Faith helps people cope with life's difficulties and adversities. Some follow the teachings of the Buddha, others sacredly honor the commandments of Allah, and still others worship the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Christianity is the religion with the most followers and trends in the world.
The Beginning of Lutheranism: One Man's Protest
In the 15-16 centuries, the Catholic Church actively practiced the sale of indulgences - documents that absolve all sins of their customers. At the same time, the construction of the grandiose Cathedral of St. Peter was underway. The church was in dire need of additional funds. Pope Leo X ordered the monks to increase the sale of letters.
At the beginning of the 16th century, a Dominican monk appeared in the city of Wittenberg (Germany), actively carrying out the Pope's order. The "sale" of indulgences angered theology professor and Augustinian monk Martin Luther. A leaflet immediately appeared on the doors of the local church, on which the servant of God wrote 95 theses. Each of them rejected the possibility of absolution in such a simple and beneficial way for Rome.
This act was negatively received by the Catholic Church, and Leo X demanded that Martin Luther be brought to him for trial. The monk was helped to hide, and he began to formulate his own understanding of faith and religion. At the same time, Luther was excommunicated and outlawed.
Lutheranism: the basis of the doctrine is the Holy Scriptures
Martin Luther gradually created a new direction within the framework of Christianity. He considered the main source of doctrine to be the Holy Scriptures. Icons, the cult of saints, church buildings were perceived by him as a kind of mystification, distracting from the main thing - faith.
Europe supported the reformer monk. Believers openly declared their protest against the enrichment of the top of the Catholic Church and the excessive splendor of the temples. Protestantism became the third direction of the Christian religion (the first two are Orthodoxy and Catholicism). Its main branch is Lutheranism, which was initiated by Martin Luther.
The Lutheran Church is a community of Christian believers, each of whom can independently turn to God without resorting to the help of the clergy. Priests are needed only for worship and sermons. In Lutheranism, only two sacraments are recognized: communion and baptism.
Lutheranism denies receiving grace and remission of sins through the church. It is believed that only those who carry true faith in their hearts can be saved. The one who will try to win God's mercy by his own efforts, leading an exclusively righteous life, is not a sincerely believing person.
Lutheran churches look extremely austere. This religious trend does not have monks, monasteries, saints, does not venerate the Mother of God and preaches an independent study and interpretation of the Bible. Today Lutheranism is the main religion in Germany and the Scandinavian countries. It is also widespread in the Baltic States and the United States, where it competes with Catholicism.