Tuesday, June 25, 2024

It is the 25th of June 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Here at 1517, we dig the symbolism of Martin Luther and the church door in Wittenberg, the 95 Theses, All Saints Eve, the year 1517, and all that…

It’s like celebrating the 4th of July (if that’s your bag)- the signing of the document by Jefferson didn’t make us independent, but we’ve made it the totem for the whole event. Similarly, 1517, All Saints Eve and the 95 Theses can do that for the Reformation.

But if I can play the historian “well akshually…” guy- I might propose a different “birthday” for the Reformation- especially of the early Lutheran variety. The year is 1530, and the date is this: the 25th of June in that year (and 50 years later, more on that in a minute).

If you’ve seen the most recent Luther film- the one with Joseph Fiennes- you might have been a little confused at the end of the film. Luther made his stand; many Germans were united in the faith, and the year was 1530. A curious year from the standpoint of any action- the wars are coming, a revolt has already happened, and there are more to come… there’s even some political intrigue, but what does 1530 give us? A document. A theological document. A confession of faith.

It was on this, the 25th of June in 1530, that the Augsburg Confession was presented to Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg- 28 articles, written in German and Latin, explaining the theology of the reform-minded Christians out of Wittenberg. Martin Luther was under the imperial ban, which made him an outlaw and thus unable to present the document himself. But that was ok, as the document was written by Luther’s more systematic colleague, Philip Melanchthon.

There are elements of the document that are quite conservative- in the discussion of the sacraments, there is no enumeration or listing- just an assurance that they are promises accepted by faith. The final articles do condemn Catholic practices, such as the adoration of the saints and priests and the eating of meat. This would elicit a response from Charles V and his coterie, which would then occasion the “Apology of the Augsburg Confession.” For those interested in the marrow of the matter- read the 4th article in the confession, response, and apology.

The next few decades of the Lutheran church would cause many consternation- the mushrooming of the movement with different emphases and leaders across Europe and an internal debate as to the leadership of Luther. Would the group that took his name bow uncritically to his every word or to his general idea.

When a group takes the name of any one person, they risk a kind of idol worship or making that figure a totem- a kind of general mascot.

Luther would die in 1546. The Catholic Emperor would defeat a coalition of Protestant princes, and the Reformation appeared doomed. But a series of political interims amidst foreign affairs and leverage commanded by newly powerful protestant princes would lead to a rapprochement and peace in 1555.

By now, there were various Reformation factions around Europe, and the Catholic Church would meet at its “Council of Trent” to solidify Catholic doctrine. What would the Lutherans, feuding after the death of their leader, do?

The next years would be crucial to the history of the Lutheran church as her theologians from Wittenberg, Jena, and other universities would begin to compile various occasional theological documents to augment the Augsburg confession. Jakob Andreae would lead the movement to put together the definitive statement of Lutheran theology. This new book, a collection of sorts, began with the Augsburg Confession and its Apology, along with Luther’s Catechisms and other documents outlining the theology of the church.

This “Book of Concord” (Concord means agreement, from “Concordia”) would be the theological baseline of the Lutheran church- not all the words and teachings of Luther- but a discreet number. Other documents would settle the disputes that arose after Luther's death, and Andreae saw a fitting parallel for the presentation of this book. By 1578, most of the signatories signed off, but he would wait to present the text on the 25th of June in 1580, exactly 50 years after the presentation of the Augsburg Confession on this day.

A red letter day for the Lutherans! A kind of July 4th, two times and 50 years apart, with the presentation of the Augsburg Confession and Book of Concord on this day in 1530 and 1580.  

The last word for today is from John 6:

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 25th of June 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man whose favorite concords include the book, the plane, and the Grape- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man living dangerously with an altered Augsburg confession written in invisible Ink- I’m Dan van Voorhis. 

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.