Augsburg Confession

The 1530 statement of faith presented by Lutheran princes and cities to Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg. Written chiefly by Philipp Melanchthon, it became a foundational confession of Lutheran Christianity.

Martin Luther: A German theologian whose challenge to indulgences in 1517 helped launch the Protestant Reformation. His theology shaped the confession, though he was barred from attending the Diet.
Augsburg Confession Article IV: The confession’s article stating that people are justified freely for Christ’s sake through faith. It gives the clearest concise account of the confession’s teaching on justification.
Edict of Worms: A 1521 imperial edict declaring Martin Luther an outlaw and prohibiting his writings. It established the legal conflict that Lutheran princes still faced in 1530.
Book of Concord: The 1580 collection of authoritative Lutheran confessional writings. It includes the confession as a foundational statement of Lutheran doctrine.
Philipp Melanchthon: A German humanist and theologian who became a leading architect of Lutheran teaching. He drafted the confession and presented its case in Augsburg.
Augsburg Confession Article X: The confession’s article affirming Christ’s body and blood are truly present in the Lord’s Supper. It addresses a central sacramental dispute between reformers and their opponents.
Schmalkaldic League: A defensive alliance of Protestant princes and cities formed in 1531. The confession’s presentation preceded and helped prepare the alliance’s political setting.
Augsburg Confession Variata: A revised version of the confession published by Melanchthon in 1540. Its wording on the Lord’s Supper later divided Lutherans over which text was authoritative.
Diet of Augsburg: The 1530 assembly of the Holy Roman Empire convened by Charles V in Augsburg. The confession was formally read before the emperor at this imperial assembly.
Augsburg Confession Article XXVIII: The confession’s article defining the authority and limits of bishops in church affairs. It distinguishes spiritual authority from the coercive power claimed by church leaders.

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