3

Do Lutherans now consider the followers of Zwingli and Calvin to be their brothers in Christ and members of the Body of Christ?

From here I found out that Luther did not believe that Zwingli was saved. What about the followers of Luther in these days? Do they consider Calvinists and Zwinglinists as their brothers in Christ?

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

Unsurprisingly, the answer differs based on which Lutheran you ask.

For example, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which is by far the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States practices open communion by which any baptized Christian is welcome to celebrate the Eucharist with them. In fact, for the last twenty years, the ELCA has had a formal relationship of full communion with the Presbyterian Church USA and Reformed Church in America, respectively the first- and third-largest Calvinist churches in the United States. However, neither the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod nor the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod do so. Both groups limit communion to their own members or to members of churches found to be in full doctrinal agreement with their beliefs, a requirement that necessarily excludes Calvinists.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    But closed communion doesn't imply they think all those they exclude are unsaved.
    – curiousdannii ♦
    Commented Oct 18, 2018 at 22:12
  • this is a good answer, being brought up Lutheran, its a wide umbrella that covers a variety of different schools of thought, many of which are very far removed from having anything to do with what Luther taught / thought.
    – L1R
    Commented Aug 15, 2019 at 18:42

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .