. 10:17], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 101 Part XXV. "The Church", paragraph 141.</ref> and Baptism.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus%203:5;&version=50; Titus 3:5], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 87 Part XXIII. "Baptism", paragraph 118.</ref> Faith receives the gift of salvation rather than causes salvation.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eph.%202:8;&version=31; Eph. 2:8], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 57 Part XV. "Conversion", paragraph 78.</ref> Thus, Lutherans reject the "[[decision theology]]" which is common among modern [[evangelicalism|evangelicals]], including Baptists and Methodists.

The term "grace" has been defined differently by other Christian church bodies.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6Z.HTM The Roman Catholic Catechism], part 3, section 1, chapter 3, article 2, II, paragraphs 2000 and 2001; downloaded February 18, 2017; defines grace as something which brings about a change in us, such that we cooperate in justification and act without sin (i.e. sanctified).</ref> Lutheranism defines grace as entirely limited to God's gifts to us, which is bestowed as pure gift, not something we merit by behavior or acts. To Lutherans, grace is not about our response to God's gifts, but only His gifts.

===Sanctification===
[[File:St. Matthews Chancel.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[chancel]] of [[St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church|St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church]] in [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]]. The continually lit [[sanctuary lamp]] indicates the [[real presence of Christ in the Eucharist]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The American Lutheran, Volumes 9-10 |year=1926 |publisher=American Lutheran Publicity Bureau |language=en |page=95|quote=Occasionally there is a sanctuary lamp over the altar, its pulsating red light symbolizing a belief in the Real Presence}}</ref>]]
At the time of the justification of an individual, Lutherans teach that the process of [[Sanctification in Christianity#Lutheranism|sanctification]] commences, which is defined as "the Holy Spirit’s work which follows justification through faith and consists of renewing the believer and bringing forth in him works of renewal."<ref name="Harstad1997"/> In Lutheranism, sanctification has two components, including: "1.) The inner renewal of the Holy Spirit in the Christian, and 2.) the living out of that inner renewal in the Christian’s new life of good works."<ref name="Harstad1997"/> The Lutheran Confessions hold that it is "necessary to exhort people to Christian discipline and good works, and to remind them how necessary it is that they exercise themselves in good words as an evidence of their faith and their gratitude toward God".<ref name="Harstad1997"/> For Christians, "good works are necessary fruits of faith in the life of a Christian and that they proceed from a renewed heart that is thankful to God for His mercy and love".<ref name="Harstad1997">{{cite web |last1=Harstad |first1=Adolph L. |title=Justification Through Faith Produces Sanctification |url=https://els.org/resources/document-archive/convention-essays/essay1997-harstad/ |publisher=[[Evangelical Lutheran Synod]] |date=10 May 2016}}</ref> These good works done by Christians are rewarded by God.<ref name="Preus2025"/> Those individuals who commit mortal sin "render themselves subject to divine wrath and eternal death unless, turned again, they are reconciled to God through faith."<ref name="Chemnitz2007">{{cite book |author1=[[Martin Chemnitz]] |title=Ministry, Word, and Sacraments: An Enchiridion; The Lord's Supper; The Lord's Prayer |date=2007 |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |isbn=978-0-7586-1544-2 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Formula of Concord]] summarizes salvation in Lutheran Christianity:<ref name="Harstad1997"/>
{{quotation|First the Holy Spirit kindles faith in us in conversion through the hearing of the Gospel. Faith apprehends the grace of God in Christ whereby the person is justified. After the person is justified, the Holy Spirit next renews and sanctifies him, and from this renewal and sanctification the fruits of good works will follow.” (FC, Solid Declaration, Article III, Righteousness, 40,41 [Tappert])<ref name="Harstad1997"/>}}
The Lutheran Confessions state:<ref name="Harstad1997"/>
{{quotation|“After a person has been justified by faith, a true living faith becomes ‘active through love’ (Gal. 5:6). Thus good works always follow justifying faith and are certainly to be found with it, since such faith is never alone but is always accompanied by love and hope.” (FC, Epitome, Article III. Righteousness. Tappert p. 474)<ref name="Harstad1997"/>}}
{{quotation|We also reject and condemn the teaching that faith and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are not lost through malicious sin, but that the holy ones and the elect retain the Holy Spirit even though they fall into adultery and other sins and persist in them. (FC, Article IV, Good Works)<ref name="Harstad1997"/>}}

===Good works===
[[File:Die-Auferstahung-Christi 15.jpg|thumb|upright|"Even though I am a sinner and deserving of death and hell, this shall nonetheless be my consolation and my victory that my Lord Jesus lives and has risen so that He, in the end, might rescue me from sin, death, and hell", said [[Martin Luther]] concerning the meaning of the Resurrection.<ref>quoted in {{Cite journal |last=Scaer |first=David P. |date=July 1983 |title=Luther's Concept of the Resurrection in his Commentary on I Corinthians 15 |url=http://www.ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/scaerlutherresurrection.pdf |access-date=2023-09-28|journal=[[Concordia Theological Quarterly]] |volume=47 |issue=3 |pages=219}}</ref>]]
Lutherans believe that [[Augsburg Confession]]'s "Article XX: Of Good Works" are the fruit of faith,<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2015:5;&version=31; John 15:5], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Tit.%202:14;&version=47; Tit. 2:14], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 62–63, Part XV. "Conversion", paragraph 88 The New Obedience Is The Fruit Of Conversion, The Product Of Faith.</ref> always and in every instance.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Cor.%209:8;&version=31; 2 Cor. 9:8], Krauth, C.P.,''[https://archive.org/details/conservativeref00kraugoog The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology: As Represented in the Augsburg Confession, and in the History and Literature of the Evangelical Lutheran Church] ''. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co.. 1875. pp. 313–314, Part D Confession of the Conservative Reformation: II, Secondary Confessions: Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Part IV The Doctrinal Result, 2, Section iv, Of Good Works.</ref> Good works have their origin in God,<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil%202:13;&version=47; Phil 2:13], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 74, Part XIX. "Preservation in Faith", paragraph 102.</ref> not in the fallen human heart or in human striving;<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom.%207:18;&version=31; Rom. 7:18] [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Heb%2011:6;&version=49; Heb 11:6], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 39–40, Part VIII. "Sin", paragraph 46 "Original Sin".</ref> their absence would demonstrate that faith, too, is absent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mat.%207:15-16;&version=31;|title=Mat. 7:15–16; NIV – True and False Prophets|work=Bible Gateway|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref> Lutherans do not believe that good works are a factor in obtaining salvation; they believe that we are saved by the grace of God—based on the merit of Christ in his suffering and death—and faith in the Triune God. Good works are the natural result of faith, not the cause of salvation. Lutheran theology holds that Christians freely and willingly serve God and their neighbors.<ref>Albrecht Beutel, "Luther's Life", tr. Katharina Gustavs, in ''The Cambridge Companion to Martin Luther'', ed. Donald K. McKim (New York: [[Cambridge University Press]], 2003), 11.</ref><ref name="Harstad1997"/>

The Lutheran Churches teach that God rewards good works done by Christians, with "each one receiving his/her own reward according to his/her labour"; the [[Apology of the Augsburg Confession]] teaches: "We also affirm what we have often said, that although justification and eternal life go along with faith, nevertheless, good works merit other bodily and spiritual rewards and degrees of reward. According to 1 Corinthians 3:8, ‘Each will receive his wages according to his labor.’"<ref name="Preus2025">{{cite web |last1=Preus |first1=James |title=Rewards for Good Works |url=https://christforus.org/NewSite/index.php/2025/01/02/rewards-for-good-works/ |publisher=Christ for Us |access-date=14 May 2025 |date=2 January 2025}}</ref>

===Trinity===
[[File:Shield-Trinity-Scutum-Fidei-English.svg|thumb|Lutherans believe in the [[Trinity]].]]
Lutherans believe in the [[Trinity]], rejecting the idea that the [[God the Father|Father]] and [[God the Son]] are merely faces of the same person, stating that both the [[Old Testament]] and the [[New Testament]] show them to be two distinct persons.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2063:8-9;&version=50; Is. 63:8–9], Mueller, J.T., ''Christian Dogmatics''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 158–160, section "The Doctrine of God", part 5. "The Holy Trinity Revealed in the Old Testament",[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Heb%201:5%20;&version=50; Heb. 1:5], see Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 33–36, Part VI. "The Trinity".</ref> Lutherans believe the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son.<ref>[https://www.angelfire.com/ny4/djw/lutherantheology.filioque.html The Nicene Creed and the Filioque: A Lutheran Approach] by Rev. David Webber for more information</ref> In the words of the [[Athanasian Creed]]: "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal."<ref>[[Athanasian Creed]] – for an older Trinitarian Creed used by Lutherans, see the ''[[Nicene Creed]]:'' the version in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) is the 1988 ecumenical (ELLC) version. But the version in both "Lutheran Service Book" (2006) of the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] (LCMS) and the [[Lutheran Church Canada|Lutheran Church Canada (LCC)]] is that of the [[Book of Common Prayer (1662)|1662 ''Book of Common Prayer'']] with modernized spelling of the words "catholic" and "apostolic", with changes in capitalization of these and other words, and with "Holy Spirit" in place of "Holy Ghost".{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}</ref>

===Two natures of Christ===
{{Main|Scholastic Lutheran Christology}}
Lutherans believe Jesus is the [[Christ (title)|Christ]], the savior promised in the Old Testament. They believe he is both by nature God and by nature man [[Hypostatic union|in one person]], as they confess in Luther's ''[[s:Luther's Small Catechism#II. THE CREED,|Small Catechism]]'' that he is "true God begotten of the Father from eternity and also true man born of the Virgin Mary".<ref>[http://www.bookofconcord.com/smallcatechism.html#creed Luther's Small Catechism, The Apostles' Creed, Second Article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128133418/http://www.bookofconcord.com/smallcatechism.html#creed |date=28 November 2006 }},
{{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/christology.txt |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |pages=100ff |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712194230/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/christology.txt |archive-date=12 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The ''Augsburg Confession'' explains:<ref>[http://www.bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.php#article3 Augsburg confession, Article III] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311215248/https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/#article3 |date=11 March 2021 }}. Retrieved 17 April 2010.</ref>
<blockquote>
[T]he Son of God, did assume the human nature in the womb of the [[blessed Virgin Mary]], so that there are two natures, the divine and the human, inseparably enjoined in one Person, one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, that He might reconcile the Father unto us, and be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men.
</blockquote>

===Mariology===
{{Main|Lutheran Mariology}}
With regard to [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]], the Lutheran Churches universally teach the Marian doctrines of the [[virgin birth of Jesus|Virgin Birth]] and the [[Theotokos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The mother of our church? |url=https://www.livinglutheran.org/2013/04/mother-church/ |publisher=Living Lutheran |access-date=13 May 2025 |date=1 April 2013}}</ref>

The doctrines of the [[perpetual virginity of Mary]] and [[Sinlessness of Mary]] are maintained as pious opinions by many Lutherans, both being held by Martin Luther himself.<ref name="ALPB1966">{{cite book |title=The American Lutheran, Volume 49 |date=1966 |publisher=American Lutheran Publicity Bureau |page=16 |language=en |quote=While the perpetual virginity of Mary is held as a pious opinion by many Lutheran confessors, it is not regarded as a binding teaching of the Scriptures.}}</ref><ref name="TNEB1983">{{cite book |title=The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume 11 |date=1983 |publisher=[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |isbn=978-0-85229-400-0 |page=562 |language=en |quote=Partly because of these biblical problems, the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary has not been supported as unanimously as has the doctrine of the virginal conceptioon or title mother of God. It achieved dogmatic status, however, at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and is therefore binding upon Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic believers; in addition, it is maintained by many Anglican, some Lutheran, and a few other Protestant theologians.}}</ref><ref name="Divozzo2019">{{cite book |last1=Divozzo |first1=R. |title=Mary for Protestants |date=2019 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-5326-7585-0 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="Carlson2014">{{cite book |last1=Carlson |first1=Kristofer J. |title=Why Mary Matters: Protestants and the Virgin Mary |date=2014 |publisher=Dormition Press |language=English}}</ref>

