Body of Doctrine (Latin: ''Corpus doctrinae'') in

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

of the 16th and 17th centuries is the anthology of the

confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall where the priest from some Christian denominations sits to hear the confessions of a penitent's sins. It is the traditional venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Luther ...

or credal writings of a group of Christians with a common confession of faith. It was a term first used by

Philipp Melanchthon Philip Melanchthon (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, an intellectual leader of the ...

, a collection of whose confessional writings was published as the ''Corpus Doctrinae Philippicum'' or the ''Corpus Doctrinae Misnicum''. Melanchthon had conceived the notion of assembling his most important theological writings, along with the

ecumenical Ecumenism ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...

creeds, into a single book called a ''corpus doctrinae'', or body of doctrine. The

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

printer, Ernst Vögelin, published it with Melanchthon's preface around the time of the reformer's death in April 1560. These writings were used as the normative proclamation and teaching of that group or denomination of Christians. For

Lutheranism Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

in the mid—16th century these anthologies were formulated for the various duchies and

principalities A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchical state or feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "principality" is often ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. They were the prototype of the

Book of Concord ''The Book of Concord'' (1580) or ''Concordia'' (often referred to as the ''Lutheran Confessions'') is the historic doctrinal standard recognized as authoritative by many Lutheran church bodies since the 16th century. It consists of ten creeda ...

, which historically is considered by

Lutherans Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

to be their definitive ''Body of Doctrine''. However, because some of the ''corpera doctrinæ'' were considered to be faulty and to avoid confusion of the

with the ''Corpus doctrinæ Philippicum'', the compilers of the

deliberately refrained from using the designation ''corpus doctrinæ'' for it.''The Preface of The Book of Concord as a Reflection of Sixteenth-Century Confessional Development'' (by Irene Dingel. Lutheran Quarterly. Winter 2001 Issue. Volume XV, Number 4)

References

Lutheran theology Book of Concord {{Lutheran-stub