Lutherans

the body of Christians that follow the teachings of Martin Luther. The Lutherans call themselves "Evangelical," by way of distinction from the Roman Catholic church and the "reformed" churches, or the followers of Calvin. They form one of the two great divisions that arose during the period of Reformation. The Lutheran is the state religion of many German states, of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The Augsburg Confession and Luther's Shorter Catechism contain the decisive principles common to the different bodies of Lutherans. The first Lutherans in America were Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam in 1623. The Swedes who settled on the Delaware in 1637 and the following years were Lutherans. The Lutheran churches are strongest in Pennsylvania and in the North Central States. There are several denominations, including Swedish, Norwegian, German, Danish, Finnish, and Icelandic synods. There are in all about 12,000 congregations and a trifle under 2,000,000 communicants. Numerous colleges and academies are maintained by the various bodies of Lutherans.