===Sacraments===
{{Main|Lutheran sacraments}}
[[File:ArticleXIOfConfession.JPG|thumb|Article IX, "[[Confession (Lutheran Church)|Of Confession]]", of the [[Augsburg Confession]]<ref>"Private Absolution ought to be retained in the churches, although in confession an enumeration of all sins is not necessary." [http://www.bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.php#article11 Article XI: Of Confession]</ref>]]
Lutherans hold that [[sacrament]]s are [[Sacred#Holiness in Protestantism|sacred]] acts of divine institution.<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|28:19|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|11:23–25|50}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|26:26–28|50}}, {{bibleverse||Mark|14:22–24|50}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|22:19–20|50}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://www.projectwittenberg.org/etext/graebneral/soteriology.txt|title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=161 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7}}</ref> Whenever they are properly administered by the use of the physical component commanded by God<ref>{{bibleverse||Ephesians|5:27|50}}, {{bibleverse||John|3:5|50}}, {{bibleverse||John|3:23|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|10:16|50}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://www.projectwittenberg.org/etext/graebneral/soteriology.txt|title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=161 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7}}</ref> along with the divine words of institution,<ref>{{bibleverse||Ephesians|5:26|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|10:16|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|11:24–25|50}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://www.projectwittenberg.org/etext/graebneral/soteriology.txt|title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=161 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7}}</ref> God is, in a way specific to each sacrament, present with the Word and physical component.<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|3:16–17|50}}, {{bibleverse||John|3:5|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|11:19|50}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://www.projectwittenberg.org/etext/graebneral/soteriology.txt|title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=161 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7}}</ref> He earnestly offers to all who receive the sacrament<ref>{{bibleverse||Luke|7:30|50}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|22:19–20|50}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://www.projectwittenberg.org/etext/graebneral/soteriology.txt|title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=162 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7}}</ref> forgiveness of sins<ref>{{bibleverse||Acts|21:16|50}}, {{bibleverse||Acts|2:38|50}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|3:3|50}}, {{bibleverse||Ephesians|5:26|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Peter|3:21|50}}, {{bibleverse||Galatians|3:26–27|50}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|26:28|50}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://www.projectwittenberg.org/etext/graebneral/soteriology.txt|title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=163 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7}}</ref> and eternal salvation.<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Peter|3:21|50}}, {{bibleverse||Titus|3:5|50}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://www.projectwittenberg.org/etext/graebneral/soteriology.txt|title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=163 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7}}</ref> He also works in the recipients to get them to accept these blessings and to increase the assurance of their possession.<ref>{{bibleverse||Titus|3:5|50}}, {{bibleverse||John|3:5|50}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://www.projectwittenberg.org/etext/graebneral/soteriology.txt|title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=163 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7}}</ref>

Lutherans are not dogmatic about the number of the sacraments,<ref>The [[Apology of the Augsburg Confession]] XIII, 2: "We believe we have the duty not to neglect any of the rites and ceremonies instituted in Scripture, whatever their number. We do not think it makes much difference if, for purposes of teaching, the enumeration varies, provided what is handed down in Scripture is preserved" (cf. Theodore G. Tappert, trans. and ed., ''The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church'', (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1959), 211).</ref> though three sacraments are generally recognized: [[baptism]], [[absolution|confession]], and the [[eucharist]].<ref name="Galler2025">{{cite web |last1=Galler |first1=Jayson S. |title=Word & Sacrament |url=https://www.pilgrimlc.org/word-sacrament |publisher=Pilgrim Lutheran Church |access-date=9 May 2025 |language=English |date=2025 |quote=...generally in the Lutheran Christian tradition we speak of three sacraments.}}</ref><ref name="Becker2024"/><ref name="Jensen2016"/> In line with Luther's initial statement in his Large Catechism some speak of only two sacraments,<ref>Luther's ''Large Catechism'' IV, 1: "We have now finished the three chief parts of the common Christian doctrine. Besides these we have yet to speak of ''our two Sacraments'' instituted by Christ, of which also every Christian ought to have at least an ordinary, brief instruction, because without them there can be no Christian; although, alas! hitherto no instruction concerning them has been given" (emphasis added; cf. Theodore G. Tappert, trans. and ed., ''The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church'', (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1959), 733).</ref> [[Baptism#Protestant Reformation|Baptism]] and Holy Communion, although later in the same work he calls Confession and [[Absolution#Lutheran Churches|Absolution]]<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2020:23;&version=47; John 20:23], and Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 112–113, Part XXVI "The Ministry", paragraph 156.</ref> "the third sacrament".<ref>Luther's ''Large Catechism'' IV, 74–75: "And here you see that Baptism, both in its power and signification, comprehends also the '''third Sacrament, which has been called repentance''', as it is really nothing else than Baptism" (emphasis added; cf. Theodore G. Tappert, trans. and ed., ''The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church'', (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1959), 751).</ref>

The definition of sacrament in the ''[[Apology of the Augsburg Confession]]'' lists Absolution as one of them.<ref>The ''[[Apology of the Augsburg Confession]]'' XIII, 3, 4: "If we define the sacraments as rites, which have the command of God and to which the promise of grace has been added, it is easy to determine what the sacraments are, properly speaking. For humanly instituted rites are not sacraments, properly speaking, because human beings do not have the authority to promise grace. Therefore signs instituted without the command of God are not sure signs of grace, even though they perhaps serve to teach or admonish the common folk. The sacraments, therefore, are actually baptism, the Lord's Supper, and absolution (the sacrament of repentance)" (cf. Tappert, 211). [http://www.bookofconcord.com/augsburgdefense/12_sacraments.html Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article 13, Of the Number and Use of the Sacraments]</ref> [[Confession (Lutheran Church)|Private Confession]] is expected before receiving the [[First Communion|Eucharist for the first time]].<ref>''[[Apology of the Augsburg Confession]]'', article 24, paragraph 1. Retrieved 16 April 2010.</ref><ref name="Wendel1997"/> Some churches also allow for individual absolution on Saturdays before the Eucharistic service.<ref name="Kolb2008">{{cite book|last=Kolb|first=Robert|title=Lutheran Ecclesiastical Culture: 1550 – 1675|url=https://archive.org/details/lutheranecclesia00robe|url-access=limited|year=2008|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|language=en|isbn=9789004166417|page=[https://archive.org/details/lutheranecclesia00robe/page/n292 282]|quote=The North German church ordinances of the late 16th century all include a description of private confession and absolution, which normally took place at the conclusion of Saturday afternoon vespers, and was a requirement for all who desired to commune the following day.}}</ref> A [[General Confession|General Confession and Absolution]], known as the [[Penitential Rite#Usage in Lutheranism|Penitential Rite]], is proclaimed in the Eucharistic liturgy.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sacraments of the Lutheran Church |url=https://www.byfaithalone.org/learn-more |publisher=Christ The King Lutheran Church |access-date=14 May 2023 |language=English|quote=The Sacrament of Holy Absolution has two forms: the General Confession (known as the Penitential Rite or Order of Confession of Sins) that is done at the beginning of the Divine Service. In this case, the entire congregation says the confession, as the pastor says the absolution. Private Confession – done privately to a pastor, where the penitent confesses sins that trouble him/her and pleads to God for mercy, and the pastor announces God's forgiveness to the person, as the sign of the cross is made. Private confession is subject to total confidentiality by the pastor. In historic Lutheran practice, Holy Absolution is expected before partaking of Holy Communion. General confession, as well as Private Confession, are still contained in most Lutheran hymnals. Two works which are part of the Book of Concord lend support to the belief that Holy Absolution is for Lutherans the third sacrament. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession acknowledges outright that Holy Absolution is a sacrament, referring to it as the sacrament of penitence. In the Large Catechism, Luther calls Holy Absolution the third sacrament.}}</ref>

====Baptism====
[[Image:LutheranBaptism.JPG|thumb|Lutherans practice [[infant baptism]].|alt=]]
Lutherans hold that [[Luther's Small Catechism#IV. THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM,|Baptism]] is a saving work of God,<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Pet.%203:21;&version=49; 1 Pet. 3:21], Mueller, J.T., ''Christian Dogmatics''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 491–496, section "The Doctrine of Baptism", part 4. "Baptism a True Means of Grace", and Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 87, Part XXIII. "Baptism", paragraph 118.</ref> mandated and instituted by Jesus Christ.<ref>Martin Luther, ''Small Catechism'' [http://www.projectwittenberg.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/little.book/book-4.txt 4]</ref> Baptism is a "[[Means of Grace#Lutheran theology|means of grace]]" through which God creates and strengthens "saving faith" as the "washing of regeneration"<ref>{{bibleverse||Titus|3:5|KJV}}</ref> in which infants and adults are reborn.<ref>{{bibleverse||John|3:3–7|KJV}}</ref> Since the creation of faith is exclusively God's work, it does not depend on the actions of the one baptized, whether infant or adult. Even though baptized infants cannot articulate that faith, Lutherans believe that it is present all the same.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2607 |title=Baptism and Its Purpose |publisher=[[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] |access-date=24 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206220443/http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2607 |archive-date=6 February 2009 }}</ref>

It is faith alone that receives these divine gifts, so Lutherans confess that baptism "works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare".<ref>{{cite book |first=Martin |last=Luther |author-link=Martin Luther |chapter=The Sacrament of Holy Baptism |chapter-url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.html#baptism |title=Luther's Small Catechism |year=2009 |orig-year=1529 |isbn=978-0-89279-043-2 |title-link=Luther's Small Catechism |publisher=Evangelical Lutheran Synod |access-date=10 March 2009 |archive-date=20 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920070231/http://www.bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.html#baptism |url-status=dead }}</ref> Lutherans hold fast to the Scripture cited in 1 Peter 3:21, "Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."<ref>1 Peter 3:21, [[ESV]]</ref> Therefore, Lutherans administer Baptism to both infants<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mat.%2019:14;&version=31; Mat. 19:14], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Act%202:38-39;&version=47; Acts 2:38–39], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 90, Part XXIII. "Baptism", paragraph 122.</ref> and adults.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor.%201:14;&version=31; 1 Cor. 1:14], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 90, Part XXIII. "Baptism", paragraph 122.</ref> In the special section on [[infant baptism]] in his ''Large Catechism'', Luther argues that infant baptism is God-pleasing because persons so baptized were reborn and [[Sanctification#Lutheranism|sanctified]] by the Holy Spirit.<ref>{{cite book |first=Martin |last=Luther |author-link=Martin Luther |chapter=Of Infant Baptism |chapter-url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/largecatechism/6_baptism.html |year=2009 |orig-year=1529 |title=Luther's Large Catechism |isbn=978-1-4264-3861-5 |title-link=Luther's Large Catechism |access-date=10 March 2009 |archive-date=13 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613061118/http://bookofconcord.org/largecatechism/6_baptism.html |url-status=dead }}[http://bookofconcord.org/lc-6-baptism.php#para6 Luther's Large Catechism – Holy Baptism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223161712/http://www.bookofconcord.org/lc-6-baptism.php#para6 |date=23 February 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.php#article9.1|title=Augsburg Confession – Book of Concord|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>

====Eucharist====
{{Main|Eucharist in the Lutheran Church}}
[[File:JohntheSteadfast.JPG|thumb|[[Martin Luther]] communing [[John, Elector of Saxony|John the Steadfast]]]]
Lutherans hold that within the [[Eucharist in the Lutheran Church|Eucharist]], also referred to as the Sacrament of the Altar or the Lord's Supper, the true body and blood of Christ are truly present "in, with, and under the forms" of the [[Sacramental bread|consecrated bread]] and wine for all those who eat and drink it,<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor.%2010:16;&version=50; 1 Cor. 10:16], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor.%2011:20,%2027;&version=47; 11:20, 27], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 95, Part XXIV. "The Lord's Supper", paragraph 131.</ref> a doctrine of the [[real presence of Christ in the Eucharist]] that the ''Formula of Concord'' calls the [[sacramental union]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bookofconcord.com/fc-sd/supper.html |title=The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article 8, The Holy Supper |access-date=20 April 2007 |archive-date=21 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121030003/http://bookofconcord.com/fc-sd/supper.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Confession====
{{Main|Confession (Lutheran Church)}}
Many Lutherans receive the sacrament of penance before receiving the Eucharist.<ref name="Richard1909">{{cite book|last=Richard|first=James William|title=The Confessional History of the Lutheran Church|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924084658248|year=1909|publisher=Lutheran Publication Society|language=en |page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924084658248/page/n128 113]|quote=In the Luthearn Church, private confession was at first ''voluntary''. Later, in portions of the Lutheran Church, it was made obligatory, as a test of orthodoxy, and as a preparation of the Lord's Supper.}}</ref><ref name="Kolb2008"/> Prior to going to Confessing and receiving Absolution, the faithful are expected to examine their lives in light of the [[s:Luther's Small Catechism#I. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS,|Ten Commandments]].<ref name="Wendel1997"/> An [[s:Luther's Small Catechism#V. HOW THE UNLEARNED SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO CONFESS.|order of Confession and Absolution]] is contained in the Small Catechism, as well as in liturgical books.<ref name="Wendel1997"/> Lutherans typically kneel at the [[communion rail]]s to confess their sins, while the confessor listens and then offers absolution while laying their [[Stole (vestment)|stole]] on the penitent's head.<ref name="Wendel1997">{{cite book|last=Wendel|first=David M. |title=Manual for the Recovery of a Parish Practice of Individual Confession and Absolution|url=http://www.societyholytrinity.org/oldsite/confession.pdf|year=1997|publisher=The Society of the Holy Trinity|pages=2, 7, 8, 11}}</ref> Clergy are prohibited from revealing anything said during private Confession and Absolution per the [[Seal of the Confessional (Lutheran Church)|Seal of the Confessional]], and face [[excommunication]] if it is violated. Apart from this, [[Laestadian Lutheran]]s have a practice of [[lay confession]].<ref name="Granquist2015">{{cite book|last=Granquist|first=Mark A.|title=Scandinavian Pietists: Spiritual Writings from 19th-Century Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland|year=2015|publisher=Paulist Press|language=en|isbn=9781587684982|page=34|quote=Initially, Laestadius exercised his ministry mainly among the indigenous Sami (Lapp) people, but his influence soon spread into areasa of northern Finland, and the Laestadian (or Apostolic Lutheran) movement became predominantly Finnish. Even though he was a university-trained pastor and scientist (he was a renowned botanist), his powerful preaching and spiritual example ignited a lay-awakening movement in the north, a movement that is known for its distinctive religious practices, including lay confession and absolution.}}</ref>

