WHAT IS A LUTHERAN?
According to the Lutheran liturgical tradition, Lutherans claim to be part of “The Evangelical Lutheran Church.” In other words, there seems to be some kind of unity among those who share the name “Lutheran.” And yet in the United States alone, there are just under some twenty groups of Lutherans with separate denominational labels. Perhaps the first question, then, ought to be, “What is a Lutheran?” While there may be many ways to answer that question, for purposes of this discussion a Lutheran is one who subscribes to the authority of the Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions and the three Ecumenical Creeds (where “Ecumenical” refers to the universal acceptance of the Apostles’, the Nicene and the Athanasian Creeds among Christians throughout history and around the world). These confessional writings and creeds are recorded in the volume, The Book of Concord, the very purpose of which was and still is to seek “harmony” (“Concord”) among those who call themselves “Lutheran.” According
