For certain reasons, Christianity as the original religion was divided into several branches, which are distinguished from each other by dogmatic and cult features. These include Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. It is about the latter direction that we will talk, or rather about Lutheranism as its subspecies. In this article you will find the answer to the question: “Is a Lutheran…?” - and also learn about the history of this belief, differences from Catholicism and other similar religions.
How did Lutheranism come about?
The 16th century in Europe is the time of the religious revolution, which marked the beginning of new offshoots 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. Thus arose the reform movement, whichmoment affected not only the religious sphere of medieval Europe, but also the political and social (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 publicly condemned the indulgences that allegedly guaranteed life in paradise, and also wrote the “95 Theses”. In them, he outlined his vision of a new, reorganized, faith. Of course, he was condemned, called a heretic, but a start was made. Protestantism began to spread, and of course, different trends began to appear.
Those believers who followed Martin Luther became known as Lutherans. These were the first Protestants. They retained those dogmas that Martin wrote. Then came Calvinists, Anabaptists, and many others. Everyone found their own correct way of worshiping God, praying to him, and so on. What is noteworthy: in each current there were also their branches, which differed only in some dogmas and in the way of understanding the Bible. Of course everyone thought they were right.
The difference between the Lutheran religion and Catholicism
So now let's look at how big the difference is between Lutheranism and Catholicism, from which it actually came out. Here you can formulate several theses:
- Lutherans do not recognize priests as God's vicars on Earth. That is why even women can become preachers of this faith. Also, Lutheran clergy can marry (even monks,which is not found in other religions at all).
- Of the sacraments of Catholicism, the 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 (Father, Son and 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 contributes to the atonement of sins, and not the works of believers, as happens 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, but in the end, over time, certain dogmas appeared, as well as various directions in itself. The differences were insignificant.
You should also know 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 in its 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 of 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. It 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 one, and in some it was in the minority. Consider the countries where this belief is most widespread.
So, the most numerous are, of course, the German Lutherans, also quite large denominations are in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, USA, Estonia and Latvia. The total number of believing Protestants is about eighty million. There is also a Lutheran World Federation, which, however, does not unite all churches, some retain autonomy.
Church training and distinction
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 a person is appointed to a position, and not 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 women from becoming preachers, as well as marrying.
Subtypes of Lutheranism
So a Lutheran is a believer who lives deep in Christ. He knows about his sacrifice andI'm sure it wasn't done in vain. And this is the only thing that is present in all subspecies of Lutheranism, some of which will be listed below (and in general there are several more):
- Gnesiolutherans.
- Confessional Lutheranism.
- Lutheran Orthodoxy.
- Evangelical Lutheran Church, etc.
Conclusion
So, now you know the answer to the question: “Is a Lutheran…?” It is also quite clear the essence of this direction of religion, as well as its emergence and modern distribution in the world. Despite the fact that there are subspecies of Lutheranism, the main idea is preserved in them, the rest of the differences exist only in some details. It is they who allow these directions to persist.
