What do Lutherans believe?

A faith founded on good news...

Lutherans are Christians who accept the teachings of Martin Luther (1483-1546).  Luther was a German theologian who realized that there were significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the practices of the Roman Catholic church at that time.  On October 31, 1517, he posted a challenge on the door of Wittenberg University, titles "95 Theses" (to debate 95 theological issues).  His hope was that the church would reform its practice and preaching to be more consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible. 

What started as an academic debate escalated into a distinct separation between the Roman Catholic church of the time and those who accepted Luther's suggested reforms.  "Lutheran" became the name of the group that agreed with Luther's convictions.

Today, nearly five centuries later, Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of Luther's theological teachings, such as Grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone.  These the very essence of Lutheranism:

• We are saved by the grace of God alone- not by anything we do;
• Our salvation is through faith alone- a confident trust in God, who in Christ promises us forgiveness, life and salvation; and
• The Bible is the norm for faith and life-the true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged.

Lutherans believe in the Triune God.  God created and loves all creation- the earth and the seas and all of the world's inhabitants.  We believe that God's Son, Jesus Christ, transforms lives through his death on the cross and his new life, and we trust that God's Spirit is active in the world.

The convictions shared by Christians from many different traditions are expressed in statements of belief called creeds.  These ecumenical creeds that Lutherans affirm and use in worship confess the faith of the church through the ages and around the world.

The Confession of Faith of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is part of our founding constitution.  The ELCA accepts the following creeds as true declarations of the faith of this church:

• The Apostles' Creed
• The Nicene Creed
• The Athanasian Creed