What is a Lutheran? Part 3
Part 1 of this discussion talked about what it is that makes Lutherans a part of the larger orthodox Christian tradition. Part 2 narrowed the conversation some, talking about the Lutheran understanding of the dogma of justification.
This discussion began when questions were raised about what it means to be a "confessional Lutheran." With Part 3, we come back to the concept of confessional Lutheranism.
At the Imperial Diet of Augsburg, the evangelicals (read: Lutherans) were asked to present a document outlining their belief. This document, known as the "Augsburg Confession," was written by Martin Luther's friend and fellow Wittenberg professor, Philip Melanchthon.
The Augsburg Confession (AC) opens with a discussion of the triune God and the person of Jesus. What is interesting in this is the emphasis on original sin, and the need for God's grace (thus bringing in the Lutheran emphasis on the dogma of justification). The AC goes on to discuss the evangelical understanding of the sacraments and the church, places where the Lutherans felt that they could reach some sort of agreement with the Romans. It finally discusses the areas were some sort of agreement was less likely; namely, the marriage of priests, the sacrificial understanding of the Mass, the rules about types of foods, monastic vows, and the powers of the church.
From early on, the AC has served as a rallying point for Lutherans. As the Lutheran tradition was learning what it meant to be seperate from Rome, the AC served to unite Lutherans of various factions. To subscribe to the AC was to "confess" the Lutheran understanding of the Gospel.
Among contemporary Lutherans worldwide, the AC remains the one unifying factor. Many Lutheran churches only require congregations and pastors to uphold the AC. Thus, while I don't believe it to be the only thing that it means to be a confessional Lutheran, I think it is the fundamental and central thing.
Here I stand as a Lutheran: I am shaped and formed - and I continue to choose to uphold - the Augsburg Confession.
From the Archives:
Part 1
Part 2
The original post/discussion about confessional Lutheranism.
4 comments:
I agree...to be a confessing Lutheran means upholding the Augsburg Confession, chiefly because Lutherans view the AC as a clear and correct exposition scripture, most notably the gospel of Jesus Christ. The AC is the one common thread among all Lutherans, but I would stop short of saying that it is the unifying factor.
The Lutheran Church is anything but unified, and for me that is one of the saddest commentaries on contemporary Lutheranism.
Luther spent so much of his energy to teach that human kind is not bound by the man-made polity of the Church, but rather each is bound by conscience to believe that we are saved by God's grace apart from works.
Every Lutheran congregation will profess this ideal (AC), but still division exists among our various Lutheran traditions. Until all Lutheran bodies overcome those issues that separate our communion, we cannot say that we are unified. Yet, with great optimism, I look forward to such a day.
But we're not a communion- and won't be until we can agree to take Scripture and the Confessions seriously.
Until then, it won't even be possible for me, personally, to acknowledge most of the people as Lutherans in any historical or confessional sense who claim the name.
Mr Waters,
I don't think anyone here is arguing that we not take Scripture and the Confessions seriously. I am sorry to hear you say that you cannot call some who bear the name Lutherans (and I assume you mean those of us in the ELCA). I find very few pastors in the ELCA who do not take Scripture or the Confessions seriously (I won't argue that there aren't any, but they are the minority in my experience).
That said, yes, we probably do approach taking Scripture and the Confessions seriously a little differently.
I find troubling our attitdes the tendency in the discussion and debate among fellow Christians in this country. No one seems willing to give anyone else the benefit of the doubt. We seem to have all decided that if anyone takes Scripture (or the Confessions) seriously, they will necessarily draw the same conclusions as me. If they do not draw the same conclusions as me, then they must not take the Sciptures (or Conessions) seriously.
Pastor David-
Thank you for providing this series of posts. I've been a Lutheran my whole life and reviewing a summary of what it means to be a Lutheran is nothing but a good thing. This series, and the recent post at St. Charles Place are good resources for both those within Lutheranism and those wishing to know what it means to be saved by grace through faith.
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