The primary Lutheran confession of faith, presented to Emperor Charles V at Augsburg in 1530.
Tagged: Creeds and Confessions Reformation Lutheran
Historical Context
The Augsburg Confession was written chiefly by Philip Melanchthon and presented by the Lutheran princes and cities to Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg on 25 June 1530. Its 28 articles state Lutheran teaching on God, sin, justification by faith, the church, and the sacraments, and address practices the reformers held to be abuses. It is a confessional standard of the Lutheran churches — a statement of one church family's doctrine, not an ecumenical creed of the whole Church.
Use and Practice
Lutheran pastors subscribe to the Confession at ordination, and it is studied in confirmation and adult instruction. It is not recited congregationally.
References
- Creeds of Christendom, Vol. II (CCEL) Free / open access
- Ligonier Ministries Free / open access
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Apostles' Creed — The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Nicene Creed — The creed of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the central doctrinal confession shared by most Christians.
- Heidelberg Catechism — A Reformed catechism of 129 questions and answers, published in 1563 and organized around guilt, grace, and gratitude.
Related Across the Site
- Concordia Electronic Theological Library Library — The complete Concordia collection in Logos/Verbum format: Lutheran confessional writings, historical theology, and reference works, by purchase or subscription.
- Project Wittenberg Library — Works by and about Martin Luther and other Lutherans: quotations, commentaries, hymns, statements of faith, and theological treatises.
- Apostles' Creed Prayer or Creed — The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Belgic Confession Prayer or Creed — A 37-article Reformed confession written in 1561 by Guido de Brès for the churches of the Low Countries.
- Heidelberg Catechism Prayer or Creed — A Reformed catechism of 129 questions and answers, published in 1563 and organized around guilt, grace, and gratitude.
- London Baptist Confession Prayer or Creed — The confession of Particular Baptist churches, first published in 1677 and formally adopted in London in 1689.
- Thirty-Nine Articles Prayer or Creed — The Church of England's defining doctrinal articles, finalized in 1571 and printed in the Book of Common Prayer.
- Westminster Confession and Catechisms Prayer or Creed — The Presbyterian standards produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s: a confession of faith and a Larger and Shorter Catechism.