===Rites===
Apart from the three sacraments of baptism, confession and the eucharist, Lutherans observe four [[Rite (Christianity)|rites]] including [[confirmation]], ordination to [[holy orders]], [[anointing of the sick]], and [[Christian views on marriage|holy matrimony]].<ref name="Becker2024">{{cite book |last1=Becker |first1=Matthew L. |title=Fundamental Theology: A Protestant Perspective |date=25 January 2024 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-0-567-70572-3 |language=en|quote=Unitl that final revelation of the church, when it will be revealed to be what the apostles have said it is, the church proclaims the gospel and administers the sacraments (especially baptism, the Lord's Supper [also called Holy Communion or the Eucharist], and Holy Absolution [the formal proclamation of the forgiveness of sins)—all for the sake of calling people to faith, hope, and love and keeping them united with Christ and with one anothe rin the one church of Christ. And where the gospel is proclaimed and the sacraments administered in accord with that gospel, there the church truly is. Indeed, the Holy Spirit acts through the word and the sacraments, in Luther's phrase, "to call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify the whole Christian church ''on earth''" (the church is not a Platonic reality) and keep it united to Christ. Because of the power of the Spirit to create and preserve the church, even the gates of hell cannot prevail against it (Mt. 16.18).}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Mueller |first1=Steven P. |title=Called to Believe, Teach, and Confess: An Introduction to Doctrinal Theology |date=1 July 2005 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-7252-4296-8 |page=323 |language=en}}</ref>

Additional ordinances are observed by Lutherans, such as [[Maundy (foot washing)|feetwashing]] (especially on [[Maundy Thursday]]), as well as historically, [[head covering for Christian women]] during prayer and worship.<ref name="SC">{{cite book |title=The Lutheran Liturgy: Authorized by the Synods Constituting The Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |location=[[St. Louis]] |page=427 |language=en |year=1941}}</ref>

===Conversion===
In Lutheranism, conversion or [[Regeneration (theology)|regeneration]] in the strict sense of the term is the work of divine grace and power by which man, born of the flesh, and [[s:Augsburg Confession#Article II: Of Original Sin.|void of all power]] to think, to will, or to do any good thing, and dead in sin is, through the gospel and holy baptism, taken from a state of sin and [[spiritual death]] under God's wrath into a state of spiritual life of faith and grace, rendered able to will and to do what is spiritually good and, especially, made to trust in the benefits of the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.<ref>Augustus Lawrence Graebner, [https://books.google.com/books?id=93ErAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA136 Lutheran Cyclopedia] p. 136, "Conversion"</ref>

During conversion, one is moved from impenitence to repentance. The ''Augsburg Confession'' divides repentance into two parts: "One is contrition, that is, terrors smiting the conscience through the knowledge of sin; the other is faith, which is born of the Gospel, or of absolution, and believes that for Christ's sake, sins are forgiven, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terrors."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.php#article12|title=Augsburg Confession – Book of Concord|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311215248/https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/#article12|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Predestination===
[[File:AugsburgConfessionArticle18FreeWill.jpg|thumb|Article XVIII of the [[Augsburg Confession]], "Of Free Will" Free Will]]Lutherans adhere to divine [[monergism]], the teaching that salvation is by God's act alone, and therefore reject the idea that humans in their fallen state have a [[Free will in theology|free will]] concerning spiritual matters.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor.%202:14;&version=50; 1 Cor. 2:14], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor.%2012:3;&version=31; 12:3], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom.%208:7;&version=31; Rom. 8:7], Martin Chemnitz, ''Examination of the Council of Trent: Vol. I.'' Trans. Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, pp. 409–453, "Seventh Topic, Concerning Free Will: From the Decree of the Sixth Session of the Council of Trent".</ref> Lutherans believe that although humans have free will concerning civil righteousness, they cannot work spiritual righteousness in the heart without the presence and aid of the Holy Spirit.<ref>[http://www.bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.html#article18 Augsburg Confession, Article 18, Of Free Will] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915154222/http://www.bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.html#article18 |date=15 September 2008 }}.</ref><ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2013:48;&version=9; Acts 13:48], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eph.%201:4-11;&version=47; Eph. 1:4–11], [http://www.bookofconcord.com/fc-ep.html#XI.%20Election. Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article 11, Election] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010210532/http://www.bookofconcord.com/fc-ep.html#XI.%20Election. |date=10 October 2008 }}, Mueller, J.T., ''Christian Dogmatics''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 585–589, section "The Doctrine of Eternal Election: 1. The Definition of the Term", and Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 124–128, Part XXXI. "The Election of Grace", paragraph 176.</ref> In Lutheran theology, "God desires the salvation of every single human being who has ever lived" and Jesus died for the sins of all people.<ref name="Lackey2022">{{cite web |last1=Lackey |first1=Molly |title=What Do Lutherans Believe about Predestination? |url=https://blog.cph.org/read/what-do-lutherans-believe-about-predestination |publisher=[[Concordia Publishing House ]] |access-date=26 May 2025 |language=en-us |date=17 October 2022}}</ref> Lutherans believe that those who trust in Christ, and manifest their living faith by serving God, can be certain of their salvation.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom.%208:33;&version=47; Rom. 8:33], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 127–128, Part XXXI. "The Election of Grace", paragraph 179., Engelder, T.E.W., [https://books.google.com/books?id=qpgsAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA41 The Certainty of Final Salvation]. ''[[The Lutheran Witness]] 2''(6). English Evangelical Missouri Synod: Baltimore. 1891, pp. 41ff. "God desires us to be fruitful of good works, does He not? Then He also desires us to be certain of inheriting and enjoying eternal life for the latter is the source of the former. God would have His servants affirm constantly that they who are justified are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life, that they might be careful to maintain good works. Titus iii, 7.8. No sane man will deny that Christians must "abstain from fleshly lusts," Peter, ii. 11, "and keep themselves unspotted from the world." James i, 27. But no man will do it unless he is persuaded of gaining eternal life. On this certainty St. Paul bases his argument why Christians must not mind earthly things."</ref>

According to Lutheranism, the central final hope of the Christian is "the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting" as confessed in the ''[[s:Luther's Small Catechism#II. THE CREED,|Apostles' Creed]]'' rather than [[predestination]]. Lutherans disagree with those who make predestination—rather than Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection—the source of salvation. Unlike some [[Calvinism|Calvinists]], Lutherans do not believe in a predestination to damnation,<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Tim.%202:4;&version=ESV; 1 Tim. 2:4], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Pet.%203:9;&version=ESV; 2 Pet. 3:9], [http://www.bookofconcord.com/fc-ep.html#XI.%20Election. Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article 11, Election] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010210532/http://www.bookofconcord.com/fc-ep.html#XI.%20Election. |date=10 October 2008 }}, and Engelder's [https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics], Part XXXI. The Election of Grace, pp. 124–128.</ref> usually referencing "God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth"<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Timothy|2:3–4|ESV}} [[ESV]]</ref> as contrary evidence to such a claim. Instead, Lutherans teach eternal damnation is a result of the unbeliever's sins, rejection of the forgiveness of sins, and unbelief.<ref name="Lackey2022"/><ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea%2013:9;&version=9; Hos. 13:9], Mueller, J.T., ''Christian Dogmatics''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 637, section "The Doctrine of the Last Things (Eschatology), part 7. "Eternal Damnation", and Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 135–136, Part XXXIX. "Eternal Death", paragraph 196.</ref>

===Divine providence===
[[File:Der breite und der schmale Weg 2008.jpg|thumb|''The Broad and the Narrow Way'', a popular 1866 German Pietist portrait]]
According to Lutherans, God preserves his creation, cooperates with everything that happens, and guides the universe.<ref>Mueller, J.T., ''Christian Dogmatics''. Concordia Publishing House. 1934. pp. 189–195 and Fuerbringer, L., ''[https://archive.org/details/concordiacyclope009499mbp Concordia Cyclopedia]'' Concordia Publishing House. 1927. p. 635 and [http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/cyclopedia/02/display.asp?t1=P&word=PROVIDENCE Christian Cyclopedia] article on Divine Providence. For further reading, see [https://books.google.com/books?id=IxsRAAAAIAAJ&q=editions:0qGARztO5CYpYL7QTFJ The Proof Texts of the Catechism with a Practical Commentary, section Divine Providence], p. 212, Wessel, Louis, published in Theological Quarterly, Vol. 11, 1909.</ref> While God cooperates with both good and evil deeds, with evil deeds he does so only inasmuch as they are deeds, but not with the evil in them. God concurs with an act's effect, but he does not cooperate in the corruption of an act or the evil of its effect.<ref>Mueller, Steven P.,''Called to Believe, Teach, and Confess''. Wipf and Stock. 2005. pp. 122–123.</ref> Lutherans believe everything exists for the sake of the Christian Church, and that God guides everything for its welfare and growth.<ref>Mueller, J.T., ''Christian Dogmatics''. Concordia Publishing House: 1934. pp. 190 and Edward. W. A.,''A Short Explanation of Dr. Martin Luther's Small Catechism''. Concordia Publishing House. 1946. p. 165. and [http://www.wlsessays.net/node/1122 Divine Providence and Human Adversity] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707130929/http://www.wlsessays.net/node/1122 |date=7 July 2010 }} by Markus O. Koepsell</ref>

The explanation of the Apostles' Creed given in the ''Small Catechism'' declares that everything good that people have is given and preserved by God, either directly or through other people or things.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.com/smallcatechism.html#creed|title=The Small Catechism|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-date=10 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010210410/http://www.bookofconcord.com/smallcatechism.html#creed|url-status=dead}}</ref> Of the services others provide us through family, government, and work, "we receive these blessings not from them, but, through them, from God".<ref name="bookofconcord1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/largecatechism/3_tencommandments.html |title=Luther's Large Catechism, First Commandment |access-date=9 March 2009 |archive-date=17 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517083644/http://bookofconcord.org/largecatechism/3_tencommandments.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since God uses everyone's useful tasks for good, people should not look down upon some useful vocations as being less worthy than others. Instead people should honor others, no matter how lowly, as being the means God uses to work in the world.<ref name="bookofconcord1"/>

===Judgment and eternal life===
Lutherans do not believe in any sort of earthly [[Millennialism|millennial]] kingdom of Christ either before or after his second coming on the last day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh%2018:36;&version=47;|title=Joh 18:36; ESV – Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of...|work=Bible Gateway|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref> Lutherans teach that, at death, the souls of Christians are immediately taken into the presence of Jesus,<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2023:42-43;&version=31; Luke 23:42–43], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Cor.%205:8;&version=31; 2 Cor. 5:8], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 130, Part XXXIV. "The State of the Soul in the Interval Between Death and the Resurrection", paragraph 185.</ref> where they await the [[s:Augsburg Confession#Article XVII: Of Christ's Return to Judgment.|second coming]] of Jesus on the last day.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor.%2015:22-24;&version=47; 1 Cor. 15:22–24], Francis Pieper, ''Christian Dogmatics'', 505–515; Heinrich Schmid, ''The Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church'', 624–32; John Mueller, ''Christian Dogmatics'', 616–619</ref> On the last day,<ref>{{bibleverse||John|6:40|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|6:54|31}}</ref> all the bodies of the dead will be resurrected.<ref>{{bibleverse||John|5:21|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|5:28–29|31}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|25:32|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|5:10|31}}, {{bibleverse||Acts|24:15|31}}</ref>

