Confessional Lutheran
Encyclopedia
Confessional Lutheran is a name used by certain Lutheran
Christians
to designate themselves as those who accept the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord
of 1580 (the Lutheran "confessional" documents) in their entirety, because they believe them to be completely faithful to the teachings of the Bible
. While most Lutheran denominations find the basis of their faith in the Book of Concord
, "Confessional Lutherans" maintain that faithfulness to it requires attention to how that faith is actually being preached, taught, and put into practice. Confessional Lutherans believe that this is a vital part of their identity as Lutherans.
While the term "Confessional Lutheran" is sometimes used to refer exclusively to the more conservative churches found in groupings such as the International Lutheran Council
and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
, most churches of the larger Lutheran World Federation
subscribe to the Book of Concord as an exposition of faith, albeit one which is subordinate to the Bible.http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/who-we-are/faith
and the Neo-Lutheran
s. The Old Lutherans originated from the Schism of the Old Lutherans, while Neo-Lutheranism arose in Germany in the 1830s from the Pietist driven Erweckung, or Awakening. Neo-Lutheranism itself contained differing camps. It gave rise later to those calling themselves confessional Lutherans.
Neo-Lutheranism
developed in reaction to Pietism
on the one side and Rationalism
on the other, both of which had arisen in the previous century. German clergymen like Martin Stephan
, C.F.W. Walther, F.C.D. Wyneken and Wilhelm Loehe became a part of the movement as they studied the works of Martin Luther
and the Book of Concord
.
The Old Lutheran and Neo-Lutheran movements spread to the United States with the Neo-Lutheran Wilhelm Loehe and the Old Lutheran free church
leader Friedrich August Brünn both sending missionaies to newly arrived German immigrants in the Midwest and the immigration of groups like the Saxons, who settled in Missouri
under Martin Stephan
and C.F.W. Walther, the Germans who settled in Indiana
under F.C.D. Wyneken, and the Prussians under J.A.A. Grabau
in Western New York
and southeastern Wisconsin
(the Buffalo Synod).
, Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
, as well as some independent Lutheran bodies. Among the members of the ILC are the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the Lutheran Church–Canada and the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church
of Germany. Among the CELC are the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod
. Other confessional Lutherans include the Church of the Lutheran Confession
(CLC), the American Association of Lutheran Churches
(AALC), the Concordia Lutheran Conference
, the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America
(ELDoNA), member congregations of the Protes'tant Conference
, member congregations of the Orthodox Lutheran Confessional Conference
of Independent Congregations (OLCC), member congregations of the United Lutheran Mission Association
(ULMA) and Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America
(ELCM) (all of North America).
Though there are some churches in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America which would call themselves "confessional," many of said churches have decided to leave the ELCA due to the liberal leanings of the denomination, most notably their stances expressed in the 2009 ELCA convention. The ELCA as a whole does not use the title "confessional" to describe itself, but it and the other member churches of the Lutheran World Federation do ascribe to the unaltered Augsburg Confession
and the other confessional documents in the Book of Concord as true interpretations of the Christian faith.
In the Nordic countries, there are a few small churches that identify themselves as confessional Lutheran. These include the Concordia Lutheran Church
and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sweden
.
for "because") rather than a "quatenus" (Latin
for "insofar as") subscription to the Book of Concord
. Quia subscription (the Book of Concord
is adhered to because it is faithful to the Scriptures
) implies that the subscriber believes that there is no contradiction between the Book of Concord and the Scriptures
. Quatenus subscription (the Book of Concord
is adhered to insofar as it is faithful to the Scriptures
) implies that the subscriber leaves room for the possibility that there might be a contradiction of the Scriptures
in the Book of Concord
in which case the subscriber would hold to the Scriptures
against the Book of Concord
. Some Confessional Lutherans maintain that this distinguishes them from other ("mainline") Lutheran bodies and Lutherans, who, they believe, hold to a quatenus subscription.
, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod
and the Church of the Lutheran Confession
teach that the Roman papacy or office of the pope is the Antichrist, including this article of faith as part of a quia rather than quatenus subscription to the Book of Concord
.
in their views of the Scriptures and doctrine than groups that do not. Many self-identified Confessional Lutherans are adherents of the High Church Lutheran movement
.
Many Confessional Lutherans rejected the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
which was backed by more moderate groups. The conservative dogmatician Franz Pieper described more liberal Lutherans as nominally subscribing but then just treating the Confessions as "a document lying in the Archives."
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
to designate themselves as those who accept the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
of 1580 (the Lutheran "confessional" documents) in their entirety, because they believe them to be completely faithful to the teachings of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. While most Lutheran denominations find the basis of their faith in the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
, "Confessional Lutherans" maintain that faithfulness to it requires attention to how that faith is actually being preached, taught, and put into practice. Confessional Lutherans believe that this is a vital part of their identity as Lutherans.
While the term "Confessional Lutheran" is sometimes used to refer exclusively to the more conservative churches found in groupings such as the International Lutheran Council
International Lutheran Council
The International Lutheran Council is a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran denominations. It is to be distinguished from the larger Lutheran World Federation, which is an association of the more theologically moderate to liberal Lutheran churches, all of which are in full communion with...
and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference is the successor to the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America except that it is international in scope rather than restricted to North America....
, most churches of the larger Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
subscribe to the Book of Concord as an exposition of faith, albeit one which is subordinate to the Bible.http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/who-we-are/faith
History
Two main confessional movements arose during the 19th century: the Old LutheransOld Lutherans
Old Lutherans refers to those German Lutherans who refused to join the Prussian Union in the 1830s and 1840s.Attempted suppression of the Old Lutherans led many to immigrate to Australia and the United States, resulting in the creation of significant Lutheran denominations in those countries.The...
and the Neo-Lutheran
Neo-Lutheranism
Neo-Lutheranism was a 19th century revival movement within Lutheranism which began with the Pietist driven Erweckung, or Awakening, and developed in reaction against theological rationalism and pietism...
s. The Old Lutherans originated from the Schism of the Old Lutherans, while Neo-Lutheranism arose in Germany in the 1830s from the Pietist driven Erweckung, or Awakening. Neo-Lutheranism itself contained differing camps. It gave rise later to those calling themselves confessional Lutherans.
Neo-Lutheranism
Neo-Lutheranism
Neo-Lutheranism was a 19th century revival movement within Lutheranism which began with the Pietist driven Erweckung, or Awakening, and developed in reaction against theological rationalism and pietism...
developed in reaction to Pietism
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
on the one side and Rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
on the other, both of which had arisen in the previous century. German clergymen like Martin Stephan
Martin Stephan
Martin Stephan was pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Dresden, Germany during the early 19th century. He organized the Saxon emigration to the United States in the early 19th century.- Biography :...
, C.F.W. Walther, F.C.D. Wyneken and Wilhelm Loehe became a part of the movement as they studied the works of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
.
The Old Lutheran and Neo-Lutheran movements spread to the United States with the Neo-Lutheran Wilhelm Loehe and the Old Lutheran free church
Free church
The term "free church" refers to a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from government . A free church does not define government policy, nor have governments define church policy or theology, nor seeks or receives government endorsement or funding for its general mission...
leader Friedrich August Brünn both sending missionaies to newly arrived German immigrants in the Midwest and the immigration of groups like the Saxons, who settled in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
under Martin Stephan
Martin Stephan
Martin Stephan was pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Dresden, Germany during the early 19th century. He organized the Saxon emigration to the United States in the early 19th century.- Biography :...
and C.F.W. Walther, the Germans who settled in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
under F.C.D. Wyneken, and the Prussians under J.A.A. Grabau
Johannes Andreas August Grabau
Johannes Andreas August Grabau was an influential German-American Old Lutheran pastor and theologian. He is usually mentioned as J.A.A. Grabau....
in Western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and southeastern Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
(the Buffalo Synod).
