Lutherans

Lutherans, supporters of the Protestant church founded by Martin Luther (1483–1546), German leader of the Reformation. Luther, a scholar and priest, believed that faith rather than Catholic ritual would save people from sin and enable them to receive the grace of God. The largest Protestant sect in the world today, Lutheranism is the state church in the Scandinavian countries and is strong in Germany. In the 18th century German immigrants founded Lutheran churches in the mid-Atlantic American colonies, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church is now the fourth largest Christian sect in the United States.

See also: Christianity; Luther, Martin.