Their souls will then be reunited with the same bodies they had before dying.<ref>{{bibleverse||Romans|8:11|31}}, {{bibleverse||Philippians|3:21|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|5:10|31}}, {{bibleverse||Job|19:26|9}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|15:44|31}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|15:53|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|5:28|31}}, {{bibleverse||Revelation|20:12|31}}</ref> The bodies will then be changed, those of the wicked to a state of everlasting shame and torment,<ref>{{bibleverse||Daniel|12:2|31}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|25:41–46|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|5:29|31}}</ref> those of the [[Imputed righteousness|righteous]] to an everlasting state of celestial glory.<ref>{{bibleverse||Daniel|12:1–2|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|5:29|31}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|15:52|31}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|15:42–44|31}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|15:49–53|31}}, {{bibleverse||Philippians|3:21|31}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|13:43|31}}, {{bibleverse||Revelation|7:16|31}}</ref> After the resurrection of all the dead,<ref>{{bibleverse||John|6:40|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|6:44|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|11:24|31}}</ref> and the change of those still living,<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|15:51–52|31}}, {{bibleverse|1|Thessalonians|4:15–17|31}}</ref> all nations shall be gathered before Christ,<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|25:32|31}}, {{bibleverse||Romans|14:10|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|5:22|31}}, {{bibleverse||Acts|17:31|31}}, {{bibleverse||Revelation|1:7|31}}</ref> and he will separate the righteous from the wicked.<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|25:32|31}}, {{bibleverse||Mark|16:16|31}}</ref>

Christ will publicly judge<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|5:10|31}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|4:5|31}}, {{bibleverse||Romans|2:5|31}}, {{bibleverse||Romans|2:16|31}}</ref> all people by the [[testimony]] of their deeds,<ref>{{bibleverse||Romans|2:6|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|5:10|31}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|25:35–36|31}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|25:42–43|31}}</ref> the good works<ref>{{bibleverse||Isaiah|43:25|31}}, {{bibleverse||Ezekiel|18:22|31}}, {{bibleverse|1|John|2:28|31}}</ref> of the righteous in evidence of their faith,<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|25:34–35|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|3:16–18|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|3:36|31}}, {{bibleverse||Revelation|14:13|31}}, {{bibleverse||Galatians|5:6|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|13:35|31}}</ref> and the evil works of the wicked in evidence of their unbelief.<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|25:42|31}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|7:17–18|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|3:18|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|3:36|31}}</ref> He will judge in righteousness<ref>{{bibleverse||Romans|2:5|31}}, {{bibleverse||Acts|17:31|31}}, {{bibleverse||Romans|2:16|31}}</ref> in the presence of all people and [[Christian angelic hierarchy|angels]],<ref>{{bibleverse||Luke|9:26|31}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|25:31–32|31}}</ref> and his final judgment will be just [[damnation]] to everlasting punishment for the wicked and a gracious gift of life everlasting to the righteous.<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|25:41|31}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|25:34|31}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|25:46|31}}, {{cite book |last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://www.projectwittenberg.org/etext/graebneral/eschatology.txt|title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |pages=233–8 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7}}</ref>
{{Comparison among Protestants}}
{{Clear}}

==Practices==
[[File:EinFesteBurg.jpg|upright=1.0|right|thumb|Luther composed hymns and hymn tunes, including "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" ("[[A Mighty Fortress Is Our God]]").]]
[[File:Cropped Luckau Nikolaikirche Abendmahlsbild.jpg|thumb|[[Divine Service (Lutheran)|Divine Service]] at the St. Nicholas church in [[Luckau]], Germany]]

===Liturgy===
{{Further|Lutheran art|Lutheran hymn|Lutheran chorale|Hymnody of continental Europe#Reformation}}
Many Lutherans follow a [[liturgy|liturgical]] approach to worship services;<ref>McGrath, Alister, E. ''Christianity: An Introduction''. 2nd ed. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 2006. p. 272.</ref> although there are substantial non-liturgical minorities, for example, the [[Haugean]] Lutherans from Norway. Martin Luther was a great proponent of music, and this is why music forms a central part of Lutheran services to this day. In particular, Luther admired the composers [[Josquin des Prez]] and [[Ludwig Senfl]], and wanted singing in the church to move away from the ''ars perfecta'' (Catholic Sacred Music of the late Renaissance) and towards singing as a ''[[Gemeinschaft]]'' (community).<ref>Taruskin, Richard. ''The Oxford History of Western Music – Volume I (Music in the Earliest Notations to the sixteenth century)'', pp. 753–758 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010)</ref> Lutheran [[hymn]]s are sometimes known as [[chorale]]s. Lutheran hymnody is well known for its doctrinal, [[didactic]], and musical richness. Most Lutheran churches are active musically with choirs, handbell choirs, children's choirs, and occasionally [[change ringing]] groups that ring bells in a [[bell tower]]. [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], a devout Lutheran, composed a huge body of sacred music for the Lutheran church.

Many Lutherans also preserve a liturgical approach to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist/Communion, emphasizing the Sacrament as the central act of Christian worship. Lutherans believe that the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ are present in, with and under the bread and the wine. This belief is called [[Real Presence]] or [[sacramental union]] and is different from [[consubstantiation]] and [[transubstantiation]]. Additionally Lutherans reject the idea that communion is a mere symbol or [[Memorialism|memorial]]. They confess in the ''[[Apology of the Augsburg Confession]]'':
<blockquote>[W]e do not abolish the Mass but religiously keep and defend it. Among us the Mass is celebrated every Lord's Day and on other [[s:Augsburg Confession#Article XV: Of Ecclesiastical Usages.|festivals]], when the Sacrament is made available to those who wish to partake of it, after they have been examined and absolved. We also keep traditional liturgical forms, such as the order of readings, prayers, vestments, and other similar things.<ref>''Apology of the Augsburg Confession'', Article XXIV.1</ref></blockquote>In addition to the Holy Communion (Divine Service), congregations frequently also hold offices, which are worship services without communion. They may include [[Matins in Lutheranism|Matins]], [[Vespers in Lutheranism|Vespers]], [[Compline]], or other observances of the [[Canonical Hours|Daily Office]]. Private or family offices include the [[s:Luther's Small Catechism#HOW THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY Should Teach His Household to Bless Themselves in the Morning and in the Evening.|Morning and Evening Prayers]] from Luther's ''Small Catechism''.<ref name=daily>See [http://www.bookofconcord.com/smallcatechism.php#prayers Luther's Small Catechism, Daily Prayers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201231739/http://www.bookofconcord.com/smallcatechism.php#prayers |date=1 February 2010 }}</ref> Meals are blessed with the ''[[Common table prayer]]'', {{bibleverse||Psalm|145:15–16|31}}, or other prayers, and after eating the Lord is thanked, for example, with {{bibleverse||Psalm|136:1|9}}. Luther himself encouraged the use of Psalm verses, such as those already mentioned, along with the Lord's Prayer and another short prayer before and after each meal: [[s:Luther's Small Catechism#HOW THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY Should Teach His Household to Ask a Blessing and Return Thanks.|Blessing and Thanks at Meals]] from Luther's ''Small Catechism''.<ref name=daily/> In addition, Lutherans use devotional books, from small [[daily devotional]]s, for example, ''[[Portals of Prayer]]'', to large [[breviary|breviaries]], including the ''[[Evangelisch-Lutherische Gebetsbruderschaft|Breviarium Lipsiensae]]'' and ''Treasury of Daily Prayer''.

The predominant rite used by Lutheran churches is a Western one based on the ''[[Formula missae]]'' ("Form of the Mass"), although other Lutheran liturgies are also in use, such as those used in the [[Byzantine Rite Lutheranism|Byzantine Rite Lutheran Churches]], including the [[Ukrainian Lutheran Church]] and [[Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia]], among others.<ref name="HämmerliMayer2016">{{cite book|last1=Hämmerli|first1=Maria|last2=Mayer|first2=Jean-François|title=Orthodox Identities in Western Europe: Migration, Settlement and Innovation|date=23 May 2016|publisher=Routledge|language=en|isbn=9781317084914|page=13}}</ref> Although Luther's [[Deutsche Messe]] was completely chanted except for the sermon, this is less common today.

In the 1970s, many Lutheran churches began holding [[contemporary worship]] services for the purpose of evangelistic outreach. These services were in a variety of styles, depending on the preferences of the congregation. Often they were held alongside a traditional service in order to cater to those who preferred [[contemporary worship music]]. Today, a few Lutheran congregations have contemporary worship as their sole form of worship. Outreach is no longer given as the primary motivation; rather this form of worship is seen as more in keeping with the desires of individual congregations.<ref>Principle examples of this in the ELCA include [http://www.familyofgod.us Family of God, Cape Coral FL.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716234118/http://www.familyofgod.us/ |date=16 July 2020 }}, [http://www.the-well.org/ The Well, Charlotte NC], [http://www.hosannalc.org Hosanna! of Lakeville, Minnesota], and [http://www.apostleschurch.org/home.php Church of the Apostles, Seattle WA.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820204437/http://www.apostleschurch.org/home.php |date=20 August 2006 }}.</ref> In Finland, Lutherans have experimented with the {{interlanguage link|St Thomas Mass|fi|Tuomasmessu}} and [[Metal Mass]] in which traditional hymns are adapted to heavy metal, with the [[Order of Mass]] preserved. Some Laestadians enter a heavily emotional and [[religious ecstasy|ecstatic]] state during worship. The [[Lutheran World Federation]], in its Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture, recommended every effort be made to bring church services into a more sensitive position with regard to cultural context.<ref>"A given culture's values and patterns, insofar as they are consonant with the values of the Gospel, can be used to express the meaning and purpose of Christian worship. Contextualization is a necessary task for the Church's mission in the world, so that the Gospel can be ever more deeply rooted in diverse local cultures."
[http://www.worship.ca/docs/lwf_ns.html/ NAIROBI STATEMENT ON WORSHIP AND CULTURE: Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070222182255/http://www.worship.ca/docs/lwf_ns.html |date=22 February 2007 }}</ref>

In 2006, both the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] (ELCA) and the [[Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod]] (LCMS), in cooperation with certain international English speaking church bodies within their respective fellowships, released new hymnals: ''[[Evangelical Lutheran Worship]]'' (ELCA) and ''[[Lutheran Service Book]]'' (LCMS). Along with these, the most widely used among English speaking congregations include: ''[[Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary]]'' (1996, [[Evangelical Lutheran Synod]]), ''The [[Lutheran Book of Worship]]'' (1978, [[Lutheran Council in the United States of America]]), ''[[Lutheran Worship]]'' (1982, LCMS), ''[[Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal|Christian Worship]]'' (1993, [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]]), and ''[[The Lutheran Hymnal]]'' (1941, [[Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America]]). In the [[Lutheran Church of Australia]], the official hymnal is the ''[[Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement]]'' of 1986, which includes a supplement to the ''Lutheran Hymnal'' of 1973, itself a replacement for the ''Australian Lutheran Hymn Book'' of 1921. Prior to this time, the two Lutheran church bodies in Australia ([[History of the Lutheran Church of Australia#Merge of UELCA and ELCA into the Lutheran Church of Australia|which merged in 1966]]) used a variety of hymnals, mostly in the German language. Spanish-speaking ELCA churches frequently use ''Libro de Liturgia y Cántico'' (1998, Augsburg Fortress) for services and hymns. For a more complete list, see [[List of English-language hymnals by denomination#Lutheran|List of English language Lutheran hymnals]].

