Claiming our Catholic Heritage

     "This church accepts the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to

the Gospel, acknowledging as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise except (its) teachings."  (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Confession of Faith, 2.05)

The Augsburg Confession summarizes in twenty-eight articles the chief teachings and reforms of the 16th century German Lutheran territories. These articles were presented to Emperor Charles V in Augsburg, Germany, June 25,1530.  At that time the reformers still hoped their proposals would be accepted by the church. Martin Luther had been banished by the Emperor and therefore was unable to come to Augsburg. The final drafting of the articles was done there by his colleague, Philip Melanchthon, who was noted for his precision and peaceful spirit.

Melanchthon blended two earlier sets of articles to produce a splendid confession of faith. The first part, twenty-one "articles of faith and doctrine," attempted to show that the essential Catholic faith had been maintained.

The Nicene Creed, the doctrine of the Trinity, the power of original sin, and the two natures of Christ are affirmed in the opening three articles. This leads to the central Lutheran concern-justification by faith.

Article four explains that "we receive forgiveness of sin and become righteous before God by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith." The following article affirms that the office of the ministry of Word and Sacrament was instituted by God to lead people to such faith.

The rest of the first part spells out key doctrines such as the church, the sacraments  (with strong affirmations of baptismal grace and the real presence of Christ's body and blood in the Lord's supper), civil government, and the right relation between faith and works.

The second part discusses more explosive issues – “articles about matters in dispute.”  Here Melanchthon tried to show that changes in church practices were made responsibly for the sake of the gospel.

Articles 22 – 28 discuss distributing both bread and wine at communion, the marriage of priests, the mass, confession, the distinction of foods, monastic vows, and the power of the bishops.

The Augsburg Confession failed to produce reconciliation in a divided church. There was scarce hope that the last seven articles would be approved. But even the first twenty-one, which had tried to show Lutheran agreement with Catholic teaching, were divisive. Only eight of these were accepted outright.

Lutherans rallied around the Augsburg Confession after 1530, and it became the church’s chief confession as the Lutheran Reformation spread beyond Germany. It reminded Lutherans of the Catholic side of their heritage even through centuries of religious wars and bitterness.  It holds a place of honor in Lutheranism equaled only by Luther's Small Catechism.

But the real contribution of the Augsburg Confession to Christian unity has come in our time.  The Second Vatican Council, completed by Roman Catholic bishops in 1965, reformed many church practices and gave Lutherans a fresh opportunity to examine their Catholic heritage.  The Augsburg Confession’s claim to present true Catholic teaching has also been explored anew by Catholic theologians.

But what is meant by the statement that the ELCA affirms the Unaltered Augsburg Confession?  There are several revised versions.  In negotiations with Reformed churches in the 1540s, Melanchthon produced an amended edition that some of the Reformed were willing to accept.  Some American Lutherans in the mid-nineteenth century produced an “American version,” edited to make Lutheranism fit into the pattern of American Protestantism.

The ELCA, with other world Lutherans, affirms the original version presented in 1530.  Its generous spirit has earned the Augsburg Confession the place of honor it holds among the Lutheran confessions.