Abstract:
The contribution of confessional Lutheran churches, especially those affiliated to the
International Lutheran Council of the ecumenical movement was regarded more or less
as marginal, compared to the mainstream Protestant churches. Rooted in the 16th century
Reformation, relating to the confessional writings of the Lutheran Church as comprised in
the Book of Concord (1580), these churches in the 19th century rediscovered what might be
labelled ‘confessional identity’. Looking at the European scene as a paradigm of secularisation
(in spite of necessary differentiations), it is observed how traditional faith, trying not to sever
its biblical and confessional roots, approached and reacted to ‘modern’ developments in
society and the church. A historical survey, combined with a systematic reflection on Lutheran
identity in a post-Christian context, served to diagnose the problems of Christian responsibility
in a globalising world. Through the changes and challenges that confront Christianity
at the beginning of the 21st century, the confessional Lutheran churches – affiliated to the
International Lutheran Council – came to face their ecumenical responsibility. The mission of
the Church ought to be reconsidered in terms of its biblical foundation, its historical identity,
its confessional self-understanding, and its ecumenical obligation.
