What is a Lutheran?
The Lutheran church is a major branch of Protestant Christianity, originating with the theology of Martin Luther (1483–1546), a German theologian who sought to bring about certain changes in the Catholic Church which ultimately launched the Protestant Reformation. His Ninety-Five Theses, published in 1517, were his first writings that spread the early ideas of the Reformation.
The differences centered primarily on authority and justification. Lutheranism advocates a doctrine of justification "by grace alone through faith alone on the basis of Scripture alone", accepting that scripture is the the norming norm on all matters of faith. (It should be noted that the ELCA does not consider the scriptures to be inerrant and infallible.) The Catholic Church defined authority as coming from both the Scriptures and Tradition.
The Augsburg Confession, the first Lutheran statement of belief which is contained in the Book of Concord, 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". In the Augsburg Confession the early church fathers are referenced over and over to make this point.
The Lutheran church kept many of the Catholic liturgical practices and sacramental teachings, including the focus on the Eucharist (Communion, or Lord's Supper). The Lutheran Church considers preaching to be as important as the sacraments in that it conveys God's grace through the Word.
Lutheranism is one of the largest Protestant denominations, with approximately 80 million adherents, the third most common Protestant denomination after historically Pentecostal denominations and Anglicanism. The Lutheran World Federation, the largest communion of Lutheran churches, represents over 78 million people.
The differences centered primarily on authority and justification. Lutheranism advocates a doctrine of justification "by grace alone through faith alone on the basis of Scripture alone", accepting that scripture is the the norming norm on all matters of faith. (It should be noted that the ELCA does not consider the scriptures to be inerrant and infallible.) The Catholic Church defined authority as coming from both the Scriptures and Tradition.
The Augsburg Confession, the first Lutheran statement of belief which is contained in the Book of Concord, 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". In the Augsburg Confession the early church fathers are referenced over and over to make this point.
The Lutheran church kept many of the Catholic liturgical practices and sacramental teachings, including the focus on the Eucharist (Communion, or Lord's Supper). The Lutheran Church considers preaching to be as important as the sacraments in that it conveys God's grace through the Word.
Lutheranism is one of the largest Protestant denominations, with approximately 80 million adherents, the third most common Protestant denomination after historically Pentecostal denominations and Anglicanism. The Lutheran World Federation, the largest communion of Lutheran churches, represents over 78 million people.
History of the ELCA
A merger of three Lutheran churches formed the ELCA in 1988. They were The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and the Lutheran Church in America.
The ELCA is a church that shares a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. As members of the ELCA, we believe that we are freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. With our hands, we do God’s work of restoring and reconciling communities in the name of Jesus throughout the world.
We trace our roots back through the mid-17th century, when early Lutherans came to America from Europe, settling in the Virgin Islands and the area that is now known as New York. Over the following centuries Lutheran ethnic groups migrated to the U.S. and spread throughout the country.
The ELCA is a church that shares a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. As members of the ELCA, we believe that we are freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. With our hands, we do God’s work of restoring and reconciling communities in the name of Jesus throughout the world.
We trace our roots back through the mid-17th century, when early Lutherans came to America from Europe, settling in the Virgin Islands and the area that is now known as New York. Over the following centuries Lutheran ethnic groups migrated to the U.S. and spread throughout the country.
