From a historical perspective, similarities among the Lutheran churches in Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden are easily understood. But these previously homogeneous northern societies, built on a Lutheran tradition with close ties between church and state, are now considered to be among the most secular in the world, as well as being impacted by a growing presence of other religions. These changes present a major challenge to the churches concerning how to relate to the state and how to be a "folk church." The goal of this volume is to explore how Lutheran identity presently shapes churches in the north. What are the burning issues engaging these churches at the beginning of the third millennium? Are there signs that they are affected by the global emergence of a theology and practice commonly known as Neo-Pentecostal or Charismatic? What is the situation for women in these churches embedded in societies ranked among the world's most egalitarian? In what ways does their Lutheran heritage influence how these churches shape themselves today? The point of departure for this study is not a predetermined, normative understanding of what a Lutheran church is or should be, but the fact that the churches presented here represent what "Lutheranism" is today in this part of the world. Contributors include Anne-Louise Eriksson, Steinunn Arnthrudur Bjornsdottir, Solveig Anna Boasdottir, Niclas Blader, Carl Reinhold Brakenhielm, Thomas Ekstrand, Arnfriður Guðmundsdottir, Goran Gunner, Harald Hegstad, Hjalti Hugason, Roger Jensen, Halvard Johannessen, Peter Lodberg, Benedicte Hammer Præstholm, Karin Sarja, Ulrika Svalfors, Merete Thomassen, Marie Thomsen, Marie Vejrup Nielsen, and Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen.

Johann Friedrich Adolf Krug's edition of Martin Luther's Small Catechism offers a concise and accessible guide to the basics of Christian theology and practice. An essential resource for students of religion and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Christianity. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

All of the member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are related to Lutheran theology in one way or another. However, that does not mean they act similarly or draw the same conclusions about any particular issue. Rather, Lutheran churches around the globe display great diversity. This book has its background in a study of five Lutheran churches: the ILCO in Costa Rica, the IECLB in Brazil, the ELCI in Iceland, the FLM in Madagascar, and the HKBP in Indonesia. It addresses the questions of how the Lutheran heritage today is expressed in different churches and what is the role of Lutheran theology in how they handle their respective situations. The churches in this study share with other churches the need to handle dilemmas such as the relations between "community and pluralism," "openness and particularity," "power and servanthood," and "closeness to culture and being an alternative to culture." In doing this they use their culture and history as well as their Lutheran heritage as tools.

This volume presents a novel and distinct contribution to previous research on the rich Lutheran heritage of music. It builds upon a current surge of interest in the field, which resonates with a wider interest in connections between music and religion, as well as with cultural and aesthetic dimensions of faith at large. The book situates the topic in relation to recent developments within historical and cultural studies that have developed a more nuanced and positive view of the interplay between theologians and other cultural agents in the evolution of Western modernity during post Reformation processes of ‘confessionalization’. It combines conceptual discussions of key terms relevant to the study of the development and significance of an Early Modern Lutheran Music Culture with theological readings of central texts on music, analytic approaches to historical repertoires and material perspectives on its dissemination.