Gehennan Traditionalism (Lutheranism)

Gehennan Traditionalism, commonly known as Lutheranism, is the historic Lutheran confession and practice uniquely established and maintained within the Gehennan Empire. As the only major Lutheran nation in the world, the empire’s religion has shaped its cultural identity, social institutions, and political structures for centuries. Gehennan Traditionalism traces its roots to the early 16th century Reformation in Runnina but developed distinctive features under the patronage of the empire’s rulers. It remains the predominant faith of approximately 80 percent of Gehennan citizens and continues to influence national life through its theological emphases, liturgical customs, and ecclesiastical governance.

Origin and Etymology

The term Gehennan Traditionalism arose in the late 16th century to designate the particular form of Christianity that took shape within the borders of the Gehennan Empire. “Traditionalism” reflects the movement’s self-understanding as the faithful continuation of the teachings of Martin Luther, especially the doctrines of justification by faith and the authority of Scripture, transmitted through the Lutheran Confessions. The adjective “Gehennan” distinguishes this national expression from other Christian traditions by emphasizing its exclusive development in the empire. Early references appear in imperial decrees of 1583 and in the writings of the first Gehennan Lutheran theologians, who sought to define a confessional identity apart from both Roman Catholicism and (attempted) emerging of Reformist churches throughout Runnina.

Introduction of Lutheranism

Lutheran doctrines first arrived in the Gehennan territories in the 1530s, brought by ignored grievances written to several Catholic organizations or churches. The deeply rooted feudal and dynastic structures of the empire, however, delayed any large-scale reform until the mid-1560s. In 1567, King Karltin II issued the Edict of Faith, granting limited toleration to Lutheran preachers and acknowledging “the pure teaching of the Gospel according to the Augustusburg Confession” within the empire’s western duchies. This edict laid the groundwork for the establishment of official Lutheran congregations under imperial protection.

Imperial Patronage and Consolidation

Under Queen Maria Vertehaus (reigned 1582–1609), Gehennan Lutherans gained formal recognition as the region's first non-Catholic group. The 1583 First Lutheran Congregation adopted the Book of Marger as the region's doctrinal standard, obliging all Lutheran pastors to subscribe unconditionally to its confessions and creeds. At the same time, Queen Maria Vertehaus endowed the newly founded Gehennan University of Torgau with a faculty for Lutheran theology, thereby ensuring a steady supply of clergy trained in confessional methods. By 1620, most urban centers had Lutheran churches, and imperial domains in the south began hosting annual synods (also known as the South Gehennan Writings) to coordinate doctrine and practice among the diverse duchies and principalities.

Thirty Years’ War and Aftermath

The devastation of the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) disrupted ecclesiastical life across Gehennan lands. Lutheran churches suffered damage in the wartime campaigns, and clergy were displaced by shifting battle lines. Nevertheless, the 1648 Peace of Vidden reaffirmed the empire’s commitment to Lutheranism by including provisions for reconstruction of destroyed churches and compensation for displaced pastors. This post-war recovery period saw a renewed emphasis on catechesis and hymnody, leading to the publication of the Gehennan Hymnal in 1652, which blended Luther’s chorales with local melodies to strengthen congregational worship in devastated communities.

Justification by Grace through Faith

Central to Gehennan Lutheran teaching is justification by faith alone (sola fide), affirming that humans are declared righteous before God solely through faith in Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. This doctrine rejects any notion that human works can contribute to salvation, emphasizing instead that Christ’s righteousness is “imputed” to believers. Gehennan theologian Matthias von Hohenfels wrote in 1687: “Our hearts find peace only when we rest upon Christ’s merits, not upon our own deeds”.

Authority of Scripture (Sola Scriptura)

Gehennan Traditionalism holds that the Holy Scriptures—the Old and New Testaments—constitute the sole infallible norm for doctrine and life. The corpus of confessional writings, including the Book of Marger, serves as an exposition of Scriptural teaching, but never supersedes Scripture itself. Pastors are instructed to interpret the Bible within the historic Lutheran confessional framework, ensuring continuity with the Reformation heritage and preventing novel doctrinal deviations.

Priesthood of All Believers

The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers stresses that all baptized Christians share in the spiritual priesthood and have direct access to God. This principle undermines any notion of a clerical caste with exclusive mediatorial power and promotes active lay participation in congregational life. Each baptized member is encouraged to engage in prayer, Scripture reading, and the exercise of spiritual gifts, fostering a communal rather than hierarchical approach to ministry.

The Book of Marger

In 1583, the Gehennan Empire formally adopted The Book of Marger (1580) as its doctrinal standard. This collection comprises:

The Three Ecumenical Creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian)

The Unaltered Augustusburg Confession (1530)

The Letters of the Augustusburg Confession (1531)

Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms (1529*)

The Smalcald Articles (1537)

The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope (1537)

The Formula of Marger (1577)

These texts define Gehennan Lutheran doctrine and practice, guiding clergy and laity alike. Subscription to all confessions is unconditional, reflecting the conviction that true doctrine is “drawn from the Word of God” and essential for church unity.

Subscription and Enforcement

All Gehennan pastors and theological faculty are required to subscribe unconditionally to every article of the Book of Marger, affirming their personal belief and commitment to teach and uphold its doctrines. Occasional misconduct or doctrinal controversy is addressed by the Marger Judge, which may suspend clergy or impose corrective measures. This strict confessional subscription ensures uniformity across the empire’s numerous Congregational Lordship's and prevents fragmentation along theological lines.

Conflicts within Gehenna

While the church enjoys patronage, it also upholds the Reformation principle that no human authority may demand obedience contrary to God’s Word. In matters of moral opposition—such as when imperial policy conflicted with confessional commitments—the church has, at key junctures, petitioned the emperor and the Imperial Court of the Land, invoking the dictum “We must obey God rather than men”

One such precedent occurred in 1893 and once more in 1897, when the Reichstag passed the Compulsory Civic Oath Act and the Compulsory Civic Oath Act II, requiring clergy to swear unconditional loyalty to the state. The Gehennan Lutheran authority objected, arguing that the oath undermined the church's spiritual autonomy and risked subordinating divine law to imperial decree. After months of deliberation, both act's were repealed by the emperor in summer of 1893 and spring of 1898 following several protests that gained much popularity across the western regions of the empire.