Study book of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus. Photo: LWF/A. Hillert
LWF Study Process: Lutheran Identities
Who are we? Clearly, we all belong to the one body of Christ and to the people of God. Locally, we are members of a specific church congregation, but at the same time we are also part of all those who live their Christianity together in our country, our region and our village/neighborhood. This shapes us and creates solidarity among us Christians. But our denominational affiliation also shapes us and the congregation or regional church to which we belong. We are Lutherans.
Lutheran Christians are not only found in Germany, the heartland of the Lutheran Reformation. There are also Lutheran churches in Scandinavia, Hong Kong, Chile, South Africa, Japan and Poland. Some of these churches are large national churches, some are small minority churches. But what is important to Lutherans, what holds them together as a community despite all the differences across continents and different life situations? What does Lutheran identity look like today? What difference does it make to be Lutheran?
An LWF global study from 2019 to 2022 explored these and similar questions. The LWF wants to inspire local congregations and Lutherans to express what it means to be Lutheran in their context.
In Germany, the German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation supports and coordinates projects that reflect on these issues in the Lutheran regional churches. Interesting contributions and results are presented here.
In July 2023, the conference volume “Lutheran identity - cultural imprint and Reformation heritage” was published by Gütersloher Verlagshaus. It is based on the results of a symposium organized by the Historical Commission of the DNK/LWF in February 2022. The volume contributed to the LWF's study process with a view to the Thirteenth Assembly of the LWF, which took place in Krakow, Poland, from September 13 to 19, 2023.
Publications
Lutheran identity today - a journey of discovery in three steps
The following contributions were presented in April/May 2021 at the event series “Lutheran Identity Today - A Journey of Discovery in Three Steps”. The series was jointly organized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany.In Deutschland unterstützt und koordiniert das Deutsche Nationalkomitee des Lutherischen Weltbundes Projekte, die in den lutherischen Landeskirchen über diese Fragen nachdenken. Interessante Beiträge und Ergebnisse werden hier vorgestellt.
Im Juli 2023 ist der Tagungsband „Lutherische Identität – kulturelle Prägung und reformatorisches Erbe“ im Gütersloher Verlagshaus erschienen. Er basiert auf den Ergebnissen eines Symposiums, das von der Historischen Kommission des DNK/LWB im Februar 2022 durchgeführt wurde. Der Band leistete einen Beitrag für den Studienprozess des LWB mit Blick auf die Dreizehnte Vollversammlung des LWB, die vom 13. bis 19. September 2023 in Krakau, Polen, stattfand.
Preaching Slam: Lutherische Identität, OK
Biografische Zugänge von Pastorin Luise Jarck-Albers
Sketch des Kirchlich Bayerischen Pfarrerkabaretts „Das weißblaue Beffchen“
mit Pfarrerin Irene Geiger-Schaller und Pfarrer Hannes Schott
Preaching Slam: Lutherisch? - Was soll das denn sein?
TikTok-Video „8 Gründe warum Martin Luther mein Crush ist“
Impulsreferat: Heiliger Geist – Wie läuft das in Geschichte und Gegenwart?
mit Schwester Nicole Grochowina
Kurzübersicht zum Vortrag: Heiliger Geist – Wie läuft das in Geschichte und Gegenwart?
mit Schwester Nicole Grochowina