Protestant and Christian Denominations

The Lutheran denomination is the oldest of all the Protestant denominations. It was founded by Martin Luther, the German monk and professor who famously posted 95 Theses against the practice of indulgences in 1517. The founding of the denomination wasn’t intentional at first. Luther saw contradictions between the Bible and current practices of the Church as well as corruption and abuse within the Church, and had hoped for reform, not a schism. When that proved impossible, he continued to spread his teachings despite excommunication and death threats. Martin Luther taught that salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ alone, and the many rituals and works the Church prescribed were not only unnecessary, but also hindered salvation. He rejected traditions such as the mediator role of priests, priestly celibacy, the Latin Bible and liturgy (public worship), purgatory (process of purification process for dead members), and transubstantiation the change in the Eucharist of communion), and advocated for the scriptures to be available to the people in their own language. Despite his rejection of many aspects of medieval Catholicism, Luther accepted any aspects of church practice that did not contradict the Bible’s scriptures. Contrarily, some other Protestant groups rejected any Catholic tradition that wasn’t commanded in the Bible. For this reason, Lutheran churches tend to have more of a Catholic look than their more strict Presbyterian counterparts. Those who followed Martin Luther's teachings were called "Lutherans" by their opponents, and they accepted the name. Lutheranism spread throughout Germany and into Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark). Today, Germany remains predominantly Lutheran, and Lutheranism is the official state church of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. Some Lutherans view the Book of Concord as an important expression of the Lutheran faith, but not necessarily completely for all modern Lutherans.