ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a Lutheran perspective on the sources, subjects, and purposes of law in Lutheran churches. It uses the Church of Norway, an evangelical Lutheran church, as a case study, whilst at the same time drawing on examples from other Lutheran churches, especially the Nordic Lutheran churches. The chapter starts with exploring the roots of Lutheran church law from the Lutheran Reformation, from Martin Luther’s burning of the books of canon law in 1520 to the promulgation of new reformation laws in Germany and Scandinavia. It looks at how the historical development of the relationship between church and state has shaped the development of church law in the Lutheran churches examined. The chapter next examines the use of church law in the case study in light of the Statement of Principles of Christian Law (2016) and concludes with observations on the value of this from a Lutheran perspective.
