Lutheranism

===Spread to Northern Europe===
[[File:Gustav Vasa Bible 1541.jpg|thumb|The title page of the Swedish [[Gustav Vasa Bible]], translated by brothers [[Olaus Petri]] and [[Laurentius Petri]] and [[Laurentius Andreae]]|alt=]]
Lutheranism spread through all of [[History of Scandinavia|Scandinavia]] during the 16th century as the monarchs of [[Denmark–Norway#Origins of the Union|Denmark–Norway]] and [[Reformation in Sweden|Sweden]] adopted the faith. Through Baltic-German and Swedish rule, Lutheranism also spread into [[Estonia#Middle Ages|Estonia]] and [[Religion in Latvia#History|Latvia]]. It also began spreading into [[Lithuania proper|Lithuania Proper]] with practically all members of the Lithuanian nobility converting to Lutheranism or [[Calvinism]], but at the end of the 17th century Protestantism at large began losing support due to [[Counter-Reformation]] and [[religious persecution]]s.<ref>[https://istorijai.lt/kulturiniai-ir-tikybiniai-santykiai-xvi-amziuje/ ''<nowiki>Kultūriniai ir tikybiniai santykiai XVI amžiuje [The cultural and religious relations in the 16th century]</nowiki>''](in Lithuanian). Istorijai.lt. Original archived on 5 August 2018. Retrieved on 4 April 2023.</ref> In German-ruled [[Lithuania Minor]], however, Lutheranism remained to be the dominant branch of Christianity.<ref>[http://parodos.mab.lt/2018-02/reformacijos-pradzia-lietuvoje/liuteronybe-mazojoje-lietuvoje/ ''<nowiki>Liuteronybė Mažojoje Lietuvoje [Lutheranism in Minor Lithuania]</nowiki>''] (in Lithuanian). Reformacijai – 500.</ref> Lutheranism played a crucial role in preserving the [[Lithuanian language]].<ref>Vyšniauskienė, M. (31 October 2015) [https://www.bernardinai.lt/2015-01-22-mindaugas-sabutis-jei-ne-liuteronai-turbut-siandien-lietuviskai-nekalbetume/ ''<nowiki>Mindaugas Sabutis. Jei ne liuteronai, turbūt šiandien lietuviškai nekalbėtume [If not for Lutherans, we probably wouldn't be speaking in Lithuanian today]</nowiki>''] (in Lithuanian). [[Bernardinai.lt]].</ref>

Since 1520, regular<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=29k9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA195 |title=Historisk fremstilling af reformationens indførelse i Danmark|access-date=5 March 2015|last1=Rohmann|first1=J. L|year=1836}}</ref> Lutheran services have been held in [[Copenhagen]]. Under the reign of [[Frederick I of Denmark|Frederick I]] (1523–33), Denmark–Norway remained officially Catholic. Although Frederick initially pledged to persecute Lutherans, he soon adopted a policy of protecting Lutheran preachers and reformers, the most significant of which was [[Hans Tausen]].<ref name="Gilbert-12"/>

During Frederick's reign, Lutheranism made significant inroads in Denmark. At an open meeting in Copenhagen attended by King Christian III in 1536, the people shouted; "We will stand by the holy Gospel, and do not want such bishops anymore".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=29k9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA195 |title=Historisk fremstilling af reformationens indførelse i Danmark|location=Kjobenhavn|year=1836|pages=195|access-date=5 March 2015|last1=Rohmann|first1=J. L}}</ref> Frederick's son was openly Lutheran, which prevented his election to the throne upon his father's death in 1533. However, following his victory in [[Count's Feud|the civil war]] that followed, in 1536 he became [[Christian III of Denmark|Christian III]] and advanced the [[Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein|Reformation in Denmark–Norway]].

The constitution upon which the Danish Norwegian Church, according to the [[Church Order (Lutheran)|Church Ordinance]], should rest was "The pure word of God, which is the Law and the Gospel".<ref>{{cite book | author = J. L. Rohmann | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=29k9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA202 | title = Historisk fremstilling af reformationens indførelse i Danmark |location = Kjobenhavn | year = 1836 | pages=202|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref> It does not mention the<ref name="books.google.com"/> [[Augsburg Confession]]. The priests had to<ref name="books.google.com"/> understand the Holy Scripture well enough to preach and explain the Gospel and the [[Epistle#New Testament epistles|Epistles]] to their congregations.

The youths were taught<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=29k9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA195 |title=Historisk fremstilling af reformationens indførelse i Danmark|access-date=5 March 2015|last1=Rohmann|first1=J. L|year=1836}}</ref> from ''[[Luther's Small Catechism]]'', available in [[Danish language|Danish]] since 1532. They were taught to expect at the end of life:<ref name="books.google.com"/> "forgiving of their sins", "to be counted as just", and "the eternal life". Instruction is still similar.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=72723|title=Danmarks og Norges Kirke-Ritual (Kirkeritualet) |date=25 July 1685 |publisher=retsinformation.dk|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>

The first complete [[Bible]] in [[Danish language|Danish]] was based on [[Luther Bible|Martin Luther's translation]] into [[German language|German]]. It was published in 1550 with 3,000 copies printed in the first edition; a second edition was published in 1589.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rxt3f6fbHGgC&pg=PA416 |title=A Dictionary of the Bible|access-date=5 March 2015|isbn=9781410217301|last1=Hastings|first1=James|date=October 2004|publisher=The Minerva Group }}</ref> Unlike Catholicism, Lutheranism does not believe that tradition is a carrier of the "Word of God", or that only the communion of the [[Bishop of Rome]] has been entrusted to interpret the "Word of God".<ref name="books.google.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html|title=Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>

The [[Religion in Sweden#Lutheran Reformation|Reformation in Sweden]] began with [[Olaus Petri|Olaus]] and [[Laurentius Petri]], brothers who took the Reformation to Sweden after studying in Germany. They led [[Gustav Vasa]], elected king in 1523, to Lutheranism. The pope's refusal to allow the replacement of an archbishop who had supported the invading forces opposing Gustav Vasa during the [[Stockholm Bloodbath]] led to the severing of any official connection between Sweden and the papacy in 1523.<ref name="Gilbert-12">[http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/gilbert/12.html Chapter 12: The Reformation In Germany And Scandinavia], ''Renaissance and Reformation'' by William Gilbert.</ref>

Four years later, at the {{interlanguage link|Diet of Västerås|sv|Västerås riksdag}}, the king succeeded in forcing the diet to accept his dominion over the national church. The king was given possession of all church properties, as well as the church appointments and approval of the clergy. While this effectively granted official sanction to Lutheran ideas,<ref name="Gilbert-12"/> Lutheranism did not become official until 1593. At that time the [[Uppsala Synod]] declared Holy Scripture the sole guideline for faith, with four documents accepted as faithful and authoritative explanations of it: the ''[[Apostles' Creed]]'', the ''[[Nicene Creed]]'', the ''[[Athanasian Creed]]'', and the unaltered ''Augsburg Confession'' of 1530.<ref>N.F. ''Lutheran Cyclopedia'', article, "[https://books.google.com/books?id=93ErAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA528 Upsala, Diet of]", New York: Schrivner, 1899. pp. 528–529.</ref> [[Mikael Agricola]]'s translation of the first ''[[Se Wsi Testamenti|Finnish New Testament]]'' was published in 1548.<ref>''Lutheran Cyclopedia'', article, "[https://books.google.com/books?id=H3NBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA5 Agricola, Michael]", New York: Schrivner, 1899. p. 5.</ref>