Lutheranism has had a strong influence on Christianity, thanks to Martin Luther and the Reformation. Since then, there have been quite a few notable people associated with Lutheranism.
Fun fact: I myself was confirmed in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).
Today, we're going to look at my pick for the top nine famous Lutherans.
The criteria for this list is that the person, alive or dead, has to have been a Lutheran for at least a significant portion in their lifetime, which also means they don't have to be a Lutheran now. They are not to have held any church position within any of the Lutheran churches, so the likes of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison, and LCMS founder C.F.W. Walther, for example, do not qualify for this list but might be a separate listicle for another day.
9. Jesse Ventura
Originally named James George Janos, this third-party former Governor of Minnesota from 1999 until 2003 was a Lutheran in his early life. Now an atheist, he has criticized religion in general, especially by calling organized religion only for the "weak-minded."
8. Kevin Sorbo
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You might be surprised that Kevin Sorbo, who played the mean Christian-turned-atheist professor in the movie God's Not Dead, is actually a Christian in real life. In fact, he was raised Lutheran himself but now considers himself a non-denominational Christian.
7. Gary Johnson
The former Republican Governor of New Mexico from 1995 until 2003, who also ran as the Libertarian presidential candidate in 2012 and 2016 is also a Lutheran. He has stated what he has learned from his faith is the Golden Rule itself: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."- Matthew 7:12
6. Bruce Willis
Whether you've seen him in classics such as Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, The Sixth Sense, as well as other unforgettable flicks, you may be surprised to know that German-born American Bruce Willis was actually raised Lutheran in the LCMS. Like Jesse Ventura, Willis has also put down religion and it is safe to say he is no longer a Christian.
5. J.A.O. Preus
His full name Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus, he was the 20th Governor of Minnesota from 1921 until 1925.
What makes Preus unique is that while he came from a line of Lutheran pastors, he decided to be in politics instead as a Republican. His two children J.A.O. Preus II and Robert Preus were also faithful Lutherans.
4. Ed Meese
Yet another Republican on this list, Ed Meese served in various positions for Ronald Reagan himself especially as the Counselor to the President and later Attorney General. Meese was born into a Lutheran family in Oakland, California and attended Zion Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Oakland.
3. Dana Carvey
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Most of you may remember him as Garth Algar from Wayne's World, but some of you probably didn't know that his (Catholic) Church Lady skits from Saturday Night Live actually came from his real-life experiences growing up as a Lutheran
Carvey still makes guest appearances such as this one as The Church Lady on SNL on occasion. "Isn't that special?"
2. Steve Jobs
The late head of tech-giant Apple, Jobs was indeed practicing Zen Buddhist before he died. In his early life, before he became the world-renowned man of Apple, he actually was brought up a Lutheran Christian in the LCMS.
After his death in 2011, the LCMS remembered him here.
1. William Rehnquist
The late Republican (see a theme here?) Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1986 until his death from thyroid cancer in 2005, who swore in Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, was also a lifelong Lutheran, as a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The ELCA website posted this article in his memory.
The reason why he's number one on my list is not only because of his contribution to politics but also because of the man's looks and his authentic voice. Also, with a last name like Rehnquist, that alone can't fool anyone.
If you want to see more famous Lutherans including some of those mentioned in this listicle, check out this video.
