The Uppsala Synod in 1593 was the most important
synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...
of the
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...
. Sweden had gone through its
Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
and broken with
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
in the 1520s, but an official
confession of faith
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The ea ...
had never been declared.
History
The synod was summoned to
Uppsala
Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...
by
Duke Charles, heir to the Swedish throne. Four
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
s 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
Nicolaus Olai Bothniensis (born about 1550 in Piteå, died 18 May 1600) was Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden 1599–1600. He was appointed in place of Abraham Angermannus who had been put in prison, but before getting inducted he died ...
, a professor of
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
at the
Uppsala University
Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in opera ...
, was elected chairman.
By March 5, the synod had decided to declare the
Holy Scripture
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
the sole guideline for religion. The three
creed
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The ea ...
s—the
Apostles', the
Nicene
The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...
, and the
Athanasian
Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...
—were officially recognized, and the unaltered Lutheran
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the Augustan Confession or the Augustana from its Latin name, ''Confessio Augustana'', is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Protestant Re ...
(1530) was adopted.
After the unanimous acceptance of the unaltered Augsburg Confession, Nicolaus Olai Bothniensis, who was presiding, exclaimed, "Now Sweden is one man, and we all have one Lord and God."
[N.F. ''Lutheran Cyclopedia'', article,]
Upsala, Diet of
, New York: Schrivner, 1899. p. 528-9.
Another important decision was that only the
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
doctrine was to be allowed;
Calvinism
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...
,
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
, and
Zwinglianism
The theology of Ulrich Zwingli was based on an interpretation of the Bible, taking scripture as the inspired word of God and placing its authority higher than what he saw as human sources such as the ecumenical councils and the church fathers. He ...
were all officially banned. The Catholic-inclined
liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
of King
John III of Sweden
John III ( sv , Johan III, fi, Juhana III; 20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. He was also, quite autonomous ...
(1537–1592) was also rejected.
On March 15,
Abraham Angermannus
Abraham Andersson, usually known under the Latin form of his name, Abrahamus Andreæ Angermannus or just Abraham Angermannus (died in October 1607) was the fourth Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden from 1593 to 1599. He was de ...
was elected
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala (spelled Upsala until the early 20th century) has been the primate (bishop), primate of Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward un ...
.
The meeting closed on March 20, after its decrees were signed—first by Duke Charles, members of the council, and bishops, and then by representatives from all over the country.
Signatories of the Uppsala Synod
Signatories of the Uppsala Synod were, among others:
*
Christopherus Stephani Bellinus
Christopherus Stephani Bellinus (died 1607 in Irsta, Västmanland County) was a Swedish priest, and Member of the Clergy of the Riksdag of the Estates of Sweden.
Biography
Christopherus Stephani Bellinus was a brother of Bishop Olaus Stephani B ...
*
Johannes Stephani Bellinus
Johannes Stephani Bellinus (died 1617) was a Swedish prelate and vicar in Enköping, Sweden.
Johannes Stephani Bellinus was son to Stephanus Andreae and brother to Olaus Stephani Bellinus and Christopherus Stephani Bellinus.
He served as pa ...
*
Nicolaus Olai Bothniensis
Nicolaus Olai Bothniensis (born about 1550 in Piteå, died 18 May 1600) was Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden 1599–1600. He was appointed in place of Abraham Angermannus who had been put in prison, but before getting inducted he died ...
*
Laurentius Paulinus Gothus
Laurentius Paulinus Gothus (10 November 1565 – 29 November 1646) was a Sweden, Swedish theologian, astronomer and Archbishop of Uppsala.
Biography
Gothus was born Lars Paulsson at Söderköping in Östergötland County, Sweden. In 1588, Gothus ...
*
Olaus Canuti Helsingius Olaus Canuti Helsingius (1520-1607) was a Swedish prelate, and member of the clergy of the Riksdag of the Estates (1571, 1590, and 1594). He was a preacher at the Royal Court of Sweden, and tutor to the prince, the future King Eric XIV of Sweden. He ...
*
Petrus Kenicius
Petrus Kenicius (1555 – 3 February 1636) was Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden from 1609 to his death.
He got his education from the Universities of Wittenberg and Rostock.
In 1589 he was put in prison by King John III of Swede ...
*
Olaus Martini
Olof Mårtensson (1557 – 17 March 1609) also known in the Latin form Olaus Martini, was Archbishop of Uppsala from 1601 to his death.
Born in Uppsala, Sweden, he first enrolled in the University of Uppsala, but when it was temporarily closed in ...
*
Ericus Erici Sorolainen
Ericus Erici Sorolainen (1546–1625) was a Finnish Lutheran bishop, a Bishop of Turku from 1583 to 1625 as the successor to Paulus Juusten; and the administrator of the Diocese of Viipuri.
After his ordination to priesthood, he was sent to Uni ...
References
''Kyrkomöte'' in ''
Nordisk familjebok
''Nordisk familjebok'' (, "Nordic Family Book") is a Swedish encyclopedia that was published in print from between 1876 and 1993, and that is now fully available in digital form via Project Runeberg at Linköping University. Despite their consi ...
'' (1911)
{{Authority control
1593 in Sweden
16th-century church councils
1593 in Christianity
Swedish Reformation
Protestant councils and synods
History of Uppsala