===Kalendar===
[[Image:ChurchYear white background.svg|thumb|[[Liturgical calendar (Lutheran)|Lutheran church year]]]]
{{Main|Liturgical calendar (Lutheran)|Calendar of saints (Lutheran)}}
{{further|Lectionary}}
Lutherans observe the [[Liturgical year|liturgical kalendar]], which consists of the cycle of liturgical days and seasons that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of scripture are to be read.<ref name="Dowden1910">{{cite book |author1=[[John Dowden]] |title=The Church Year and Kalendar |date=1910 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |language=English |quote=The Church's Year, as it has been known for many centuries throughout Christendom, is characterised first, by the weekly festival of the Lord's Day (a feature which dates from the dawn of the Church's life and the age of the Apostles) and, secondly, by the annual recurrence of fasts and festivals, of certain days and certain seasons of religious observance. These latter emerged, and came to find places in the Kalendar at various times.|page=xi}}</ref> The kalendar features greater festivals, lesser festivals, and commemorations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devoted to Prayer: Introduction |url=https://thenalc.org/worship-resources/devoted-to-prayer-introduction/ |publisher=[[North American Lutheran Church]] |access-date=11 May 2025|language=en}}</ref> The Lutheran Churches use a [[lectionary]] that enjoins appointed scripture readings for each day, which include an Old Testament reading, Psalm, Epistle reading, and Gospel reading.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lectionary Series: Scripture Readings - The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod |url=https://www.lcms.org/worship/lectionary-series |publisher=[[Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod]] |language=en-us}}</ref> 

===Missions===
[[File:Narsapurlutheran.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Christ Lutheran Church, Narsapur|Christ Lutheran Church]] in [[India]]]]
Sizable Lutheran [[Christian mission|missions]] arose for the first time during the 19th century. Early missionary attempts during the century after the Reformation did not succeed. However, European traders brought Lutheranism to [[Africa]] beginning in the 17th century as they settled along the coasts. During the first half of the 19th century, missionary activity in Africa expanded, including preaching by missionaries, translation of the Bible, and education.<ref>Piepkorn, A.C. ''Profiles in Belief: Volume II, Protestant Denominations''. San Francisco: [[Harper and Row]], 1978. p. 31.</ref>

Lutheranism came to [[Christianity in India#Arrival of Protestant missions|India]] beginning with the work of [[Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg]], where a community totaling several thousand developed, complete with their own translation of the Bible, catechism, their own hymnal, and system of Lutheran schools. In the 1840s, this church experienced a revival through the work of the Leipzig Mission, including [[Karl Graul]].<ref>Piepkorn, A.C., ''Profiles in Belief: Volume II, Protestant Denominations''. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978. p. 32.</ref> After German missionaries were expelled in 1914, Lutherans in India became entirely autonomous, yet preserved their Lutheran character. In recent years India has relaxed its anti-religious conversion laws, allowing a resurgence in missionary work.

In [[Latin America]], missions began to serve European immigrants of Lutheran background, both those who spoke German and those who no longer did. These churches in turn began to evangelize those in their areas who were not of European background, including indigenous peoples.<ref>Piepkorn, A.C., ''Profiles in Belief: Volume II, Protestant Denominations''. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978. p. 35.</ref>

In 1892, the first Lutheran missionaries reached [[Christianity in Japan#Opening of Japan|Japan]]. Although work began slowly and a major setback occurred during the hardships of [[WWII]].<ref>Piepkorn, A.C., ''Profiles in Belief: Volume II, Protestant Denominations''. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978. p. 33.</ref> Lutheranism there has survived and become self-sustaining.<ref name=P34>Piepkorn, A.C., ''Profiles in Belief: Volume II, Protestant Denominations''. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978. p. 34.</ref> After missionaries to China, including those of the [[Lutheran Church of China]], were expelled, they began ministry in [[Taiwan]] and [[Hong Kong]], the latter which became a center of Lutheranism in Asia.<ref name=P34/>

The [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea#History|Lutheran Mission in New Guinea]], though founded only in 1953, became the largest Lutheran mission in the world in only several decades. Through the work of native lay evangelists, many tribes of diverse languages were reached with the Gospel.<ref name=P34/>

Today the Lutheran World Federation operates [[Lutheran World Relief]], a relief and development agency active in more than 50 countries.

===Education===
[[File:Resurrection Lutheran School Rochester MN WELS.jpg|thumb|Resurrection Lutheran School is a parochial school of the [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]] (WELS) in [[Rochester, Minnesota]] and the fourth-largest private school system in the United States.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hunt|first1=T.|last2=Carper|first2=J.|title=The Praeger Handbook of Faith-Based Schools in the United States, K-12, Volume 1|year=2012|pages=177|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0313391392}}</ref>]][[s:Luther's Small Catechism/Preface|Catechism instruction]] is considered foundational in most Lutheran churches. Almost all maintain [[Sunday School]]s, and some host or maintain [[Lutheran school]]s, at the preschool, elementary, middle, high school, [[folk high school]], or university level. Lifelong study of the catechism is intended for all ages so that the abuses of the pre-Reformation Church will not recur.<ref>[http://www.bookofconcord.com/largecatechism/2_preface.html Preface] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121011806/http://bookofconcord.com/largecatechism/2_preface.html |date=21 November 2008 }} to Luther's [[Luther's Large Catechism|Large]] and [http://www.bookofconcord.com/smallcatechism.html#preface preface] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128133418/http://www.bookofconcord.com/smallcatechism.html#preface |date=28 November 2006 }} to Luther's ''Small Catechism''.</ref> Lutheran schools have always been a core aspect of Lutheran mission work, starting with Bartholomew Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Putschasu, who began work in India in year 1706.<ref name=ENC3367>Fahlbusch, Erwin, and Bromiley, Geoffrey William, ''The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 3''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2003. p. 367.</ref> During the [[Counter-Reformation#Bohemia and Austria|Counter-Reformation]] era in German speaking areas, backstreet Lutheran schools were the main Lutheran institution among [[Crypto-protestantism|crypto-Lutherans]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=2f69mKhTDNQC&dq=Winkel+Schule+%22Lutheran+doctrine%22&pg=PA12 Absolutism and the Eighteenth-Century Origins of Compulsory Schooling in Prussia and Austria] (Google Books) by James van Horn Melton, Cambridge University Press, 1988.</ref>

Pastors almost always have substantial theological educations, including [[Koine Greek]] and [[Biblical Hebrew]] so that they can refer to the Christian scriptures in the original language. Pastors usually teach in the common language of the local congregation. In the U.S., some congregations and synods historically taught in [[German language|German]], [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], or [[Swedish language|Swedish]], but retention of immigrant languages has been in significant decline since the early and middle 20th century.

===Church fellowship===
[[Image:Juleum Helmstedt Collegium.jpg|thumb|[[Georg Calixtus]] taught at the [[University of Helmstedt]] during the [[Syncretistic controversy]].]]
[[File:Jerusalem Erlöserkirche um 1900.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Church of the Redeemer, Jerusalem|Lutheran Church of the Redeemer]] in Jerusalem in the [[Holy Land]] houses Lutheran congregations that worship in Arabic, German, Danish, and English]]
[[File:Communion3.jpg|thumb|upright|A Lutheran pastor wearing a [[chasuble]] during communion]]
[[File:Confirmation_in_Lunder_Church,_Norway.JPG|thumb|Confirmation at the [[Church of Norway]]'s Lunder Church in [[Ringerike (municipality)|Ringerike]], Norway in 2012]]
[[File:Læstardianer.jpg|thumb|A [[Laestadianism|Læstadian]] lay preacher in [[Finnmark]], Norway in 1898]]
Lutherans were divided about the issue of church fellowship for the first 30 years after Luther's death. [[Philipp Melanchthon]] and his [[Philippists|Philippist]] party felt that Christians of different beliefs should join in union with each other without completely agreeing on doctrine. Against them stood the [[Gnesio-Lutherans]], led by [[Matthias Flacius]] and the faculty at the [[University of Jena]]. They condemned the Philippist position for [[indifferentism]], describing it as a "unionistic compromise" of precious Reformation theology. Instead, they held that genuine unity between Christians and real theological peace was only possible with an honest agreement about every subject of doctrinal controversy.<ref>Klug, Eugene F. and Stahlke, Otto F. ''Getting into the Formula of Concord''. St. Louis: Concordia, 1977. p. 16</ref>

Complete agreement finally came about in 1577, after the death of both Melanchthon and Flacius, when a new generation of theologians resolved the doctrinal controversies on the basis of Scripture in the ''[[Formula of Concord]]'' of 1577.<ref>Klug, Eugene F. and Stahlke, Otto F. ''Getting into the Formula of Concord''. St. Louis: Concordia. p. 18</ref> Although they decried the visible division of Christians on earth, orthodox Lutherans avoided [[ecumenism|ecumenical]] fellowship with other churches, believing that Christians should not, for example, join for the [[Eucharist|Lord's Supper]] or exchange pastors if they do not completely agree about what the Bible teaches. In the 17th century, [[Georgius Calixtus]] began a rebellion against this practice, sparking the [[Syncretism#Syncretistic Controversy|Syncretistic Controversy]] with [[Abraham Calovius]] as his main opponent.<ref>See ''[http://www.blts.edu/essays/schmelingTR/Consensus%20Repetitus.pdf Lutheran Orthodoxy Under Fire: An Exploratory Study of the Syncretistic Controversy And The Consensus Repetitus Fidei Vere Lutheranae] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415200455/http://www.blts.edu/essays/schmelingTR/Consensus%20Repetitus.pdf |date=15 April 2010 }}'' and ''[http://www.blts.edu/essays/schmelingTR/Calov.pdf Strenuus Christi Athleta Abraham Calov (1612–1686): Sainted Doctor And Defender of the Church] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415200704/http://www.blts.edu/essays/schmelingTR/Calov.pdf |date=15 April 2010 }}'', both by Timothy R. Schmeling</ref>

In the 18th century, there was some ecumenical interest between the [[Church of Sweden]] and the [[Church of England]]. [[John Robinson (bishop of London)|John Robinson]], Bishop of London, planned for a union of the English and Swedish churches in 1718. The plan failed because most Swedish bishops rejected the Calvinism of the Church of England, although [[Jesper Swedberg]] and [[Johannes Gezelius the younger]], bishops of Skara, Sweden and Turku, Finland, were in favor.<ref>{{in lang|sv}}[http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/ArticlePages/200508/16/20050816074719_svkhjs928/20050816074719_svkhjs928.dbp.asp Svenskakyrkan.se] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930215322/http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/ArticlePages/200508/16/20050816074719_svkhjs928/20050816074719_svkhjs928.dbp.asp |date=30 September 2007 }}</ref> With the encouragement of Swedberg, church fellowship was established between Swedish Lutherans and Anglicans in the [[Middle Colonies]]. Over the course of the 1700s and the early 1800s, Swedish Lutherans were absorbed into Anglican churches, with the last original Swedish congregation completing merger into the Episcopal Church in 1846.<ref>Bente, Friedrich, 1858–1930. [https://archive.org/details/americanluthera01bentgoog/page/n29 <!-- pg=13 --> American Lutheranism Volume 1: Early History of American Lutheranism]: Lutheran Swedes in Delaware. St. Louis: Concordia, 1919, pp. 13–16.</ref>

In the 19th century, [[Samuel Simon Schmucker]] attempted to lead the [[General Synod (Lutheran)|Evangelical Lutheran General Synod of the United States]] toward unification with other American Protestants. His attempt to get the synod to reject the ''Augsburg Confession'' in favor of his compromising ''Definite Platform'' failed. Instead, it sparked a Neo-Lutheran revival, prompting many to form the [[General Council (Lutheran)|General Council]], including [[Charles Porterfield Krauth]]. Their alternative approach was "Lutheran pulpits for Lutheran ministers only and Lutheran altars...for Lutheran communicants only."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Eklund |first1=Emmet E. |year=1988 |title=His Name Was Jonas: A Biography of Jonas Swenson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gE8rAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Lutheran+ministers+only,+and+Lutheran+altars%22+%22general+council%22 |location=Rock Island, Ill. |publisher=Augustana Historical Society |page=99 |isbn=978-0910184366 |access-date=21 September 2017 }}</ref>

Beginning in 1867, confessional and liberal minded Lutherans in Germany joined to form the ''Common Evangelical Lutheran Conference'' against the ever looming prospect of a state-mandated union with the Reformed.<ref name=Gritsch185>Gritsch, Eric W. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fIhb4-iBk6EC&pg=PA185 A History of Lutheranism]. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002. p. 185.</ref> However, they failed to reach consensus on the degree of shared doctrine necessary for church union.<ref name=Gritsch184/> Eventually, the fascist [[German Christians (movement)|German Christians]] movement pushed the final national merger of Lutheran, [[United and uniting churches|Union]], and Reformed church bodies into a single [[Protestant Reich Church|Reich Church]] in 1933, doing away with the previous umbrella [[German Evangelical Church Confederation]] (DEK). As part of [[denazification]] the Reich Church was formally done away with in 1945, and certain clergy were removed from their positions. However, the merger between the Lutheran, United, and Reformed state churches was retained under the name [[Protestant Church in Germany]] (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, EKD). In 1948 the Lutheran church bodies within the EKD founded the [[United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany]] (VELKD), but it has since been reduced from being an independent legal entity to an administrative unit within the EKD.

Lutherans are currently divided over how to interact with other Christian denominations. Some Lutherans assert that everyone must share the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) in complete unity (1 Cor. 1:10)<ref>For a historical example, see Robert Preus, ''To Join or Not To Join''. [[North Dakota District (LCMS)|North Dakota District of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]], 1968.</ref> before pastors can share each other's pulpits, and before communicants commune at each other's altars, a practice termed [[closed communion|closed (or close) communion]]. On the other hand, other Lutherans practice varying degrees of [[open communion]] and allow preachers from other Christian denominations in their pulpits.

