Confessio Augustana

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

Description

The "Confessio Augustana" belongs to the obligatory confessional sphere of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church and is thus one of its central documents. It was written by Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) in the context of the Augsburg Reichstag (Diet) in 1530. On 25 June 1530, representatives of the Lutheran imperial estates handed over a Latin version to Emperor Charles V (1519-1556) and had it read out in German, in which language it was also printed (H. ref. 80). The text consists of two parts. The first part is essentially an attempt to prove that the Lutheran faith and its doctrine were based on Holy Scripture and on ecclesiastical tradition. The second part deals with shortcomings of the Catholic Church and suggests remedies. Emperor Charles had the "Confessio Augustana" checked at the Augsburg Reichstag for its compliance with the principles of the Catholic Church. The result was the so-called "Confutatio Augustana", in which the "Confessio Augustana" receives some approval, while central points are rejected. The text states that the stipulations of the Roman Catholic doctrine must strictly be followed. After his return to Wittenberg, Melanchthon created a defence of the "Confessio Augustana" against the accusations made in the "Confutatio": the "Apologia". From 1531 onwards she appeared together with the "Confessio" in combined prints. Datum: 2016

Author

Matthias Bader

Rights Statement Description

CC0