This book explores Lutheranism and its various expressions throughout the world. This Protestant tradition has spread and developed far from its European and American heartlands to take on increasingly diverse forms. The global dispersion of Lutheranism and how it interacts with different cultures and worldviews has resulted in Lutheran pluralism in theology and church practices. Still, there are distinctive Lutheran teachings that are present in most churches going by that name. However complex the concept of world Lutheranism may be, this volume demonstrates that a wide-angle view can best be achieved through understanding national Lutheran expressions and the “lived religion” of these churches and their adherents.
The globalization of Christianity has impacted all communions, but at the same time, local and national contexts and institutions remain crucial in mediating global and transnational flows and shaping Christian identity, particularly as globalization has been challenged by nationalism and populism. The contributors employ historical and sociological research methods along with theological analysis to understand Lutheranism. The chapters consider prospects for Lutheranism and Lutheran identity in vastly different societies, reflecting the continuing growth of Lutheran churches in the global South and East.
The countries and regions examined may not comprise all of the world’s Lutherans, but they are, in most cases, the societies with the strongest Lutheran presence that will decide the future of Lutheranism. The book will be of particular interest to scholars of global Christianity and the history of Christianity.
Edited by:
Richard Cimino (SUNY Old Westbury USA.)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Weight: 830g
ISBN: 9781032776149
ISBN 10: 1032776145
Series: Routledge Studies in Religion
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 18 July 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction by Richard Cimino Europe 1: Lutheranism in Germany: International Influence and National Indifference 2: History, Perseverance, and Identity: Lutheranism in Slovakia 3: Lutheranism Taking Root on Russian Soil 4: Lutheranism in Estonia: Lessons in Survival Scandinavia 5: Finland’s Lutheranism as a Spiritual and Social Resource at Home and Abroad 6: Lutheranism in Sweden: A National Church in a Secular Nation 7: Lutheranism in Denmark: Between the Middle Ages and Modernity 8: Lutheranism as a Civil Religion in Norway 9: An Experiment at the Edge of the Lutheran Community: Lutheranism in Iceland Africa 10: Lutheranism in Ethiopia: Theology and Mission in the World’s Largest Lutheran Church 11: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania: A Muzzled Giant? 12: Organized Revival: Lutheranism in Madagascar Asia and Australia 13: The Struggle for Lutheran Unity in Australia and New Zealand 14: The Diaconal Identity of Indonesian Lutheranism 15: Lutheranism a Dynamic Diaspora in Chinese Societies 16: Lutheranism and the Rehabilitation of Religion in Japan 17: It All Began at Tranquebar: Lutheranism in India The Americas 18: Spanish-Speaking South America: Lutheranism in a Catholic Culture 19: Lutheranism in Brazil: From Ethnic Enclave to Protestantism with a Difference 20: Lutheranism in the United States: Entrepreneurial and Adaptive 21: Lutheranism in Canada: An Immigrant Church in a Secular Mission Field.
Richard Cimino is a lecturer in sociology and criminology at the State University of New York at Old Westbury, USA. He is the founding editor of Religion Watch, a monthly publication of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. Among his books is Lutherans Today: American Lutheran Identity in the 21st Century (2003).
