For certain reasons, Christianity as the original religion was divided into several branches, which are distinguished from each other by dogmatic and religious features. These include Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. It is about the latter direction that we will talk about, and more precisely about Lutheranism as its subspecies. In this article you will find the answer to the question: “Lutheran is ...?” - and also learn about the history of this belief, the differences from Catholicism and other similar religions.
How did Lutheranism arise?
The sixteenth century in Europe is the time of the religious revolution, which laid the foundation for new branches from the main religion of Christianity. It all started with the fact that some believers began to deny the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and preach their own dogmas. They wanted to reform religion according to the Bible. So the reform movement emerged, which at that time affected not only the religious sphere of medieval Europe, but also the political and social ones (after all, at that time the church was not separated from other areas of human life).
The first to speak out against the current Catholic course of faith was Martin Luther. It was he who made a public condemnation of indulgences, which allegedly guaranteed life in paradise, and also wrote “95 theses”. In them, he set out his vision of a new, reorganized, faith. Of course, he was convicted, called a heretic, but the beginning was laid. Protestantism began to spread, and of course, different trends began to appear.
Those believers who followed Martin Luther began to be called Lutherans. These were the first Protestants. They kept the dogmas that Martin had written. Next came Calvinists, Anabaptists and many others. Each one found his own correct way of worshiping God, praying to him and so on. What is noteworthy: in each stream there were also branches, which differed only in some dogmas and in the way of understanding the Bible. Of course, everyone believed that he was right.
The difference between Lutheran religion and Catholicism
So, now let’s look at how big the difference between Lutheranism and Catholicism is, from which it actually came out. Here you can formulate a few points:
- Lutherans do not recognize priests as vicars of God on Earth. That is why even women can become preachers of this faith. Lutheran clerics can also marry (even monks, which is not the case in other religions at all).
- Of the sacraments of Catholicism, Lutherans have only Baptism, Communion and Confession.
- The Bible is the main book of the believer. It contains the truth.
- Lutherans believe in the Triune God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit).
- Believers of this movement know that the fate of each person is predetermined from birth, but it can be improved by good deeds and strong faith. It should be noted that it is this provision that promotes the desire for personal enrichment of believers, and there is nothing wrong with that. In addition, strong faith helps atone for sins, not the work of believers, as is the case in Catholicism.
As you can see, the difference between these two branches of religions is quite large. Despite the fact that Lutheranism (Protestantism) came out of Catholicism, in the end, over time, certain dogmas appeared, as well as various directions in itself. The differences were minor.
You should also be aware that Lutherans and Protestants (the difference between which is quite subtle) are not the same thing. Protestantism is a more global trend, it includes everything that broke away from Catholicism at one time. Then came various subspecies of beliefs, and Lutheranism is one of them.
Thus, a Lutheran is a believer who fully trusts in God. He does not think about himself, does not think about what he has done, he lives in Christ and thinks only about him. This is the fundamental essence of this religion, unlike others, where it is customary to work on oneself and improve one's qualities.
The spread of this religion in the world
Now consider how widespread the Lutheran church is in the world. She first appeared in Germany, in the homeland of Martin Luther. In a short time, religion spread throughout the country, and then throughout Europe. In some countries, the Lutheran faith became the main, and in some was in the minority. Consider the countries in which this belief is most common.
So, the most numerous are, of course, Lutheran Germans, and also quite large denominations are in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the USA, Estonia and Latvia. The total number of Protestant believers is about eighty million. There is also the World Lutheran Federation, which, however, does not unite all churches, some retain autonomy.
Training of clergymen and their difference
It should also be noted that the Lutheran pastor is an ordinary person who was publicly approved at the annual meeting of the Synod. Thus, it turns out that there is a person’s appointment to the post, rather than ordination to the dignity, as is customary among Catholics and Orthodox. Lutherans are confident in the priesthood of all believers, and the stronger the faith, the better. Here they refer to one of the gospel truths. Also, as mentioned above, the Lutheran church does not prohibit becoming preachers to women, as well as marriage.
Subspecies of Lutheranism
So, a Lutheran is a believer, living deep in Christ. He knows about his victim and is sure that it was not done in vain. And this is the only thing that is present in all subspecies of Lutheranism, some of which will be listed below (but in general there are several more):
- Gnesioluterans.
- Confessional Lutheranism.
- Lutheran orthodoxy.
- Evangelical Lutheran Church, etc.
Conclusion
So, now you know the answer to the question: “Lutheran is this ...?” The essence of this direction of religion, as well as its origin and modern distribution in the world, is also quite understandable. Despite the fact that there are subspecies of Lutheranism, the basic idea remains in them, other differences exist only in some details. It is they that allow these directions to persist.