BASIC CHRISTIANITY CLASS REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH Session IV Lutheran History & Catechism (Note: some answers from the following question can be found on the internet) Images: Luther s Seal, Castle Wartburg, The selling of Indulgences 1. When and where was Martin Luther born? 2. Why did Martin Luther decide to become a Monk with the Augustinian monastery? 3. From 1510 to 1520, Luther lectured on the Psalms, the books of Hebrews, Romans, and Galatians. He became convinced that the church was corrupt in its ways and had lost sight of what he saw as several of the central truths of Christianity, the most important of which, for Luther, was the doctrine of justification God's act of declaring a sinner righteous by faith alone through God's grace. Why did Luther detest the selling of indulgences? 3. Castle Church in Wittenberg. Construction began in 1490 and was completed in 1509. What happened here on October 31 st 1517? Was the purpose to create a new Church or Reform the existing Church? What happened to previous reformers such as Johann Hus?
4. At the Wartburg Castle Martin Luther translated the New Testament into the German language, from the Greek texts. Why was Luther living incognito at this castle? Why was Luther summoned to Augsburg & Diet of Worms (pronounced Verms ) 5. By the 1521-1529 many political challenges faced the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles the V. (war with France, war with the Ottoman Turks, etc) allowing religious issues in Germany to be placed on the back burner. During these years Martin Luther continued to write, The Small Catechism for parents and children, Large Catechism for new Lutheran Pastors. What are the Six (major) parts of Luther s Small Catechism written in 1529? a. b. c. d. e. f. 6. Please read the definitions to each commandment. How do these commandments compare to the commandments in Exodus 20? Why do you think there is a difference? Other denominations use the list in Exodus? 7. For extra reading go to the Book Of Concord and read some of Luther s extra teaching on the Ten Commandments for Pastors. What is the Book of Concord? (Google search) 8. In the Book of Concord summarize the purpose of the Augsburg Confession & the Apology to the Augsburg Confession.
Lutherans in America The first German immigrants in America came seeking land and the promise of religious freedom. They had heard that both could be found in the newly chartered colony of Pennsylvania, which was governed by a Quaker, William Penn. The first settlement, which was to become known as "Germantown." Six weeks later, on October 6, 1683, the ship Concord sailed into Philadelphia's harbor from Germany. On board were thirteen families. German farmers were renowned for their highly productive animal husbandry and agricultural practices 1700s - The settling of the British colonies by small German-speaking religious groups continued. The groups included Swiss Mennonites, Baptist Dunkers, Schwenkfelders, Moravians, Amish, and Waldensians; most German immigrants belonged to the main Lutheran and Reformed churches. The central colonies received the greatest part of this immigration, especially Pennsylvania. As many as half of these immigrants came as redemptioners, that is, they agreed to work in America for four to seven years in exchange for free passage across the Atlantic. German settlers designed and built the Conestoga wagon, which was used in the opening of the American Frontier. 1731 - Protestants were expelled from Salzburg, Austria, in this year. They subsequently founded Ebenezer, Georgia. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg September 6, 1711 - October 7, 1787 His son Peter became a Major General in the Continental Army and later was elected to the U.S. Congress. Frederick served as the first Speaker of the House in the U. S. Congress after his election to office. Henry, Jr. became pastor of the Zion Lutheran Church at Oldwick, New Jersey. Henry Ernst was an early scientist, and the first president of Franklin College (now Franklin & Marshall). The Lutheran Church in America (LCA) immigrant heritage came mostly from Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, Denmark and Finland, and its demographic focus was on the East Coast, began seminaries in America. (Luther -Gettysburg, Wartburg- Iowa & others) The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC), the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (FELCA), and the Danish American Evangelical Lutheran Church (D-AELC) formed the Lutheran Church in America.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was a merger of three Lutheran churches formed in 1988. They were The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America. In Fresno, Hope Lutheran, Grace Lutheran, etc are members of the ELCA. * In the ELCA the denomination owns the property of the local churches. * The ELCA ordained the first female pastor in the 1970 s and recently approved gay marriage and the ordination of gay & lesbian pastors. Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) of which Redeemer Lutheran church is a member. (the term synod refers to the judicatory, which is referred to in some other denominations as "presbyteries", "districts", "conferences" or "dioceses". It is an organizational structure. The roots of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod run deep, tracing back to 1847 when Saxon and other German immigrants established a new church body in America, seeking the freedom to practice and follow confessional Lutheranism. In the Kingdom of Prussia, the Prussian Union of 1817 put in place what they considered non-lutheran communion and baptismal doctrine and practice. In order to freely practice their Christian faith in accordance with the Lutheran confessions outlined in the Book of Concord, Stephan and between 600 and 700 other Saxon Lutherans left for the United States in November 18, 1838. Initial members, which included 12 pastors representing 14 congregations from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, New York and Ohio, signed the church body s constitution on April 26, 1847. Rev. Dr. C.F.W. Walther (Oct. 25, 1811 May 7, 1887) served as the first president of the church body. German was the official language until the mid 1900 s. Seminaries are usually noted by the name Concordia. LCMS congregations own their own property. The national Synod is advisory. LCMS does not ordain women nor approve of gay marriage. The LCMS is divided into geographical districts. Whereas the ELCA calls their districts synods.
There are several other Lutheran denominations in America. WELS - Wisconsin Synod LCMC It began in 2001 in response to some liberal views of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). LCMC is characterized by the stances it takes on Lutheran polity, biblical authority, and rejecting the human sexuality position of the ELCA. The group describes itself as "centrist" or "mainstream", noting that it stands between the more liberal ELCA and the more conservative Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS)
Family Tree of the Reformation.