How are the conservative branch of the Episcopal church and the Lutheran church different from Catholicism?

Question

In doctrine and practices. I've heard about the Protestant Reformation but its hard to tell.

Answer 1

Wow, this is gonna be a long answer. I'll try to make it worth reading. ;-)

The primary difference between Lutherans/Episcopals, and Catholics, is that we perceive that the Catholic Church has made the remission of temporal punishment into a commodity. We are particularly offended by the assignment of specific values (indulgences) to various good works, with the promise of reduced time in Purgatory--we perceive that this has turned the sacrament of Reconciliation into a barter system. It seems almost to turn things like the Hail Mary or the sign of the cross into magical rituals by which we would manipulate God.

We also reject the doctrine of Purgatory itself, if Purgatory is understood to be a separation of location from God. Some in either of our churches might be open to the idea that both pain and healing go on after death; but since we are fully forgiven, we would be in the local presence of God during this process, not in any way separated from Him.

Prayer to saints is frowned upon by Episcopals and explicitly forbidden by Lutherans. Prayer to angels is also frowned upon. In any event, prayer to anyone besides God for aid in salvation is forbidden.


Episcopals and Lutherans both believe in Christ's real, bodily presence in the Eucharist. However, we do not believe in transubstantiation. Our rationale for rejecting this doctrine is based on the nature of sacraments.

A sacrament is a ritual which, when administered, achieves what it represents. It is our belief that declaring the bread and wine to be *replaced* by Christ's body and blood works against this, by separating the sacrament's inward grace from the sacrament's administration.

Lutherans believe that sacraments achieve the inward grace in the context of the preaching of God's Word. From this, most Lutherans conclude that the consecrated elements do not retain the real presence outside the context of the Mass. Therefore, eucharistic adoration is only practiced in that context, and is generally limited to bowing or genuflection before and after receiving Communion.

Episcopals tend to insist that some kind of fundamental transformation does indeed take place, even if it is not transubstantiation. One theologian said that it may not be a change of substance, but it is a substantial change. And so Episcopals often reserve both species, and practice eucharistic adoration outside the context of the Mass.


Episcopals continue to practice apostolic succession, though they have contradicted Catholic and Orthodox practice by ordaining women, and in a few isolated cases ordaining gay priests and a gay bishop.

When Lutherans were excommunicated from the Catholic Church, we were left without bishops, and so had no choice but to fall back on Jesus' promise that miracles could be performed in His name by others besides the apostles. And so apostolic succession is not practiced in our churches.

Episcopals are ambiguous on whether apostolic succession is required for a validly consecrated Eucharist. They have maintained apostolic succession and do not permit laity to administer communion. On the other hand, they have established communion fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which seems to imply an acknowledgement that their Eucharist is valid.


And finally, Episcopals and Lutherans deny that the Pope is the head of the Church.

Answer 2

Ok, Luther wasn't a big fan of the pope, so Lutherans although they do alot of the same liturgy as Catholics and Anglicans (Episcapalians in the US) do not believe in the infallibility of the Pope and the Church of Rome.
We believe that the eucharist is indeed the body of Christ , transformed from wafers and that the wine is indeed the blood of Christ transformed.

Lutherans at least in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada allow women to be pastors and pastors both men and women can be married which is one large difference between the Lutherans and the Roman Catholic.

Lutheran children used to just get confirmed around 13 or 14 after two years of catechism classes. Now they have something similar at age ten to first holy communion.

All faiths are welcome to partake in the eucharist. We have a mass confession rather than confession before Mass.

Hymns are pretty much the same in all three churches.

The stand on gay marriage differs, the Roman Catholics aren't for it , the more Conservative Anglicans aren't for it and neither are some more Conservative Lutherans, but it is up to the individual pastor whether or not he'll marry a gay couple .

That's it in a nutshell. Oh there's two synods to the Lutheran Church, the Missouri Synod is more Conservative than the ELIC or LCA.

Answer 3

The above answers are pretty thorough, but you might want to look at the link for the "39 articles" of faith that Anglicans, conservative or liberal, share. There are some differences from church to church, and some congregations are more conservative than others, but the way the service is run is basically the same, at least in the US. The main difference in the services that one might encounter is music. Some churches do contemporary music, some do traditional, some do both, having one service for each type.

Answer 4

the main difference is that they(episcopal/lutherans) don't view the pope as the head of church ie they don't believe in the primacy of peter and the succesion thereof.

for more on the reformation this site will help
http://www.catholiceducation.org/links/search.cgi?query=reformation

catholic priests are not allowed to get married and the catholic church has 7 sacraments i think the others only have 2. the seven are

baptism,confessions,holy communion,confirmation,holy orders,marriage and the last rites.

the 2 we have in common i believe is baptism and marriage.

Answer 5

Primarily in two ways:

1) No apostolic authority, authentic holy orders, or authentic holy eucharist.

2) No union with the pontiff of the Latin (Roman) Catholic Church.

Answer 6

The most important thing about the Reformation is that it was not to make it able to buy one's salvation by good works, and to pay the priests for ablution.

Answer 7

You may want to E-mail Father K as he doesn't seem to be answering at the moment. (you can e-mail him from his profile page...he's one of my contacts so you can go there and click on his icon)....He could give you a decent answer for this question .

Answer 8

i dont know much about Episcopal but its beautiful...once went to one long ago
Lutherans dont keep those 5 extra sacraments that Catholics keep...

Answer 9

our minister marry not like Catholic Priest or nuns

there is a lot of things thats is different..too many too list...

Answer 10

conservative lutherans and anglicans are per se catholics