Victoria Silvstedt

She was already well recognised in the UK when she took on a new career, hosting The Late Show on Virgin Radio. Some of the most famous Lutherans today are:. She has appeared in films such as Boat Trip, The Independent, and BASEketball. See the complete List of famous Lutherans. She then became a spokesmodel for Guess Jeans. Unless otherwise noted, these figures are from the Lutheran World Federation (http://www.lutheranworld.org/Welcome.EN.html) (LWF) homepage. Silvstedt appeared as a centerfold in the December 1996 issue of Playboy and was subsequently named Playmate of the Year in 1997.
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Victoria Silvstedt is a model and sometimes actress and was born on September 19, 1974 in Sweden.
Total World – 82.6 million. Latin America – 1.1 million. Asia & Pacific – 7.5 million. Africa – 10.5 million.

North America – 14.2 million. Europe – 49.3 million. Few Lutheran pastors achieve their pastoral care in foreign countries such as France. Norwegian and Finnish) to provide aid, social opportunities and pastoral care for visiting seamen — in their own language.

Many major seaports contain the outposts of the respective Nordic Lutheran churches (e.g. Due to large agreements like the Concorde de Leuenberg (1962), involving many churches raising from the Reformation the training for students in theology embraces a wide range of theologies including modern and contemporary movements in biblical criticism and theology. Except in Northern Europe (see above), very few seminaries are state-supported. The Lutheran confirmation training usually constitutes the largest exposure of Northern Europeans to Christian doctrines.

Confirmation is treated seriously and is usually delayed until the end of the high school courses. So, in northern Europe many attend religious services only for baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals and possibly at Christmas. Most people feel it is more important to attend to the lot of conference and training and Biblical studies. The church attendance on Sunday is not decisive and houses offices are still perennial, particularly in southern Europe.

Notably, the European churches have very low attending memberships at the offices; due to the history of those European churches, most parts of them knew persecution during the 17th and 18th centuries. Modern mobility and a decrease in religiosity have, however, been instrumental in shifting the demographic situation, as did the movements of German refugees from areas lost to Poland and Russia as a result of World War Two. Certain parts of Germany are traditionally Lutheran (generally towards the north and east) while others are historically Catholic (especially Bavaria and areas along the Rhine). Members of the predominant churches in Germany, whether Lutheran, Reformed or Catholic are also required by the state to pay a church tax in addition to their normal income tax.

Lutheranism is also prominent in Estonia, and Latvia. The church is no longer supported by taxes, but the fees are collected along with taxes. In Sweden, Lutheranism was the state religion up until the year 2000. With the extension of the European Union, the status of state churches is largely revised; they remain a State Church but win greater autonomy.

Priests are educated at the Faculties of Theology of the state universities. The church tax, an income tax of about 1–2%, is collected only from the members of the church, but the church also gets its share from other taxes such as the municipal corporation tax. In these countries, the churches are supported directly by taxes. Lutheranism is the state religion of several Scandinavian countries in Northern Europe, including Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

English-language publishers of books on Luther and Lutheran theology. As a result of doctorinal differences, cooperation between different denominations varies: there is collaboration on some forms of outreach (for example, Lutheran World Relief); in worship practice, however, the conservative demoninations typically practice closed communion, limiting celebration of the eucharist to those within their own denominations out of concern for doctrinal differences. The LCMS and WELS follow the traditional "historical-grammatical" method of interpreting the Scripture text, which seeks to understand the text as it is written within the context of history, culture, and language. Many members of the ELCA believe that such higher criticism represents the best efforts of modern scholarship.

The ELCA subscribes to the "Historical-Critical Method" of Scripture interpretation, which attempts to interpret the text while taking account of the historical, cultural, and scientific limitations or biases imposed by the original writers. Doctrinally, the differences are primarily based on the degree of authority denominations place on the written text of Scripture. denominations differ on doctrine and practice. U.S.

There are at least 20 smaller Lutheran Denominations in the U.S., with many of them being cultural or doctrinal offshoots of the main three. Strict adherence to this requires members to refrain from all worship, including prayer, with those not in fellowship with WELS. WELS teaches the "Unit Concept" of fellowship. WELS does not support women's suffrage in the church.

As with the LCMS, it permits only qualified men to serve as pastors and adopts similar positions on homosexuality and marriage. The WELS is also divided into districts. The LCMS teaches "Levels of Fellowship," closed communion (also called "close" communion), and has undergone recent internal struggles regarding participation of its clergy in interfaith "events." Particularly controversial was the post-911 event "A Prayer for America", held at Yankee Stadium, in which the church's Atlantic District President offered a Christian prayer alongside representatives of various non-Lutheran Christian, and non-Christian faiths. The LCMS does not permit active homosexuals to serve in the ministry, and it has affirmed an exclusively heterosexual definition of marriage.

