Encyclopedic Dictionary of Bible and Theology

Luthers Hymns It was a saying among the Roman Catholics in the time of Luther, that “by his songs he has done more harm to the Romanists than by his sermons.” And such is the fact. “For,” says Mr. Coleridge, “Luther did as much for the Reformation by his hymns as by his translation of … Continue reading “Luthers Hymns”

Luther’s Bible Luther translated the Bible into German (1522-1534) from the original Hebrew and Greek, also making use of the Latin version of Lyra, a Hebrew-Latin text, and an older German translation. His translation has literary merit but contains numerous errors, especially dogmatic, e.g., in Romans 3, it inserts “alone” after “faith.” Revised editions of … Continue reading “Luther’s Bible”

Luthers (Two) Catechisms By way of supplement to the article Luther (q.v.), we add that both these catechisms, the larger one in the form of a continuous exposition, and the smaller one arranged in questions and answers, appeared in 1529, although the preparatory work dates back to the very beginning of Luther’s reformatory activity. In … Continue reading “Luthers (Two) Catechisms”

Lutherans, Separate When, in 1817, the union between the Lutheran and the Reformed churches was established in Prussia, the protest of J.G. Scheibel, professor of theology at Breslau, found much sympathy among the Lutherans. For several years, however, the movement was confined within the boundaries of simple literary polemics, especially between Scheibel and David Schultz, … Continue reading “Lutherans, Separate”

Lutherans In America I. Early History. The celebrated German divine, Dr. Henry Melchior Mhlenberg (q.v.), is generally and justly recognized as the founder of the Lutheran Church in America. He arrived in this country in 1742. Long previous to his coming, however, the Lutherans had gained a footing here. Adherents of the Church of the … Continue reading “Lutherans In America”

LUTHERANS Those Christians who follow the opinions of Martin Luther, the celebrated reformer of the church, in the sixteenth century. In order that we may trace the rise and progress of Lutheranism, we must here refer to the life of Luther himself. Luther was a native of Eisleben, in Saxony, and born in 1483. Though … Continue reading “Lutherans”

Lutheranism The religious belief of the oldest of the Protestant sects, founded by Martin Luther . The name was at first used derisively by his opponents and Luther himself preferred the designation “Evangelical,” which is quite generally used with the word “Lutheran” in Church titles. Lutherans keep the date of their founding as 31 October … Continue reading “Lutheranism”

Lutheran Confessions The oldest and most authoritative creed was the “Augsburg Confession,” 1530 , Augsburg, Bavaria , drafted mainly by Melanchthon and based on Luther’s articles. Presented to Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg, a Catholic refutation was drawn up, and Melanchthon replied in his “Apologia.” An imperial condemnation followed. The confession is an … Continue reading “Lutheran Confessions”

Lutheran Church, Lutheranism, Lutherans I. The name “Lutherans,” as a designation of all those who were in sympathy with Luther’s views, was, at the opening of the Reformation, first applied to them by Eck (q.v.) and pope Hadrian VI, and was meant as a term of depreciation, and at first and for a considerable time … Continue reading “Lutheran Church, Lutheranism, Lutherans”

Lutheran The religious belief of the oldest of the Protestant sects, founded by Martin Luther . The name was at first used derisively by his opponents and Luther himself preferred the designation “Evangelical,” which is quite generally used with the word “Lutheran” in Church titles. Lutherans keep the date of their founding as 31 October … Continue reading “Lutheran”