While not an issue in the majority of Lutheran church bodies, some of them forbid membership in [[Freemasonry]]. Partly, this is because the lodge is viewed as spreading [[Unitarianism]], as the Brief Statement of the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod|LCMS]] reads, "Hence we warn against Unitarianism, which in our country has to a great extent impenetrated the sects and is being spread particularly also through the influence of the lodges."<ref>See [http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=564 Brief Statement was adopted as LCMS doctrine in 1932, and from time to time has been adopted by other Lutherans] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514030409/http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=564 |date=14 May 2008 }}</ref> A 1958 report from the publishing house of the [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]] states that, "Masonry is guilty of idolatry. Its worship and prayers are idol worship. The Masons may not with their hands have made an idol out of gold, silver, wood or stone, but they created one with their own mind and reason out of purely human thoughts and ideas. The latter is an idol no less than the former."<ref>Report of the Lutheran Church, ''The Northwestern Lutheran'', p. 281, 31 August 1988.</ref>

The largest organization of Lutheran churches around the world are the [[Lutheran World Federation]] (LWF), the [[Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum]], the [[International Lutheran Council]] (ILC), and the [[Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference]] (CELC). These organizations together account for the great majority of Lutheran denominations. The [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod|LCMS]] and the [[Lutheran Church–Canada]] are members of the ILC. The [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod|WELS]] and [[Evangelical Lutheran Synod|ELS]] are members of the CELC. Many Lutheran churches, such as the [[Lutheran Church - International]] (a Confessional Lutheran denomination of [[Evangelical Catholic]] churchmanship), are not affiliated with the LWF, the ILC or the CELC: The congregations of the [[Church of the Lutheran Confession]] (CLC) are affiliated with their mission organizations in Canada, India, Nepal, Myanmar, and many African nations; and those affiliated with the [[Church of the Lutheran Brethren]] are especially active doing mission work in Africa and East Asia.

The Lutheran World Federation-aligned churches do not believe that one church is singularly true in its teachings. According to this belief, Lutheranism is a reform movement rather than a movement into doctrinal correctness. As part of this, in 1999 the LWF and the Roman Catholic Church jointly issued a statement, the ''[[Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification]]'', that stated that the LWF and the Catholics both agreed about certain basics of Justification and lifted certain Catholic [[anathema]]s formerly applying to the LWF member churches.{{Citation needed span|The LCMS has participated in most of the [[Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue|official dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church]] since shortly after the [[Second Vatican Council]], though not the one which produced the ''Joint Declaration'' and to which they were not invited. While some Lutheran theologians saw the ''Joint Declaration'' as a sign that the Catholics were essentially adopting the Lutheran position, other Lutheran theologians disagreed, claiming that, considering the public documentation of the Catholic position, this assertion does not hold up.|date=May 2017}}

Besides their intra-Lutheran arrangements, some member churches of the LWF have also declared full communion with non-Lutheran Protestant churches. The [[Porvoo Communion]] is a communion of episcopally led Lutheran and Anglican churches in Europe. Beside its membership in the Porvoo Communion, {{Citation needed span|Church of Sweden also has declared full communion with the [[Philippine Independent Church]] and the [[United Methodist Church]].|date=May 2017}} The state Protestant churches in Germany many other European countries have signed the ''Leuenberg Agreement'' to form the [[Community of Protestant Churches in Europe]]. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has been involved in ecumenical dialogues with several denominations. The ELCA has declared [[full communion]] with multiple American Protestant churches.<ref>These include, but are not limited to the following: the [[American Provinces of the Moravian Church]], the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America]], the [[Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)]], the [[Reformed Church in America]], the [[United Methodist Church]], and the [[United Church of Christ]].</ref>

Although on paper the LWF churches have all declared have full communion with each other, in practice some churches within the LWF have renounced ties with specific other churches.<ref>For a similar phenomenon also currently developing, see [[Anglican realignment]].</ref> One development in this ongoing schism is the [[Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum]], which consists of churches and church related organizations tracing their heritage back to mainline American Lutheranism in North America, European state churches, as well as certain African churches. As of 2019, the Forum is not a full communion organization. Similar in this structure is the [[International Lutheran Council]], where issues of communion are left to the individual denominations. Not all ILC churches have declared church-fellowship with each other. In contrast, mutual church-fellowship is part of the CELC member churches, and unlike in the LWF, this is not contradicted by individual statements from any particular member church body.

[[Laestadianism|Laestadians]] within certain European state churches maintain close ties to other Laestadians, often called Apostolic Lutherans. Altogether, Laestadians are found in 23 countries across five continents, but there is no single organization which represents them. Laestadians operate [[Association of Peace|Peace Associations]] to coordinate their churchly efforts. Nearly all are located in Europe, although they there are 15 combined in North America, [[Ecuador]], [[Togo]], and Kenya.

By contrast, the [[Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference]] and [[International Lutheran Council]] as well as some unaffiliated denominations such as the Church of the Lutheran Confession and North American Laestadians maintain that the orthodox [[Confessional Lutheran]] churches are the only churches with completely correct doctrine. They teach that while other Christian churches teach partially orthodox doctrine and have true Christians as members, the doctrines of those churches contain significant errors. More conservative Lutherans strive to maintain historical distinctiveness while emphasizing doctrinal purity alongside Gospel-motivated outreach. They claim that LWF Lutherans are practicing ''"[[Ecumenism#Opposition to ecumenism|fake ecumenism]]"'' by desiring church fellowship outside of actual unity of teaching.<ref>see [http://www.mtio.com/articles/aissar39.htm Ecumenism: Facts and Illusions] by Kurt E. Marquart for a short explanation of the modern ecumenism movement from a Confessional Lutheran perspective</ref>

Although not an "ecumenical" movement in the formal sense, in the 1990s influences from the [[megachurch]]es of American evangelicalism have become somewhat common. Many of the largest Lutheran congregations in the United States have been heavily influenced by these "progressive Evangelicals". These influences are sharply criticized by some Lutherans as being foreign to orthodox Lutheran beliefs.<ref>See scholarly articles on the [http://www.wlsessays.net/subject/C/Church+Growth+Movement Church Growth Movement] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727234431/http://www.wlsessays.net/subject/C/Church+Growth+Movement |date=27 July 2011 }} from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library and [http://www.ctsfw.edu/library/files/pb/818 Implications of the Church Growth Movement for Lutherans: Possibilities and Concerns] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060314085030/http://www.ctsfw.edu/library/files/pb/818 |date=14 March 2006 }} by Harold L. Senkbeil as examples of criticism from confessional Lutherans</ref>

===Polity===
[[File:Das Vaterunser 2 Lucas Cranach d A.jpg|thumb|''Hallowed be Thy Name'' by [[Lucas Cranach the Elder]] illustrates a Lutheran pastor preaching Christ crucified. During the Reformation and afterwards, many churches did not have pews, so people would stand or sit on the floor. The elderly might be given a chair or stool.]]
Lutheran [[Ecclesiastical polity|polity]] varies depending on influences. Although [[:s:Augsburg Confession#Article XIV: Of Ecclesiastical Order.|Article XIV]] of the ''Augsburg Confession'' mandates that one must be "properly called" to preach or administer the Sacraments, some Lutherans have a broad view of on what constitutes this and thus allow lay preaching or students still studying to be pastors someday to consecrate the Lord's Supper.<ref>For some opinions and historical discussion from someone who takes a broader view, see [https://essays.wls.wels.net/bitstream/handle/123456789/3205/MaaskeCall.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y What is a call?: or, When is a call a call, and who makes it such?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412074557/https://essays.wls.wels.net/bitstream/handle/123456789/3205/MaaskeCall.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |date=12 April 2019 }} By Alfred H. Maaske</ref> Despite considerable diversity, Lutheran polity trends in a geographically predictable manner in Europe, with episcopal governance to the north and east but blended and consistorial-presbyterian type synodical governance in Germany.

====Scandinavia====
[[File:Ärkebiskopsvigning.jpg|thumb|[[Nathan Söderblom]] is ordained as archbishop of the Church of Sweden in 1914. Swedish Lutheranism teaches that it possesses an unbroken line of ordinations to the Apostles.]]
To the north in Scandinavia, the population was more insulated from the influence and politics of the Reformation and thus the Church of Sweden (which at the time included Finland) retained the [[Apostolic succession#Lutheran claims to apostolic succession|Apostolic succession]],<ref>{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SLlKBAAAQBAJ&q=%22Church+of+Iceland%22+%22Apostolic+Succession%22&pg=PA140 | title = Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism | last1 = Gassman | first1 = Günther | last2 = Larson | first2 = Duane H. | last3 = Olderburg | first3 = Mark W. | edition = 2nd | year = 2011 | publisher = The Scarecrow Press, Inc.| isbn = 9780810874824 }}</ref> although they did not consider it essential for valid sacraments as the [[Donatists]] did in the fourth and fifth centuries and the Roman Catholics do today. Recently, the Swedish succession was introduced into all of the [[Porvoo Communion]] churches, all of which have an episcopal polity. Although the Lutheran churches did not require this or change their doctrine, this was important in order for more strictly high church Anglican individuals to feel comfortable recognizing their sacraments as valid. The occasional ordination of a bishop by a priest was not necessarily considered an invalid ordination in the Middle Ages, so the alleged break in the line of succession in the other Nordic Churches would have been considered a violation of canon law rather than an invalid ordination at the time. Moreover, there are no consistent records detailing pre-Reformation ordinations prior to the 12th century.<ref>''Das kirchliche Amt in apostolischer Nachfolge''. In: Dorothea Sattler, Gunther Wenz: ''Das kirchliche Amt in apostolischer Nachfolge. Volume 3: Verständigungen und Differenzen''. Herder/ Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Freiburg and Göttingen 2008. {{ISBN|3-451-29943-7}}, p. 167–267, and p. 266.</ref>

In the far north of the Scandinavian peninsula are the [[Sámi people#Laestadius|Sámi people]], some of which practice a form of Lutheranism called Apostolic Lutheranism, or [[Laestadianism]] due to the efforts of [[Lars Levi Laestadius]]. However, others are [[Sámi people#Religion|Orthodox in religion]]. Some Apostolic Lutherans consider their movement as part of an [[Laestadianism#"Unbroken line of living Christianity"|unbroken line down from the Apostles]]. In areas where Apostolic Lutherans have their own bishops apart from other Lutheran church organizations, the bishops wield more practical authority than Lutheran clergy typically do. In Russia, Laestadians of Lutheran background cooperate with the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria|Ingrian]] church, but since Laestadianism is an interdenominational movement, some are Eastern Orthodox. Eastern Orthodox Laestadians are known as [[Ushkovayzet]] (article is in Russian).<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140904222459/http://uralistica.com/profiles/blogs/karelskoe-religioznoe Karelian religious movement Uskhovayzet]}}</ref>

====Eastern Europe and Asian Russia====
[[File:Spb 06-2012 Nevsky various 06.jpg|thumb|[[Lutheran Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul]] in [[Saint Petersburg]]]]
Although historically Pietism had a significant influence on the understanding of the ministry among Lutherans in the [[Russian Empire]],{{efn|See {{ill|Edward Wust|ru|Вюст, Эдуард|vertical-align=sup}} and {{ill|Wustism|ru|Вюстизм|vertical-align=sup}} in the Russian Wikipedia for more on this.}} today nearly all [[Russia]]n and [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] Lutherans are influenced by Eastern Orthodox polity. In their culture, giving a high degree of respect and authority to their bishops is necessary for their faith to be seen as legitimate and not sectarian.<ref>[https://www.sonntagsblatt.de/artikel/kirche/ihre-gemeinde-ist-annulliert Kirche weltweit Ukraine: "Ihre Gemeinde ist annulliert"] 18.09.2016 by Von Helmut Frank]</ref> In [[Russia]], lines of succession between bishops and the canonical authority between their present-day hierarchy is also carefully maintained in order to legitimize the existing Lutheran churches as present day successors of the former Lutheran Church of the Russian Empire originally authorized by [[Catherine the Great]]. This allows for the post-Soviet repatriation of Lutheran church buildings to local congregations on the basis of this historical connection.<ref>[https://logia.org/pdf-back-issues/15-1pdf-lutheranism-in-asia A New "Old" Lutheran Church in Asian Russia] by Alexei Streltsov, in Logia, Epiphany 2006: Volume 15, Number 1</ref>