In 2004, the synod decided that women may also "serve in humanly established offices" such as congregation president, reader, or usher. It encourages women to be active in the church and has affirmed women's suffrage within congregations since 1969. It permits only qualified men to serve as pastors. The LCMS is divided into 35 districts, including 2 non-geographical districts.

The ELCA ordains both men and women to the pastoral office, and is currently studying the issue of homosexuality, and will decide at its 2005 Churchwide assembly whether to bless same-sex marriage and clergy in active same-sex relationships or not. The ELCA has established relationships of full communion with The Episcopal Church, the Moravian Church, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Reformed Church in America and an interim agreement with the United Methodist Church. The ELCA is divided into 64 geographical and one non-geographical synods (the Slovak Zion Synod). Local congregations contribute funds to support them and receive services and materials. Denominations help to start new congregations affiliated with them.

These denominations provide seminaries, pastoral care, and Sunday School and liturgical materials. The three largest Lutheran bodies in the United States are, in order of size: the least conservative Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the more conservative Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), and the most conservative of the three, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). In the U.S., congregations are grouped into over 20 different denominations. The largest organizations of Lutheran churches around the world are the Lutheran World Federation and the International Lutheran Council, which include the great majority of Lutheran denominations around the globe.

However, more conservative varieties of Lutheran strive to maintain historical distinctiveness, emphasizing doctrinal purity over ecumenical outreach. For that reason, a number of modern Lutheran denominations, now largely separated from state control, are reaching out to other Lutheran denominations as well as other Christian denominations. This belief is ingrained in the Lutheran confessions, and reflects the history of Lutheranism as a reform movement rather than a separatist movement. Lutherans believe in the idea that there should be a single Christian church, and a single Christian faith.

The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod recently approved a new hymnal, Lutheran Service Book, which will be available in the fall of 2006. The most widely uses are: Christian Worship (WELS), The Lutheran Book of Worship (ELCA), The Lutheran Hymnal (LCMS and WELS)and Lutheran Worship (LCMS). Lutheran Churches in the United States use a number of hymnals. Lutheran pastors may marry and have families.

Pastors almost always have substantial theological educations, including Greek and Hebrew so that they can refer directly to the canonical Christian scriptures in the original language. In the U.S., some congregations and synods traditionally taught in German or Norwegian, but this custom has been in significant decline since the early/middle 20th century. Pastors usually teach in the common language of the parish. Lutheran pastors and staff are repeatedly reminded that most evangelism occurs within the church, with children.

Almost all maintain Sunday Schools, and many host or maintain private nursery-schools, primary schools, regional high schools and universities. Children's ministries are considered fundamental in most Lutheran churches. Johann Sebastian Bach, a devout Lutheran, composed music for the Lutheran church. Many Lutheran churches have active music ministries, including choirs, hand-bell choirs, children's choirs and sometimes carillon societies (to ring bells in a bell tower).

Lutheran hymns are sometimes known as chorales, and Luther himself composed hymns and hymn tunes, the most famous of which is "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" ("Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott"). Lutherans generally place great emphasis on a liturgical approach to worship services; music also forms a large part of a traditional Lutheran service. House, 1950-1957. Saint Louis, Mo. : Concordia Pub.

Christian Dogmatics. LCMS Perspective: Pieper, Franz. ELCA Perspective: Braaten, Carl E., Principles of Lutheran Theology Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983. For an overview of Lutheran theology, see:.

Most Lutherans also teach:. They teach that, at death, Christians are immediately taken into the presence of God in Heaven, where they await the resurrection of the body at the second coming of Christ. Lutherans believe that all who trust in Jesus alone can be sure of their salvation, for it is in Christ's work and his promises in which their surety lies. In His death, death is destroyed, our debt paid for and our sins forgiven.

Because He is a man, He could die. Because He is God, He is sinless and so a worthy sacrifice, without spot or blemish. In the person of Jesus Christ, Lutherans believe God and Man meet. Lutherans teach that salvation is possible only because of the birth, perfect life of obedience, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Even faith itself is seen as a gift of God, created in the hearts of Christians by the work of the Holy Spirit when they hear God's Word proclaimed, and when they are baptized. Lutherans believe that individuals receive this gift of salvation by faith alone -- a full and complete trust in God's promises to forgive and to save. God has intervened in this world because He loves sinners and does not want them to be damned to Hell, and, by His grace alone -- His free gift of mercy -- a person is forgiven, adopted as a child of God, and given eternal salvation. Every human thought and deed is colored by sin and sinful motives.

Lutherans teach that sinners cannot do anything to satisfy God's justice. What condemns them is that they are sinful from the start. For Lutherans, it is not actual sins -- the sinful acts committed by an individual -- that damn someone. Because of this Original Sin -- the sin from which all other sins come -- all descendents of Adam and Eve (thus, all humans) are born in sin and are sinners.

However, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, trusting in their own strength, knowledge and wisdom. Lutherans believe God made the world, humanity included, perfect, holy and sinless. The central teaching of Lutheranism is the doctrine of salvation by God's grace alone (Sola Gratia), through faith alone (Sola Fide) for the sake of Christ's merit alone (Solus Christus). Those who hold to the former reject modern liberal scholarship, while those that hold to the latter embrace it.

Some Lutheran church bodies also teach Biblical inerrancy. Others adopt the viewpoint that the Bible contains God's Word, but is essentially a human document, subject to error in non-spiritual matters. For this reason, Lutherans who follow the Book of Concord closely, especially conservative Lutherans, often refer to themselves as Confessional Lutherans. Other Lutherans, who agree with the main teachings of the Lutheran Confessions, but may take exception to some of its doctrine, subscribe to the Book of Concord in so far as they are in harmony with Holy Scripture. Traditionally, Lutheran pastors, congregations and church bodies agree to teach in harmony with the Book of Concord because it teaches and faithfully explains the Word of God. Lutherans also hold that the Holy Scripture is explained and interpreted by the Book of Concord -- a series of Confessions of faith composed by Lutherans in the 16th Century.

One of the signature teachings of the Lutheran Reformation is the teaching named Sola scriptura -- "Scripture alone." Lutherans believe that the Bible is divinely inspired and is the only standard by which teachings and doctrines can be judged. Thus, approximately 1 out of every 20 Christians in the world is a Lutheran. Today, approximately 1 out every 4 Christians in the world is a Protestant, and 1 out of every 5 Protestants in the world is a Lutheran. Because Luther sparked this mass movement, he is known as the father of the Protestant Reformation, and the father of Protestantism in general.

In the years and decades following Luther's posting of the 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg church, large numbers of Europeans left the Roman Church, including the vast majority of Germanic people (the only Germanics who remained in the Catholic church were those under the domain and/or influence of Catholic Austria and Bavaria or the electoral archbishops of Mainz, Cologne, and Trier). Luther and his followers began a large exodus from the Catholic Church known as the Protestant Reformation. This book is still used today, and is referred to as the Book of Concord. This document is known as the Formula of Concord, and in 1580, all documents were bound and distributed in a volume titled The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

In 1577, the next generation of Lutheran theologians gathered the work of the previous generation to define the doctrine of the persisting Lutheran church. However, the Lutheran movement was far from defeated. After the conclusion of the Schmalkald War, Charles V attempted to impose Catholic religious doctrine on the territories that he had defeated. These princes would ally to create the Schmalkaldic League in 1531, which lead to the Schmalkald War that pitted the Lutheran princes of the Schmalkaldic League against the Catholic forces of Charles V.

Several of the German princes (and later, kings and princes of other countries) signed the document to define "Lutheran" territories. At the Diet, Philipp Melanchthon presented a written summary of Lutheran beliefs called the Augsburg Confession. Lutheranism would become known as a separate movement after the 1530 Diet of Augsburg, which was convened by Charles V to try to stop the growing Protestant movement. But the 1529 session, also meeting Speyer, the decision the previous Diet of Speyer was reversed — despite the strong protests of the Lutheran princes and free cities (giving rise to the term protestant).

At the 1526 session of the Diet, meeting that year in Speyer, it was decided that, until a General Council could meet and settle the theological issues raised by Martin Luther, the Edict of Worms would not be enforced and each Prince could decide if Lutheran teachings and worship would be allowed in his territories (Cuius regio, eius religio). The conflict would erupt even further into a religious war, fueled by the political climate of the Holy Roman Empire and strong personalities on both sides. What had started as a strictly theological and academic debate had now turned into something of a social and political conflict as well, pitting Luther and his German supporters against the king of Spain (the francophone Charles V who also ruled the Low Countries, the New World and the Holy Roman Empire -- of which Germany was then a part), and the Italian Pope, as well as the supporters of the latter two. Shortly after Luther escaped, Charles V issued the Edict of Worms, which outlawed Luther and his followers, declared Luther and his followers heretics, and banned Luther's writings.

Luther remained in hiding for some time, all the while continuing to write and develop his ideas. Luther had been granted a Safe Conduct to travel to and from his trial, but remembering how a similar promise had been violated in the case of Jan Hus, Luther's supporters prevailed upon him to escape from Worms in the dark of night, before he too could be seized and executed. So help me God, Amen!" --Martin Luther, April 16, 1521. Here I stand, I can do no other.

I cannot and will not retract .. Unless therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture .. Luther went to Worms (pronounced Vorms), but when called upon by Catholic officials to recant, Luther made a historic stand, saying the following: "I cannot submit my faith either to the Pope or to the Councils, because it is clear as day they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. So instead, Luther was to be summoned to appear before the Diet of Worms, where he was to recant his ideas publicly.