Lutheran
By: Ian Dreessen
Introduction to Lutheranism
Lutheranism was founded by Martin Luther in the year 1517. Lutherans believe that by faith alone you can get into heaven, instead of the practicing of good acts or deeds to make up for your sins. It quickly spread throughout northern Europe and now has over 65 million followers today.
Luther and the Protestant Reformation: Crash Course World History #218
Video
Just the first part that explains the upcoming of Lutheranism. They second just explains the protestant branches.
Followers
Lutheranism is considered one of the largest protestant christian denominations around today. There are nearly 66 million Lutherans worldwide, 36 million live in Europe, 13 million in Africa, 8.4 million in North America, 7.3 million in Asia, and 1.1 million in Latin America.
Martin Luther
On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther, a Catholic monk at the time posted his 95 Theses as a challenge to the doctrine and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. His hopes were to reform the practices that he felt were inconsistent with scripture. He believed that by faith alone you could get into heaven instead of the practices used by the Catholic church.
Beginnings of Lutheranism
Lutheranism first started in 1517 when Martin Luther challenged the Catholic church on their practices. It quickly spread into northern Europe and was officially recognized by the Catholic church in 1521.
Beliefs
They believe that by faith alone can someone be saved by Jesus Christ. They don't believe in other texts about Jesus Christ and rely only on the Bible to show them the way. They also believe that when God speaks on subjects they must follow his word but when he is silent they have the liberty to practice in their own way as long as it is done responsibly, and still spreads the word.
Holidays/Traditions ect.
Lutherans most obvious rite would be their Sunday worship service. Here they have praying, hymn singing, and communal readings by the congregation. Martin Luther believed that, to be a sacrament, a ritual had to be explicitly instituted by Jesus for the church in the gospels. Baptism and the last supper are the most important since these are the main two Jesus mentioned in the Bible. Penance, or the confessing of sins, is also a major part and is considered to be a sacrament.
Summery
In conclusion Lutheranism is separate from other denominations in a couple ways but does not stray to far away from the catholic religion. The main difference is that Lutherans tend to have more of a personal interpretation of the bible and only follow the same commands when given directly from Jesus Christ. They don't believe that the bread and wine become the actual flesh and blood of Christ, however they believe that it still has a meaning. Baptism, Penance, and Eucharist are the only sacraments, while the rest such as Confirmation, Anointing of the sick and Holy Orders ect, are known as non-sacramental rites. This is the main difference that separates Lutheranism from Catholicism.
Citations
1.) "Library." Lutheran Origins, Lutheran History, Lutheran Beliefs. Patheos Labs, 08 Aug. 2008. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
2.) “Lutheranism.” ReligionFacts.com. 10 Nov. 2015. Web. Accessed 28 Jan. 2016. <www.religionfacts.com/lutheranism>
3.) N, A. .. "Lutheran Beliefs and Practices." Lutheran Beliefs and Practices. Lutheran Rescources, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
4.) Vial, Ted. "Library." Rites and Ceremonies. Library, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.