Traditions
L

Tradition · Protestant

Lutheranism

Followersabout 78 millionin Lutheran World Federation churches · 2026How countedNinety-five Theses1517Luther’s Ninety-five Theses began a reform movement. Separate Lutheran churches took shape over the following decades.Read the historyCompare with another tradition

Churches of the Reformation begun by Martin Luther in Wittenberg.

Relationships with other traditions

How it took shape

Since then

Key timeline

View timeline in full
  1. 1517

    Ninety-five Theses

    Luther challenges the preaching of indulgences.

  2. 1521

    Excommunication and Worms

    Luther is excommunicated and refuses to recant before the Diet of Worms.

  3. 1530

    Augsburg Confession

    The defining statement of Lutheran faith is presented to Emperor Charles V.

  4. 1999

    Joint Declaration on Justification

    The Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church sign an agreed statement on the central doctrine of the Reformation.

Classification
Protestant. Churches shaped by Martin Luther’s Reformation and the Augsburg Confession.
What this entry covers
A family of independent churches. Churches of the Lutheran Reformation. Many belong to the Lutheran World Federation; others (for example the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod) do not.
Ninety-five Theses
1517. Luther’s Ninety-five Theses began a reform movement. Separate Lutheran churches took shape over the following decades.

Relationships with other traditions

Reform1517–1530A gradual process

The Lutheran Reformation

LutheranismCatholic Church

Reform: A movement to reform the Western church that, in the 16th century, produced churches independent of Rome.

Luther's challenge to the preaching of indulgences (1517) grew into a dispute over authority and justification. He was excommunicated in 1521, and churches formed around the Augsburg Confession (1530), which teaches that people are justified 'for Christ's sake through faith'.
3 sources
What changed
  • Lutheran churches rejected papal jurisdiction and taught two sacraments in the strict sense, while keeping liturgical worship, infant baptism and belief in Christ's real presence in the Supper.
    2 sources

    Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Later developments
  • 1999: the Joint Declaration recorded a consensus in basic truths of justification and declared that the 16th-century condemnations on justification do not apply to the teaching it sets out.
    Source
Today as of October 2026

Separate, in formal dialogue

Not in full communion; dialogue continues on church, ministry and sacraments after the 1999 consensus on justification.
2 sources

Agreement recordCompare Lutheranism and Catholic Church

Explained on other pages

Full timeline

  1. 1517

    Ninety-five Theses

    Luther challenges the preaching of indulgences.

    Explained below: The Lutheran Reformation

  2. 1521

    Excommunication and Worms

    Luther is excommunicated and refuses to recant before the Diet of Worms.

    Explained below: The Lutheran Reformation

  3. 1530

    Augsburg Confession

    The defining statement of Lutheran faith is presented to Emperor Charles V.

  4. 1999

    Joint Declaration on Justification

    The Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church sign an agreed statement on the central doctrine of the Reformation.

    Explained below: The Lutheran Reformation

Positions used in comparisons

Short, sourced statements that the Atlas compares across traditions. Where a tradition has no single teaching authority, the record says whose statement it follows.

God
The Trinitarian faith of the creeds (Augsburg Confession, Article I).
Source
Christ
Christ is true God and true man, two natures in one person.
Source
Creeds and councils
Confesses the Western (Filioque) form of the Nicene Creed with the other ecumenical creeds.
2 sources

Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Scripture and authority
Scripture is the only rule and norm of teaching; the confessions are its faithful exposition.
Source
Salvation and grace
People are justified freely 'for Christ's sake through faith', not by their own merits or works.
2 sources
Sacraments and ordinances
Christ's body and blood are 'truly present' and distributed in the Supper, in a sacramental union 'in, with and under' bread and wine; Lutherans have generally rejected the label 'consubstantiation'. Children are baptised.
3 sources

Varies Lutheran confessions usually speak of Baptism and the Lord's Supper; some also count absolution. No fixed number is recorded here.

Church and ministry
Government varies: Nordic and Baltic churches keep bishops in succession and share communion with Anglicans (Porvoo); many others are synodical.
Source

Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.

Varies Episcopal in some churches, synodical or congregational in others.

Varies Some Lutheran churches keep the historic episcopate; others do not regard it as necessary.

Mary and the saints
The memory of the saints is held up as an example, but 'the Scripture teacheth not to invocate saints'.
Source

Compare these positions with another tradition

  • The Divine Service

    Liturgical worship in the vernacular, with a strong tradition of congregational hymns (chorales).Not yet sourced

The follower figure

about 78 million in Lutheran World Federation churches

What is counted
Members of churches affiliated to a world body
As of
LWF website, accessed October 2026
Reported by
Lutheran World Federation
Type
Recorded by the reporting body
Coverage
LWF member churches in 99 countries. Lutheran churches outside the LWF, such as the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, are additional.
This entry is
A family of independent churches. Churches of the Lutheran Reformation. Many belong to the Lutheran World Federation; others (for example the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod) do not.
The Lutheran World Federation states that it represents over 78 million Christians in 99 countries.
Source

Replaces the starting figure. Workbook: 77,000,000 (no source or date).

Figures from different traditions measure different things and must not be added together or ranked against each other.

About the image · Editorial placeholder

Editorial initial. Luther’s seal (the “Luther rose”) is a candidate for a later, documented asset.

Editorial status

Editorial draft. Built from the starting workbook with editorial corrections and framing. It has not yet been checked against independent sources.

References

  • Workbook linkNot yet checked

    lutheranworld.org

    Link supplied in the source workbook (“Christian Denominations”, row 18). It has not been checked to confirm that it supports every claim in that row.

Original workbook record

Imported unchanged from “Christian Denominations”, row 18. Values here are the starting dataset, not verified facts; where the Atlas differs, the reason is noted below.

Denomination / Tradition
Lutheranism (Evangelical Lutheran)
Broader Tradition
Protestantism
Date Established / Split
1517 AD
Origin / Location
Wittenberg, Holy Roman Empire
Forming Event / Schism
Protestant Reformation
Approx. Practitioners
77,000,000
Broke Away From
Roman Catholic Church
Primary Reason for Split / Core Doctrine
Martin Luther's 95 Theses against indulgences, emphasis on Sola Fide (faith alone) and Sola Scriptura (scripture alone).
Reference / Information Link
https://www.lutheranworld.org

Editorial notes on this record

  • Approx. Practitioners: 77 million has no source or date (the Lutheran World Federation publishes membership figures).

Research sources for this entry

Every relationship, position and figure above cites these. Each links to the Atlas’s single source register, which shows what each source supports and whether it was read.