Christianity · branch
Lutheranism
Salvation by grace alone through faith alone, received rather than achieved — the single sharpest position on D1 in the whole matrix. Retains sacraments and liturgy while moving authority from the hierarchy to scripture and the confessions.
What makes it unusual
The axes on which this tradition sits furthest from the middle of the matrix — which is to say, the positions that actually distinguish it.
- D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as graceFurther toward "given as grace" than most traditions in the matrix.
- C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescueFurther toward "fallen and in need of rescue" than most traditions in the matrix.
- E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional actFurther toward "an intentional act" than most traditions in the matrix.
- B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixedFurther toward "revealed and fixed" than most traditions in the matrix.
All seventeen positions
Each cell carries a centre, a dispersion — how much internal variation the tradition genuinely tolerates — and the source the position rests on. Disagree with one? Say so; corrections are public and recorded.
The same seventeen values as a single shape, read clockwise from A1 at the top. The outline is where the tradition sits; the wider band around it is the variation it genuinely tolerates, so a tight outline is a tight tradition.
- position
- tolerated variation
A · The divine
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the natural → a divine reality certainly exists | a divine reality certainly existsThe Book of Concord (1580) | 1.00 | 0.03 |
| A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address | a personal being one can addressThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.95 | 0.05 |
| A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits | strictly oneThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it | between wholly beyond the world and fully present within itThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.45 | 0.12 |
B · Knowledge and authority
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience | revealed and fixedThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.15 | 0.10 |
| B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all | leaning literal and bindingThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.30 | 0.14 |
| B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides | between clergy and tradition decide and individual conscience decidesThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.38 | 0.14 |
C · Self and destiny
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form | continues in some formThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.97 | 0.03 |
| C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return | one life, then judgmentThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound | fallen and in need of rescueThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.10 | 0.09 |
D · Practice
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight | given as graceThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent | leaning essential and prescribedThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.25 | 0.12 |
| D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated | between to be disciplined and to be celebratedThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.45 | 0.15 |
E · World and others
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths | leaning one true pathThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.28 | 0.15 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural | an intentional actThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice | between a people, inherited and an individual choiceThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.62 | 0.15 |
| E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred | leaning creation, given for useThe Book of Concord (1580) | 0.32 | 0.14 |
Further reading
- The Augsburg Confession (1530), articles IV–VI — Justification by faith, which is what the D1 value of 0.03 encodes.
- Luther, The Freedom of a Christian (1520) — Grace and works held together without collapsing either.
Compared with
The questionnaire places your own answers on these same seventeen axes and reports how close you are to this tradition and to 64 others. Take it — eight to fourteen questions, nothing transmitted.