Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a Christian tradition rooted in the sixteenth-century Reformation and the teachings of Martin Luther. It emphasizes justification by faith and the authority of Scripture.

Justification by faith: The Christian doctrine that people are reconciled to God through faith, not through their own merit. This is the central claim Lutherans make about how salvation is received.
Martin Luther: A German theologian whose criticism of church practices helped launch the Protestant Reformation. His teaching on grace and Scripture shaped the tradition’s defining commitments.
Lutheran liturgy: The ordered forms of public worship used in Lutheran churches, including readings, prayers, and the Lord’s Supper. It shows how Lutheran theology is expressed through recurring worship practices.
Calvinism: A Reformed Protestant tradition shaped by the theology of John Calvin and related reformers. Its distinct accounts of predestination and the Lord’s Supper mark a major Protestant comparison.
Sola scriptura: The Reformation principle that Scripture is the final authority for Christian teaching. It grounds Lutheran appeals to biblical authority in disputes over doctrine.
Ninety-five Theses: Martin Luther’s 1517 propositions criticizing the sale and theological use of indulgences. Their circulation began the public controversy from which Lutheran reform emerged.
Lutheran World Federation: A global communion of Lutheran churches founded in 1947. It connects many national Lutheran churches while leaving them institutionally distinct.
Anabaptism: A sixteenth-century radical Reformation movement associated with adult baptism and voluntary church membership. Its rejection of infant baptism contrasts with historic Lutheran practice.
Book of Concord: The 1580 collection of Lutheran confessional writings that defines foundational statements of faith. Its documents give formal expression to Lutheran doctrine.
Diet of Worms: The 1521 imperial assembly where Martin Luther was ordered to recant his writings. Luther’s refusal to recant intensified the break with church authorities.

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