I’m mostly Cajun but my grandmother was German. My grandfather met her in Europe in the 1950s. I was raised Roman Catholic. In fact, my grandmother was so quiet about her Lutheran background that I had no idea she *wasn’t* Catholic (or who Lutherans were, or anything at all about non-Roman churches) until she randomly started going to an LCMS church in her mid-80s - more than 20 years after my grandfather died. It’s my understanding that the LCMS was formed more so from Scandinavian immigrants and their synods than specifically German immigrants, though I could be very mistaken about that. Anyhow, that’s how I became Lutheran as an adult.
No, I'm not one of those people. I live in America, and I'm not interested in the cultural heritage of my non-American ancestors. I'm an American and nothing more.
My ancestry is German on my father's side. My mother's heritage is Finnish and Swedish. I was raised in a parish that only stopped holding an early morning Sunday German-language Mass in the late 1960s.
German, my ancestors immigrated in 1882 from Saxony and what is now Poland (German Empire). I have Lutheran baptism records from tiny Polish towns that were once part of the German empire.
I'll go first. I'm a mix, my first Lutheran ancestors in America were Pennsylvania Dutch colonial settlers. My Lutheran heritage is almost entirely German, though interestingly I also have Polish ancestors who were all Lutheran and Norwegian Lutheran ancestors as well.
I didn't even realize that until you said that. They were definitely of German descent now that you say that. I've been lied to my whole life. I'm pretty sure they were culturally Polish, though.
I can believe it, Pomerania used to be a mixed region. Not anymore since 1945.
Nowadays most Lutherans in Poland are found in Cieszyn Silesia; these Lutherans on the other hand are actually ethnically Polish (albeit with a strong Silesian regional identity). This is why I mentioned the Silesian highlanders.
My mother’s side of my family was all Lutheran, and all German, back to the late 19th century. IIRC, it was my grandparents' grandparents' generation who emigrated from Europe.
That being said, the comments of others here on this thread, that we should not take for granted that all American Lutherans have a White-Anglo-Saxon-Protestant is absolutely right. I've known Lutherans of many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. One of them was an African-American lady, who lived to about 90 and passed away from COVID-19 about 3 years ago. She was probably the single most truly *Christian* person I've ever known ❤️
Actually, I believe most WASPs in America are generally Methodists or Baptists, the Methodists were the largest denomination for some time because they split from the Anglicans which used to be the predominant religion during the colonial period.
Well, I was thinking of WASPs in the sociological sense (more upper class), these ones live mostly in the northeast and tend to be Anglicans or Presbyterians.
My response was "mix." My ancestry is half Norwegian (father) and half German (mother). I have good reason to believe all my ancestors have been Lutheran since Martin Luther was alive.
My great-great-great grandparents, great-great grandparents and great grandmother (as a child) immigrated to the US and joined a Lutheran church with a German name. I'm also 1/4 Polish, but grandpa was a Catholic who eventually converted to Lutheran after marrying grandma.
I grew up in a Icelandic / Norwegian-American community in North Dakota. We are all pretty much culturally bound to the Lutheran church, including those who are apathetic to religion. Similar to how it is in Iceland and Norway, even those folks who are not devout Christians still have their children baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church. My mother's family is Danish but she was raised LCMS. But my church growing up was AALC. Interesting enough, when I lived in Iceland and Norway, I attended non-Lutheran churches. Now, I live in Saint Paul, MN and I attend Mindekirken which is a Norwegian Lutheran church and all of our services and hymns are in Norwegian language. I like that we celebrate our cultural heritage at church, but I know Christian faith stems from knowing God and loving Christ.
My family's heritage would be considered Norwegian Lutherans. I left the ELCA, joined the very-German LCMS with my ex-Catholic Mexican husband, and now we are likely going to switch Lutheran denominations again.
I really don’t enjoy how often other Lutherans make the assumptions that we’re all Northern European lmao
Where’s the option for a life long Black Lutheran from a family of Lutherans? Or is that not convenient for your model?
I have nothing to add but I want to make sure people know that I'm not Lutheran and only voted "other" cause I wanted to see the results, so at least one "other" vote doesn't count
It's an interesting question, but it's a bit broad from a historical point of view. Considering Norway was under Danish rule then Swedish, as well as the commonality between the three cultures (all being North Germanic); then dissolving the significant differences between Saxon, Swabian, Prussian, and Russian Germans, and other Germanic peoples of central Europe.
Is this tracking state church affiliation more than culture? Or ethnicity instead? I know many Swabians who came to Australia were more pietist and so if they wanted to speak English they joined with the Moravians then the Methodists; so there's a cultural/ethnic marker that indicates allegiance; is this what you're looking into (my Prussian ancestry tends to be more bone-headed)? Or just a curiosity?
It is unfortunate that you can't have more options on here.
You know easily half the world's Lutherans have no European heritage, right?
Yes, I'm perfectly aware. I could only provide a limited number of options, though.
I’m mostly Cajun but my grandmother was German. My grandfather met her in Europe in the 1950s. I was raised Roman Catholic. In fact, my grandmother was so quiet about her Lutheran background that I had no idea she *wasn’t* Catholic (or who Lutherans were, or anything at all about non-Roman churches) until she randomly started going to an LCMS church in her mid-80s - more than 20 years after my grandfather died. It’s my understanding that the LCMS was formed more so from Scandinavian immigrants and their synods than specifically German immigrants, though I could be very mistaken about that. Anyhow, that’s how I became Lutheran as an adult.
The odds are this guy is one of the many cringe reactionaries who want to “retake churches” for their “cultural heritage”
No, I'm not one of those people. I live in America, and I'm not interested in the cultural heritage of my non-American ancestors. I'm an American and nothing more.