====Germany====
[[File:KirchenordnungSHA.jpg|thumb|The [[Schwäbisch Hall]] Church Order in 1543]]
In [[Germany]], several dynamics encouraged Lutherans to maintain a different form of polity. First, due to de facto practice during the [[Nuremberg Religious Peace]] the subsequent legal principal of [[Cuius regio, eius religio]] in the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, German states were officially either Catholic or "Evangelical" (that is, Lutheran under the ''Augsburg Confession''). In some areas both Catholic and Lutheran churches were permitted to co-exist. Because German-speaking Catholic areas were nearby, Catholic-leaning Christians were able to emigrate and there was less of an issue with Catholics choosing to live as "[[crypto-papist]]s" in Lutheran areas. Although Reformed-leaning Christians were not allowed to have churches, Melancthon wrote ''[[Augsburg Confession Variata]]'' which some used to claim legal protection as "Evangelical" churches. Many chose to live as [[crypto-Calvinists]] either with or without the protection offered by the ''Variata'', but this did not make their influence go away, and as a result the Protestant church in Germany as of 2017 was only about ≈40% Lutheran, with most of the rest being United Protestant, a combination of Lutheran and Reformed beliefs and practices.<ref name=EKD18>[https://www.ekd.de/ekd_de/ds_doc/Gezaehlt_zahlen_und_fakten_2019.pdf Zahlen und Fakte zum kirchlichen Leben 2019] Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland</ref>

In terms of polity, over the 17th and 18th centuries the carefully negotiated and highly prescriptive [[Church Order (Lutheran)|church orders]] of the Reformation era gave way to a joint cooperation between state control and a Reformed-style blend of consistorial and presbyterian type synodical governance. Just as negotiations over the details in the church orders involved the laity, so did the new synodical governance. Synodical governance had already been practiced in the Reformed Netherlands prior to its adoption by Lutherans. During the formation of the modern German state, ideas about the nature of authority and the best design for governments and organizations came from the philosophies of [[Political philosophy of Immanuel Kant|Kant]] and [[Elements of the Philosophy of Right|Hegel]], further modifying the polity. When the monarchy and the sovereign governance of the church were ended in 1918, the synods took over the governance of the state churches.

====Western Hemisphere and Australia====
[[File:Ministerium Hymnal.jpg|thumb|The Pennsylvania Ministerium published this hymnal in 1803.<ref>This website has [https://hymnary.org/hymnal/HELC1865 text and midi files] for the 1865 Pennsylvania Ministerium hymnal.</ref>]]
[[File:Chancel at Our Saviour Baltimore.jpg|thumb|upright|The high altar of [[Our Saviour Lutheran Church (Baltimore, Maryland)|Our Saviour Lutheran Church]] in [[Baltimore]], which belongs to the [[Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod]]]]
During the period of the emigration, Lutherans took their existing ideas about polity with them across the ocean,<ref>Abdel Ross Wentz (1954), ''A Basic History of Lutheranism in America'', Philadelphia, Pa., p. 41</ref><ref>Clifton E. Olmstead (1960), ''History of Religion in the United States'', Englewood Cliffs, N.J., pp. 6, 140</ref> though with the exception of the early Swedish Lutherans immigrants of the New Sweden colony who accepted the rule of the Anglican bishops and became part of the established church, they now had to fund churches on their own. This increased the congregationalist dynamic in the blended consistorial and presbyterian type synodical governance. The first organized church body of Lutherans in America was the [[Pennsylvania Ministerium]], which used Reformed style synodical governance over the 18th and 19th centuries. Their contribution to the development of polity was that smaller synods could in turn form a larger body, also with synodical governance, but without losing their lower level of governance. As a result, the smaller synods gained unprecedented flexibility to join, leave, merge, or stay separate, all without the hand of the state as had been the case in Europe.

During their 19th-century persecution, Old Lutheran, defined as scholastic and orthodox believers, were left in a conundrum. Resistance to authority was traditionally considered disobedience, but, under the circumstances, upholding orthodox doctrine and historical practice was considered by the government disobedience. However, the doctrine of the [[lesser magistrate]] allowed clergy to legitimately resist the state and even leave. Illegal free churches were set up in Germany and mass emigration occurred. For decades the new churches were mostly dependent on the free churches to send them new ministerial candidates for ordination. These new church bodies also employed synodical governance, but tended to exclude Hegelianism in their constitutions, due to its incompatibility with the doctrine of the lesser magistrates. In contrast to Hegelianism where authority flows in from all levels, Kantianism presents authority proceeding only from the top down, hence the need for a lesser magistrate to become the new top magistrate.

Over the 20th and 21st centuries, some Lutheran bodies have adopted a more congregationalist approach, such as the [[Protes'tant Conference]] and the [[Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ]], or LCMC. The LCMC formed due to a church split after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America signed an [[Called to Common Mission|agreement]] with the Episcopal Church to start ordaining all of their new bishops into the apostolic succession, which was given to the ELCA by Lutheran Churches in the [[historic episcopate]], such as the [[Church of Sweden]].<ref name="VelikoGros2005">{{cite book |last1=Veliko |first1=Lydia |last2=Gros |first2=Jeffrey |title=Growing Consensus II: Church Dialogues in the United States, 1992-2004 |date=2005 |publisher=USCCB Publishing |isbn=978-1-57455-557-8 |language=English |quote=In order to receive the historic episcopate, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pledges that, following the adoption of this Concordat and in keeping with the collegiality and continuity of ordained ministry attested as early as canon 4 of the First Ecumenical Council (Nicea I, AD 325), at least three bishops already sharing in the sign of episcopal succession will be invited to participate in the installation of its next Presiding Bishop through prayer for the gift of the Holy Spirit and with the laying-on of hands. These participating bishops will be invited from churches of the Lutheran communion which share in the historic episcopate.}}</ref> This was offensive to those in the ELCA who now constitute the LCMC because of the implications this practice would have on their understanding of the teachings of the [[Theology of Martin Luther#Universal priesthood of the baptized|priesthood of all believers]] and the nature of ordination.

Some Lutheran churches permit dual-rostering.<ref>For example, the single Lutheran church on [[Guam]] is a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. See [http://www.lutheranchurchofguam.org/blog/?page_id=890 Lutheran Church of Guam History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717115937/http://www.lutheranchurchofguam.org/blog/?page_id=890 |date=17 July 2020 }}</ref> Situations like this one where a church or church body belongs to multiple larger organizations that do not have ties are termed "triangular fellowship". Another variant is independent Lutheran churches, although for some independent churches the clergy are members of a larger denomination. In other cases, a congregation may belong to a synod, but the pastor may be unaffiliated. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church of Australia,<ref>[https://researchbank.acu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1222&context=theses Legitimacy, authority and transition in the public office of the ministry in the Lutheran Church of Australia] by Grulke, David. 2 vols. (2007), thesis, [[Australian Catholic University]]</ref> the Wisconsin Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Church of the Lutheran Confession, and the Missouri Synod, teachers at parochial schools are considered to be ministers of religion, with the latter defending this before the [[Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission|Supreme Court in 2012]]. However, differences remain in the precise status of their teachers.<ref>One example of these differences are those [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod#Relationship with other Lutheran bodies|between the Missouri and Wisconsin Synods]].</ref>

==Throughout the world==
{{Further|Lutheranism by region|Protestantism by country}}
[[File:HKBP DR. I.L. Nommensen, Res. Nommensen Sigumpar (1).jpg|thumb|The building of a congregation in [[North Sumatra]] in [[Indonesia]] belonging to the [[Batak Christian Protestant Church]], which is a merged denomination that includes a Lutheran element]]
[[File:2010-08 Ramallah 32.jpg|thumb|right|{{ill|Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church|ar|كنيسة الرجاء الإنجيلية اللوثرية}} in [[Ramallah]], [[Palestine]]]][[File:HK Pui Tak Street Faith Lutheran School 1 a.jpg|thumb|upright|Faith Lutheran School in [[Hong Kong]]]]
Lutheran churches currently have millions of members, and are present on all populated continents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lutheran.org.nz/about-us/|title=About Us|work=Lutheran Church of New Zealand|access-date=5 March 2015}} However, some Lutherans disagree with the way the Lutheran World Federation arrives at this number, as millions of them actually come from bodies that are largely Reformed, but include some Lutherans. For more information on this, see: {{cite journal|last=Schumacher|first=William|url=http://www.csl.edu/CJApril05.pdf/|title=Theological Observer: How Many Lutherans?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610210044/http://www.csl.edu/CJApril05.pdf|archive-date=10 June 2007|journal=Concordia Journal|date=April 2005}}</ref> The [[Lutheran World Federation]] estimates the total membership of its churches to be over 77&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lutheranworld.org/content/member-churches|title=Member Churches |date=19 May 2013 |publisher= The Lutheran World Federation|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref> This figure miscounts Lutherans worldwide, as not all Lutheran churches belong to this organization, and many members of merged LWF church bodies do not self-identify as Lutheran or attend congregations that self-identify as Lutheran.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/member-statistics-2011.html |access-date=2012-07-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715071837/http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/member-statistics-2011.html |archive-date=15 July 2012 |df=dmy-all|publisher=The Lutheran World Federation|title=Survey Shows 70.5 Million Members in LWF-Affiliated Churches|date=14 March 2012}}</ref> Lutheran churches in North America, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean regions are experiencing decreases and no growth in membership, while those in Africa and Asia continue to grow. Lutheranism is the largest religious group in [[Kingdom of Denmark|Denmark]], [[Finland]], [[Iceland]], [[Latvia]], [[Namibia]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], and [[North Dakota]] and [[South Dakota]] in the [[United States]].
[[File:Wnętrze z ołtarzem głównym Świątyni Pokoju w Jaworze, woj. dolnośląskie, pow. jaworski A1905990 z 4.09.1963 -Magkrys.JPG|thumb|[[Church of Peace in Jawor]] in [[Poland]], part of the [[Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland]]. The [[Churches of Peace|Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica]] are listed as [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage Sites]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNESCO World Heritage List - Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1054/ |access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref>]]
Lutheranism is also the dominant form of Christianity in the [[Fort Apache Indian Reservation|White Mountain]] and [[San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation|San Carlos Apache nations]]. In addition, Lutheranism is a main Protestant denomination in [[Germany]] (behind [[United Protestant]] (Lutheran and [[Reformed church|Reformed]]) churches; [[EKD Protestants]] form about 24.3% of the country's total population),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ekd.de/ekd_de/ds_doc/Gezaehlt_zahlen_und_fakten_2021.pdf|publisher=ekd.de|access-date=2 January 2022|title=Gezählt 2021 – Zahlen und Fakten zum kirchlichen Leben}}</ref> [[Estonia]], [[Poland]], [[Austria]], [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]], [[Croatia]], [[Serbia]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Papua New Guinea]], and [[Tanzania]].<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica, [http://media-2.web.britannica.com//eb-media/58/67358-004-1E77BA15.gif Dominant Protestant Denomination Per Country] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425001243/http://media-2.web.britannica.com//eb-media/58/67358-004-1E77BA15.gif |date=25 April 2012 }}, 1995.</ref> A number of Lutheran [[Stift#Endowment for unmarried Protestant women|damenstift]] (convents) were shuttered by communist authorities following World War II in accordance with their [[state atheism]]. The Lüne abbeys are still open and many active Lutheran [[religious order]]s are located in Europe.

