Uppsala Synod
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The Uppsala Synod in 1593 was the most important synod of the Lutheran Church of Sweden. Sweden had gone through its Protestant Reformation and broken with Roman Catholicism in the 1520s, but an official postulate of faith had never been declared.
The synod was summoned to Uppsala by Duke Charles, heir to the Swedish throne. Four bishops and over 300 priests were also present. The synod was opened on March 1, by Nils Göransson Gyllenstierna, and on the following day Nicolaus Olai Bothniensis, a professor of theology at the Uppsala University, was elected chairman.
By March 5, the synod had decided to declare the Holy Scripture the sole guideline for religion. The three creeds—the (Apostles', the Nicene, and the Athanasian)—were officially recognized, and the Lutheran Augsburg Confession (1530) was adopted in its original form.
Another important decision was that only the Lutheran doctrine was to be allowed; Calvinism, Catholicism, and Zwingliism were all officially banned. The Catholic-inclined liturgy of King John III of Sweden (1537–1592) was also rejected.
On March 15, Abraham Angermannus was elected Archbishop of Uppsala.
The meeting closed on March 20, after being signed—first by Duke Charles, members of the council, and bishops, and then by representatives from all over the country.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- (Swedish) article Kyrkomöte, in Nordisk familjebok (1911)