Church bodies using the title "confessional"
Contemporary Lutheran church bodies that identify themselves as confessional tend to be either members of the International Lutheran CouncilInternational Lutheran Council
The International Lutheran Council is a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran denominations. It is to be distinguished from the larger Lutheran World Federation, which is an association of the more theologically moderate to liberal Lutheran churches, all of which are in full communion with...
, Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference is the successor to the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America except that it is international in scope rather than restricted to North America....
, as well as some independent Lutheran bodies. Among the members of the ILC are the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the Lutheran Church–Canada and the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church
Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church
The Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church is a confessional Lutheran church body of Germany. It is a member of the European Lutheran Conference and a member of the International Lutheran Council . The SELK synod has about 36,000 members in 200 congregations...
of Germany. Among the CELC are the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is a North American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of 2008, it had a baptized membership of over 389,364 in more than 1,290 congregations,...
and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Evangelical Lutheran Synod or ELS is a US-based Protestant Christian denomination based in Mankato, Minnesota, USA. It describes itself as a conservative, Confessional Lutheran body.-Membership:...
. Other confessional Lutherans include the Church of the Lutheran Confession
Church of the Lutheran Confession
The Church of the Lutheran Confession is a conservative Christian religious body theologically adhering to confessional Lutheran doctrine. Founded in 1960 in Minnesota, it has approximately 75 congregations in 24 U.S...
(CLC), the American Association of Lutheran Churches
American Association of Lutheran Churches
The American Association of Lutheran Churches was formed on November 7, 1987 as an alternative choice for churches in The American Lutheran Church denomination who did not want to be part of the merger with two other Lutheran church bodies, Lutheran Church in America , & American Evangelical...
(AALC), the Concordia Lutheran Conference
Concordia Lutheran Conference
The Concordia Lutheran Conference is a small organization of Lutheran churches in the United States which formed in 1957. It was a reorganization of some of the churches of the Orthodox Lutheran Conference, which had been formed in September, 1951 in Okabena, Minnesota following a break with...
, the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America
Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America
The Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America is a confessional Lutheran church body in the United States. The ELDoNA was founded June 6, 2006 at a meeting held at Salem Lutheran Church, Malone, Texas. A second diocesan synod was held August 28 and 29, 2007. The was held at Christ Lutheran...
(ELDoNA), member congregations of the Protes'tant Conference
Protes'tant Conference
The Protes'tant Conference is a loose association of Lutheran churches and churchworkers in the United States. It was organized in 1927 by suspended former members of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod following an intrasynodical controversy...
, member congregations of the Orthodox Lutheran Confessional Conference
Orthodox Lutheran Confessional Conference
The Orthodox Lutheran Confessional Conference is a group of independent Lutheran congregations. The OLCC was organized in 2006 after their charter congregations left the Lutheran Churches of the Reformation.- Organizational structure :...
of Independent Congregations (OLCC), member congregations of the United Lutheran Mission Association
United Lutheran Mission Association
The United Lutheran Mission Association is a Lutheran church organization.-History:The United Lutheran Mission Association was established at a meeting in Chicago on July 16, 2005. There, representatives of two formerly LCMS congregations, Pilgrim Lutheran Church of Decatur, Illinois, and Redeemer...
(ULMA) and Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America
Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America
Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America is a Lutheran church body based in the US state of Pennsylvania. Currently the ELCM has active congregations in Pennsylvania and New York; as well as mission efforts across the United States. The ELCM has fellowship agreements with...
(ELCM) (all of North America).
Though there are some churches in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America which would call themselves "confessional," many of said churches have decided to leave the ELCA due to the liberal leanings of the denomination, most notably their stances expressed in the 2009 ELCA convention. The ELCA as a whole does not use the title "confessional" to describe itself, but it and the other member churches of the Lutheran World Federation do ascribe to the unaltered Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
and the other confessional documents in the Book of Concord as true interpretations of the Christian faith.
In the Nordic countries, there are a few small churches that identify themselves as confessional Lutheran. These include the Concordia Lutheran Church
Concordia Lutheran Church
Concordia Lutheran Church, or, in Swedish, Lutherska Konkordiekyrkan, is a small Lutheran denomination in Sweden. It currently consists of one congregation, with about 25-30 members spread around Sweden.- History :...
and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sweden
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sweden
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sweden, is a confessional Lutheran denomination in Sweden. The church was founded in 1968 by people who had left the Church of Sweden. It is the oldest confessional Lutheran church in Sweden outside the Church of Sweden....