Although [[Religion in Namibia|Namibia]] is the only country outside Europe to have a Lutheran majority, there are sizable Lutheran bodies in other African countries. In the following African countries, the total number of Lutherans exceeds 100,000: [[Christianity in Nigeria|Nigeria]], [[Central African Republic#Religion|Central African Republic]], [[Christianity in Chad|Chad]], [[Religion in Kenya#Christianity|Kenya]], [[Malawi#Religion|Malawi]], [[Religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]], [[Religion in Cameroon|Cameroon]], [[P'ent'ay|Ethiopia]], Tanzania, [[Christianity in Zimbabwe|Zimbabwe]], and [[Christianity in Madagascar|Madagascar]]. In addition, the following nations also have sizable Lutheran populations: [[Christianity in Canada#Major denominational families|Canada]], [[Protestantism in France#Lutherans|France]], the [[Religion in the Czech Republic#Protestantism|Czech Republic]], [[Religion in Poland|Poland]], [[Religion in Hungary#Christianity|Hungary]], [[Religion in Slovakia|Slovakia]], [[Christianity in Malaysia|Malaysia]], [[Christianity in India#German Lutherans and Basel mission|India]], [[Protestantism in Indonesia#Lutheran denominations|Indonesia]], the [[Religion in the Netherlands#Protestantism|Netherlands]] (as a synod within the [[Protestant Church of the Netherlands|PKN]] and two strictly Lutheran denominations), [[Protestantism in South Africa|South Africa]], the [[Religion in the United Kingdom#Christianity|United Kingdom]], and the [[Protestantism in the United States#Lutheranism|United States]], especially in the heavily German and [[Scandinavian Americans|Scandinavian]] [[Upper Midwest]].<ref>[http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/lutheran.gif Lutherans as a Percentage of All Residents, 2000] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060630182008/http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/lutheran.gif |date=30 June 2006 }} (Map by county). Also see comparable maps of other religions along with specific denominations of Lutheran at the main [http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/geo/courses/geo200/religion.html American Ethnic Geography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609091659/http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/geo/courses/geo200/religion.html |date=9 June 2007 }} site</ref><ref>[http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/LWF-Statistics-2011.pdf 2011 World Lutheran Membership Details] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130324042910/http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/LWF-Statistics-2011.pdf |date=24 March 2013 }}</ref>

Lutheranism is also a [[state religion]] in [[Kingdom of Denmark|Denmark]] and [[Iceland]]. Lutheranism was also the state church in [[Finland]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]], but its status in Norway and Sweden was changed to that of a [[national church]] in 2017 and 2000 respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2017-02-03/norway-state-and-church-separate-after-500-years/|title=Norway: State and Church Separate After 500 Years|work=Library of Congress|date=3 February 2017|access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author-first1=Carol J.|author-last1=Williams|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jan-01-me-49706-story.html|title=Sweden Ends Designation of Lutheranism as Official Religion|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 2000|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>

===Brazil===
The [[Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil]] (Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Luterana no Brasil) is the largest Lutheran denomination in Brazil. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1952. It is a member of the [[Latin American Council of Churches]], the National Council of Christian Churches and the [[World Council of Churches]]. The denomination has 1.02 million adherents and 643,693 registered members. The church ordains women as ministers. In 2011, the denomination released a pastoral letter condemning discrimination against LGBT people and also supporting and accepting the [[Supreme Court of Brazil|Supreme Court]]'s decision to allow same-sex civil marriage, however also reaffirming the denomination's official doctrine that marriage is between a man and a woman and upholding the ban on people in same-sex relationships from serving as ministers.<ref>{{cite news |date=24 June 2011 |title=Sexualidade humana - homoafetividade - 2011 (Carta Pastoral da Presidência)|url=https://legado.luteranos.com.br/conteudo/sexualidade-humana-homoafetividade-2011}}</ref>

The [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil]] (Portuguese: Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil, IELB) is a Lutheran church founded in 1904 in [[Rio Grande do Sul]], a southern state in Brazil. The IELB is a conservative, confessional Lutheran synod which holds to the [[Book of Concord]]. It started as a mission of the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] and operated as the Brazilian District of that body. The IELB became an independent church body in 1980. It has about 243,093 members. The IELB is a member of the International Lutheran Council.

The [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]] (WELS) started a Brazilian mission, the first for WELS in the [[Portuguese language]], in the early 1980s. Its first work was done in the state of [[Rio Grande do Sul]], in the south of Brazil, alongside some small independent Lutheran churches which had asked for help from WELS. Today, the Brazilian WELS Lutheran Churches are self-supporting and an independent mission partner of the Latin America WELS missions team.

=== Distribution ===
This map shows where countries with over 25,000 members of the [[Lutheran World Federation]] were located in 2019.<ref name="The Lutheran World Federation Membership Figures">{{cite report|url=https://lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/2022-02/lwi-2019-statistics-en-20200825.pdf|title=The Lutheran World Federation 2019 Membership Figures|publisher=The Lutheran World Federation}}</ref>{{efn|This map undercounts several countries, notably the United States. The LWF does not include the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] and several other Lutheran bodies which together have over 2.5&nbsp;million members}}

{{wide image|Lutheran World Federation Membership Figures.svg|800 px|[[Lutheran World Federation]] membership by country in 2019.
{{center|
{{legend2|black|More than 10 million}}
{{legend2|#002167|5 million to 10 million}}
{{legend2|#0047AB|1 million to 5 million}}
{{legend2|#4169E1|500 thousand to 1 million}}
{{legend2|#a6aeec|100 thousand to 500 thousand}}
{{legend2|#CCCCFF|25 thousand to 100 thousand}}
:<small><sup>a</sup>data for China is explicitly for the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. <br><sup>b</sup>Argentina's LWF member churches include member congregations in Paraguay and Uruguay.</small>
}}
}}



In addition to the Lutheran World Federation, which is the largest association of Lutheran church bodies in the world, there are other Lutheran denominations: 
the [[International Lutheran Council]] representing 7.15 million Lutherans, 

the [[Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference]], which represents 0.5 million Lutherans, and 

the [[Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum]]. 

In addition, there are numerous unaffiliated [[List of Lutheran denominations|Lutheran denominations]] that are not members of any of the aforementioned organizations.

==See also==
* [[List of Lutheran churches]]
* [[List of Lutheran clergy]]
* [[List of Lutheran colleges and universities]]
* [[List of Lutheran denominations]]
* [[List of Lutheran denominations in North America]]
* [[List of Lutheran dioceses and archdioceses]]
* [[List of Lutheran schools in Australia]]
* [[Template:Lutheran orders|Lutheran orders]] (both loose social organizations and physical communities such as convents)

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ALC Historical Perspective: Nervig, Casper B. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=4_PjfC7GKkI Christian Truth and Religious Delusions]'', Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1941.
* Arand, Charles P, and Robert Kolb, eds. ''The Lutheran Confessions: History and Theology of the Book of Concord'' (2012)
* Bodensieck, Julius, ed. ''The encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church'' (3 vol 1965) [https://archive.org/search.php?query=%22lutheran%20church%22%20Bodensieck%2C vol 1 and 3 online free]
* Brauer, James Leonard and Fred L. Precht, eds. ''Lutheran Worship: History and Practice'' (1993)
* CLC Perspective: {{cite book |url=http://clclutheran.org/library/ccf.html |title=Concerning Church Fellowship: A Statement of Principle |location=Eau Claire, WI |publisher=CLC Book House |year=1996}}
* Confessional & Historical Perspective: Günther Gassmann & Scott Hendrix. Fortress Introduction to the Lutheran Confessions. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999. {{ISBN|0-8006-3162-5}}.
* European Lutheran perspective: Elert, Werner. ''The Structure of Lutheranism: the Theology and Philosophy of Life of Lutheranism, Especially in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries'', trans. by Walter A. Hansen. Saint Louis, Mo.: Concordia Publishing House, 1962. ''N.B''.: Trans. of ''Morphologie des Luthertums'', vol. 1 of which was published in 1931 at Munich by C.H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1931, vol. 2 in German appearing in 1932; the t.p. of this English-language ed. states "Volume One", but there has been no publication, as part of this English ed., of vol. 2.
* Fellowship of Lutheran Congregations Perspective: ''What True Lutherans Teach''. Oak Parks, Ill.: E.L.C. Tract Center, [199?]. 11 p. ''N.B''.: There is no personal author or specific committee credited with this brochure.
* General Council Historical Perspective: {{cite book |last=Krauth |first=Charles Porterfield |url=https://archive.org/details/conservativeref00kraugoog |title= The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology: As Represented in the Augsburg Confession, and in the History and Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church |page=[https://archive.org/details/conservativeref00kraugoog/page/n866 840] |edition=2nd|location=Philadelphia |publisher=J. B. Lippincott & Co. |year=1875 |isbn=978-0-7586-0994-6}}
* Granquist, Mark. ''Lutherans in America: A New History'' (2015)
* LCA Historical Perspective: {{cite book |last=Braaten |first=Carl E. |title=Principles of Lutheran Theology |location=Philadelphia |publisher=Fortress Press |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-8006-1689-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/principlesofluth0000braa }}
* LCA Historical Worship Perspective: Reed, Luther D. ''The Lutheran Liturgy: a Study [especially] of the Common Service of the Lutheran Church in America''. Philadelphia, Penn.: Muhlenberg Press, 1947. ''N.B''.: This study also includes some coverage of other Lutheran liturgical services, especially of Matins and Vespers.
* LCMS Perspective: {{cite book |author-link=Franz August Otto Pieper |last=Pieper |first=Franz |title= Christian Dogmatics |page=3 Volumes |location= Saint Louis, MO |publisher=[[Concordia Publishing House]] |year=1950–1957 |isbn=978-0-570-06714-6}}
* LCMS Perspective: {{cite book |last=Engelder |first=Theodore E.W.
|url=https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1|title=Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom and Of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture |page=[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1/page/n565 526] |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1934}}
* LCMS Perspective: ''Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod'' (1932). Saint Louis, Mo.: Concordia Publishing House.
* LCMS Perspective: {{cite book|last=Graebner |first=Augustus Lawrence |url=http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/graebner.html |title=Outlines of Doctrinal Theology |page=250 |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1910 |isbn=978-0-524-04891-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060709205945/http://showcase.netins.net/web/bilarson/graebner.html |archive-date=9 July 2006 |url-status=dead }}
* LCMS Perspective: Kretzschmar, Karl (198?). ''What Lutherans Teach''. St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia Tract Mission.
* LCMS Perspective: Neuhaus, Richard John (1969). ''The Lutherans'' (in "Ecumenical Series"). New York: Paulist Press. ''N.B''.: At the time of the publication of this document, Neuhaus was still a Lutheran pastor, of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
* LCR Perspective: {{cite book |last=McLaughlin |first=Wallace H. |url=http://lutherantheology.com/uploads/works/wabiotg/index.html |title=We All Believe in One True God: A Summary of Biblical Doctrine |location=Midland, Michigan |publisher=Cross of Christ Press |year=1963}}
* Meyer, Carl S. ''Moving Frontiers: Readings in the History of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod'' (1986)
* Neo-Lutheran Historical Perspective: {{cite book |last=Schmid |first=Heinrich Friedrich Ferdinand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eK9ZAAAAMAAJ |title=The Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church |location=Philadelphia |publisher=Lutheran Publication Society |year=1876 |isbn=978-0-7905-8877-3}}
* Norwegian Synod Historical Perspective: {{cite book |last=Monson |first=Ingvar Grøthe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HlJGAAAAYAAJ |title=The Difference: A Popular Guide to Denominational History and Doctrine |location=Saint Louis, MO |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=1915}}
*Richard, James William (1909) ''The Confessional History of the Lutheran Church''. Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1909
* Roeber, A. G. ''Palatines, Liberty, and Property: German Lutherans in Colonial British America'' (1998)
* Slovak Synod Historical Perspective: {{cite book |last=Richter|first=V. W. |url=https://archive.org/details/whyshouldaluthe00richgoog |title=Why Should a Lutheran Not Join Any Sectarian Church? |location=Streator, Illinois |publisher=Svedok Publishing House |year=1913}}
* WELS Perspective: {{cite book |last=Lange |first=Lyle W. |title=God So Loved the World: A Study of Christian Doctrine |publisher=[[Northwestern Publishing House]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8100-1744-3}}
* Comparison of about 50 Lutheran church bodies in America: {{cite book |last=Brug, John F. |title=WELS & Other Lutherans|edition=2nd |publisher=Northwestern Publishing House |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-8100-0543-3}}
* Comparison of Catholic, Lutheran, and Protestant doctrine: {{cite book |last=Jackson |first=Gregory L. |url=http://www.gljackson.com/795931.pdf |title=Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant: A Doctrinal Comparison of Three Christian Confessions |location=Glendale, Arizona |publisher=Martin Chemnitz Press |year=2007 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

==External links==
{{commons category|Lutheranism}}
{{EB1911 poster|Lutherans}}
* [https://ilcouncil.org/ International Lutheran Council]
* [https://bookofconcord.org/ The Book of Concord]
* [https://thavmapub.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/the-traditional-lutheran-liturgy.pdf The Traditional Lutheran Liturgy]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1EP_04meEU Clips of the Lutheran Mass]
* Moldehnke, Edward F. "Was ist denn eigentlich ein Lutheraner?" ''Evangelish-Lutherisches Gemeinde-Blatt''. Vol. 1, nos. 8–10 (1866). Trans. Nathaniel J. Biebert. [http://www.studiumexcitare.com/content/111 "So What Actually Is a Lutheran?"] ''Studium Excitare''. Issue No. 12 (2010).
* {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Lutherans |year=1921 |short=x}}

{{Lutheran Church}}
{{Navboxes
|list=
{{Martin Luther}}
{{Early Lutheran Controversies|state=collapsed}}
{{Lutheran History|state=collapsed}}
{{Lutheran Divine Service|state=collapsed}}
{{Christianity footer}}
{{Heresies condemned by the Catholic Church|state=collapsed}}
{{Evangelical Protestantism in the United States}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lutheranism| ]]
[[Category:1517 in Christianity]]
[[Category:16th-century introductions]]
[[Category:16th-century neologisms]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]