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The following is a list of noteworthy people who profess Lutheranism as their religious or cultural identity:

Actors and Actresses

Artists

  • Sandra Bowden, painter. Head of CVA, Christian Ministry in Visual Arts.
  • Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553), German court painter; friend of Martin Luther and sponsor of the Reformer's oldest son. An early champion of the Reformation, this well-known and prolific artist is now especially known for his woodcuts and portraits of the Reformers.
  • Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586) prominent Reformation artist in Germany who worked for his father and continued in his style.
  • Gary Larson, cartoonist and creator of the classic comic The Far Side.
  • Alexandra Nechita, at 15 years old, she is one of the most famous artists in the world. She was once called the "Petite Picasso".

Astronauts

Authors

Beauty Contestants

  • Gretchen Carlson, 1989 Miss America; former Miss Minnesota; granddaughter of an ELCA pastor, now with Fox News
  • Elke Sommer (born Elke Schletz), actress and painter who has appeared in over 90 motion pictures. In 1959, 19-year old Elke won Italy's Miss Viarrego beauty pageant.
Lyndsay Kahler-Ermeling, 1996 Miss California, Lutheran High School teacher.

Bible Scholars, Translators, & Theologians

  • Marva Dawn, theologian and author; wrote Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down (1995) and other works.
  • Robert Jenson, leading American theologian. His Systematic Theology is considered to be one of the most outstaning theological works of recent years. He edits the journal, Pro Ecclesia. Jenson has an interest in ecumenical theology.
  • Martin E. Marty, theologian and author.
  • Paul Tillich (1886-1965), German-born theologian who emigrated to America, army chaplain during WWI, seminary professor. The son of a Lutheran pastor, Pastor Tillich became one of the most foremost liberal theologians of the first half of the twentieth century.

Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs

Church Leaders

Comedians

  • Dana Carvey, comedian and actor known especially for his gift of mimicry. Former member of Saturday Night Live (1986-1993), where he created many numerous characters, including "The Church Lady". His film credits include the mega-hit Wayne's World and its sequel.

Composers

  • Johann Christoph Bach (1642-1703), German church musician and composer. Cousin of J. S. Bach's father.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), German church musician. One of the greatest composers of all time, known especially for his organ compositions, his chorales, the Mass in B Minor, and the Brandenburg Concertos.
  • Karl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788), German church musician and composer. Son of J. S. Bach.
  • Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710-1784), German church musician and composer. Eldest son of J. S. Bach.
  • Howard Hanson (1896-1981), Hanson became one of the most influential American composers, music educators, and music advocates of the last century; he was also a director of the Eastman School of Music (1924-1964).
  • Georg Friedrich Handel, Renowned composer, possibly best known for his Messiah, which includes the famous Hallelujah Chorus.
  • Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847), German composer; the grandson of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. His many compositions include the famed incidental music to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Reformation Symphony (which utilizes the melody of Martin Luther's classic Reformation hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God.")
  • Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), German composer and church musician. An early model of J.S. Bach, his many compositions include cantatas, chorale pieces, canons, fugues, and preludes. Today he is especially known for his Canon in D (often simply referred to as Pachelbel's Canon).

Film Makers

Generals & Admirals

Historians

  • Jaroslav Pelikan, religious scholar and professor at Yale; former professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; co-editor of the American Edition of Luther's Works (55 volumes) and author of the series' companion volume Luther the Expositor. A Lutheran during most of his decades-long and prolific career, Pelikan became a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1998.

Murderers

Kings and Queens

Lawyers

Musicians

National Newscasters and Sportscasters

Nobel Laureates

  • Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish economist; statesman and Secretary General of the United Nations. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • Linus Pauling, American chemist who won the Nobel prize in chemistry for his work describing the nature of chemical bonds. Pauling received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 for his campaign against above-ground nuclear testing, becoming one of only two people to receive the Nobel Prize in more than one field, the other being Marie Curie.

Philosophers

Poets

Politicians and Statesmen (United States)

U.S. Governors

U.S. House of Representatives (Current)

U.S. House of Representatives (Former)

U.S. Senators

U.S. Senators (Former)

  • Paul Simon, former Democratic Senator from Illinois, educator, author.

Non-US politicians

Due to the fact that most people in Scandinavian nations are in least nominally Lutheran Scandinavian politicians will only be mentioned if they are ordained as a pastor or bishop.

Reformers

  • Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586), German pastor, seminary professor, defender of the Lutheran faith. His classic Examination of the Council of Trent is the definitive Lutheran response to the "Counter-Reformation" of the Roman Catholic Church. As a theologian, second in greatness only to Martin Luther.
  • Martin Luther (1483-1546), German Doctor of the Church, pastor, professor ay the University of Wittenberg, prolific author, hymn writer, Bible translator, Biblical scholar, father of the Protestant Reformation. His 95 Theses, nailed on the front door of the Castle Church at the University of Wittenberg on October 31st, 1517 ignited a firestorm which resulted in The Reformation. His importance in the history of Western Christianity and Western Civilization is immense. In the opinion of many, one the greatest theologians of all time.
  • Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560), German theologian, professor at the University of Wittenberg, author, Reformation leader, and close friend of Martin Luther. A colleague and friend of Luther, he is the author of the Augsburg Confession and the Loci Communes.

Resistance fighters in World War II

  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), German pastor, theologian, seminary professor, author, and anti-Nazi resistance fighter. Imprisoned by the Nazis and later executed at the concentration camp in Flossenburg.
  • Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976), German lay theologian known for his contributions to Biblical criticism and resistance to Hitler.
  • Helmut Gollwitzer (1908-1993), German theologian who became part of the Confessing Church; captured by the Soviets in 1945 and imprisoned in a Soviet gulag until 1950.
  • Kaj Munk (1898-1944), Danish pastor and author, arrested and executed by the Nazis.
  • Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984), German submarine commander in WWI who became a Lutheran pastor and was later imprisoned by the Nazis.

Scientists

Sports Figures

Storytellers

  • Garrison Keillor, humorist, host and creator of Prairie Home Companion (1974-present), inductee Radio Hall of Fame (1994), author of Lake Wobegon Days (1985) and nine other titles, icon of National Public Radio.

Television and Movie Characters

Sources

Lists of Christians | Lutheranism | Lutherans

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "List of Lutherans".

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