.
"Quia" versus "Quatenus" subscription
Lutheran church bodies and Lutheran individuals that identify themselves as confessional hold to a "quia" (LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "because") rather than a "quatenus" (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "insofar as") subscription to the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
. Quia subscription (the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
is adhered to because it is faithful to the Scriptures
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
) implies that the subscriber believes that there is no contradiction between the Book of Concord and the Scriptures
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Quatenus subscription (the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
is adhered to insofar as it is faithful to the Scriptures
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
) implies that the subscriber leaves room for the possibility that there might be a contradiction of the Scriptures
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
in which case the subscriber would hold to the Scriptures
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
against the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
. Some Confessional Lutherans maintain that this distinguishes them from other ("mainline") Lutheran bodies and Lutherans, who, they believe, hold to a quatenus subscription.
Views on the Pope
Some confessional Lutheran church bodies, such as the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran SynodWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is a North American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of 2008, it had a baptized membership of over 389,364 in more than 1,290 congregations,...
, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Evangelical Lutheran Synod or ELS is a US-based Protestant Christian denomination based in Mankato, Minnesota, USA. It describes itself as a conservative, Confessional Lutheran body.-Membership:...
and the Church of the Lutheran Confession
Church of the Lutheran Confession
The Church of the Lutheran Confession is a conservative Christian religious body theologically adhering to confessional Lutheran doctrine. Founded in 1960 in Minnesota, it has approximately 75 congregations in 24 U.S...
teach that the Roman papacy or office of the pope is the Antichrist, including this article of faith as part of a quia rather than quatenus subscription to the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
.
Spectrum: conservative or liberal
As a practical matter, Lutheran organizations that identify themselves as confessional are generally more conservativeConservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
in their views of the Scriptures and doctrine than groups that do not. Many self-identified Confessional Lutherans are adherents of the High Church Lutheran movement
High Church Lutheranism
"High Church Lutheranism" is the name given in Europe for the 20th century Lutheran movement that emphasizes worship practices and doctrines that are similar to those found within both Roman Catholicism and the Anglo-Catholic wing of Anglicanism...
.
Many Confessional Lutherans rejected the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification is a document created by and agreed to by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999, as a result of extensive ecumenical dialogue...
which was backed by more moderate groups. The conservative dogmatician Franz Pieper described more liberal Lutherans as nominally subscribing but then just treating the Confessions as "a document lying in the Archives."
See also
- Lutheran OrthodoxyLutheran OrthodoxyLutheran orthodoxy was an era in the history of Lutheranism, which began in 1580 from the writing of the Book of Concord and ended at the Age of Enlightenment. Lutheran orthodoxy was paralleled by similar eras in Calvinism and tridentine Roman Catholicism after the...
- PietismPietismPietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
- Evangelical catholic
- International Lutheran CouncilInternational Lutheran CouncilThe International Lutheran Council is a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran denominations. It is to be distinguished from the larger Lutheran World Federation, which is an association of the more theologically moderate to liberal Lutheran churches, all of which are in full communion with...
- Confessional Evangelical Lutheran ConferenceConfessional Evangelical Lutheran ConferenceThe Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference is the successor to the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America except that it is international in scope rather than restricted to North America....
- Evangelical Lutheran Free ChurchEvangelical Lutheran Free ChurchThe Evangelical Lutheran Free Church is an orthodox Lutheran Church holding to the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession...
(UAC) - United Lutheran Mission AssociationUnited Lutheran Mission AssociationThe United Lutheran Mission Association is a Lutheran church organization.-History:The United Lutheran Mission Association was established at a meeting in Chicago on July 16, 2005. There, representatives of two formerly LCMS congregations, Pilgrim Lutheran Church of Decatur, Illinois, and Redeemer...
(ULMA)