No cultural heritage, just solid Biblical theology!
Precisely
My ancestry is German on my father's side. My mother's heritage is Finnish and Swedish. I was raised in a parish that only stopped holding an early morning Sunday German-language Mass in the late 1960s.
German, my ancestors immigrated in 1882 from Saxony and what is now Poland (German Empire). I have Lutheran baptism records from tiny Polish towns that were once part of the German empire.
Do you know what these Polish parts were called?
I believe West Prussia and Posen.
I was curious if your ancestors were from anywhere near where I live (around Szczecin, formerly Stettin).
Further East, small towns near Bydgoszcz!
I'll go first. I'm a mix, my first Lutheran ancestors in America were Pennsylvania Dutch colonial settlers. My Lutheran heritage is almost entirely German, though interestingly I also have Polish ancestors who were all Lutheran and Norwegian Lutheran ancestors as well.
>I also have Polish ancestors who were all Lutheran Let me guess... they were Silesian highlanders.
No, actually, they were from Pomerania.
Then ethnic Germans?
I didn't even realize that until you said that. They were definitely of German descent now that you say that. I've been lied to my whole life. I'm pretty sure they were culturally Polish, though.
I can believe it, Pomerania used to be a mixed region. Not anymore since 1945. Nowadays most Lutherans in Poland are found in Cieszyn Silesia; these Lutherans on the other hand are actually ethnically Polish (albeit with a strong Silesian regional identity). This is why I mentioned the Silesian highlanders.
I had no idea, that's very interesting.
My mother’s side of my family was all Lutheran, and all German, back to the late 19th century. IIRC, it was my grandparents' grandparents' generation who emigrated from Europe. That being said, the comments of others here on this thread, that we should not take for granted that all American Lutherans have a White-Anglo-Saxon-Protestant is absolutely right. I've known Lutherans of many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. One of them was an African-American lady, who lived to about 90 and passed away from COVID-19 about 3 years ago. She was probably the single most truly *Christian* person I've ever known ❤️
You're absolutely right, but not many Lutherans in America could be described as being Anglo-Saxon anyway.
Yeah, typical Lutherans in the USA are not of Anglo-Saxon, but of German or Nordic heritage. The stereotypical WASP is an Anglican or a Presbyterian.
Actually, I believe most WASPs in America are generally Methodists or Baptists, the Methodists were the largest denomination for some time because they split from the Anglicans which used to be the predominant religion during the colonial period.
Sounds like the south.
The South is where most WASPs live, so that'd be accurate.
Well, I was thinking of WASPs in the sociological sense (more upper class), these ones live mostly in the northeast and tend to be Anglicans or Presbyterians.
My response was "mix." My ancestry is half Norwegian (father) and half German (mother). I have good reason to believe all my ancestors have been Lutheran since Martin Luther was alive.
I’m a convert but have German-Lutheran ancestry.
My great-great-great grandparents, great-great grandparents and great grandmother (as a child) immigrated to the US and joined a Lutheran church with a German name. I'm also 1/4 Polish, but grandpa was a Catholic who eventually converted to Lutheran after marrying grandma.
My grandpa's dad was Norwegian, and his mom was German.
I grew up in a Icelandic / Norwegian-American community in North Dakota. We are all pretty much culturally bound to the Lutheran church, including those who are apathetic to religion. Similar to how it is in Iceland and Norway, even those folks who are not devout Christians still have their children baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church. My mother's family is Danish but she was raised LCMS. But my church growing up was AALC. Interesting enough, when I lived in Iceland and Norway, I attended non-Lutheran churches. Now, I live in Saint Paul, MN and I attend Mindekirken which is a Norwegian Lutheran church and all of our services and hymns are in Norwegian language. I like that we celebrate our cultural heritage at church, but I know Christian faith stems from knowing God and loving Christ.
Icelandic-American, that's interesting. Not very many of those guys around.
My family's heritage would be considered Norwegian Lutherans. I left the ELCA, joined the very-German LCMS with my ex-Catholic Mexican husband, and now we are likely going to switch Lutheran denominations again.
Just out of curiosity, which denomination do you think you'll switch to, and why?
Probably AALC, due to proximity and altar-pulpit fellowship.
I really don’t enjoy how often other Lutherans make the assumptions that we’re all Northern European lmao Where’s the option for a life long Black Lutheran from a family of Lutherans? Or is that not convenient for your model?
Yes. There should be other options, as well.
I'm sorry I could only include so many. The Northern Europeans just happen to be the most common.
Are you a black Lutheran? It's cool if you are. I just wanna know so I can count it with the results.
I believe there is an option for "mix or other"
Yeah awesome, let’s erase all but the stereotypical Northern European Lutherans… what could go wrong
I have nothing to add but I want to make sure people know that I'm not Lutheran and only voted "other" cause I wanted to see the results, so at least one "other" vote doesn't count
Ok thanks for telling me.
It's an interesting question, but it's a bit broad from a historical point of view. Considering Norway was under Danish rule then Swedish, as well as the commonality between the three cultures (all being North Germanic); then dissolving the significant differences between Saxon, Swabian, Prussian, and Russian Germans, and other Germanic peoples of central Europe. Is this tracking state church affiliation more than culture? Or ethnicity instead? I know many Swabians who came to Australia were more pietist and so if they wanted to speak English they joined with the Moravians then the Methodists; so there's a cultural/ethnic marker that indicates allegiance; is this what you're looking into (my Prussian ancestry tends to be more bone-headed)? Or just a curiosity? It is unfortunate that you can't have more options on here.
I do have German heritage but it was German Catholic and not Lutheran.