The Presbylutheran Church is a Protestant Christian denomination which broke off from the Roman Catholic Church sometime in the 20th century. It was founded by Martin Presbyluther, who the denomination is named after, when the three suggestions for Church reform he planted underneath the Pope's windshield wiper were rejected. Since then the Presbylutheran Church has itself suffered schism and split into three separate divisions, the First Church of Springfield being part of the Western Branch of America Reform Presbylutheran Church. The three may still be in some level of communion with each other, as Ned Flanders has been known to show episodes of Gravey and Jobriath to Rod and Todd, which are specially-approved by a council of Presbylutheran ministers.
Beliefs[]
One of the core beliefs of Presbylutheranism was formerly the right to attend church with wet hair. While this was one of the main reasons for breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church, it was soon after abolished. They may have some support for Christian terrorism involving the blowing up of clinics offering abortion, given Rod and Todd's reaction to an episode of the Presbylutheran-approved Gravey and Jobriath. Another may have been, at least in the case of Reverend Lovejoy's church, the unwillingness to perform same-sex marriages until hamburgers were put on hot dog buns, as hinted by Reverend Lovejoy's excuse to not perform same sex marriages. However, it may have also been related to Lovejoy's previous reference to gambling as "the eighth deadly sin."
Trivia[]
- In real life, Presbylutherian is a portmanteau of Presbyterianism and Lutheranism, the two largest Protestant denominations in Scotland and Germany, respectively.
- Its founding is a parody of the Lutheran Church, which was founded when theologian Martin Luther failed to gain Papal support for his Church reform suggestions.
- Martin Presbyluther may have been an alias for actor Burt Reynolds. In the episode Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder,, Access Springfield revealed that Reynolds had" apologized to the Pope and promised to replace the windshield wiper."
Appearances[]
Episode – "HOMЯ" - Episode – "Pulpit Friction"