Why Young Christians Are Turning to Catholicism & Orthodoxy (Not Lutheranism) | Matthew Gehne | 148

Matthew Gehne’s Path Back to Lutheranism

Matthew Gehne grew up Lutheran in Wisconsin; his father is a Lutheran pastor. After joining the Marine Corps and attending college, he drifted from church and treated faith as something he could return to when convenient.

Moving to Tennessee placed him in a largely Baptist and evangelical setting. Around the same time, he met Maggie, who came from a committed Catholic family. Their different backgrounds led him to examine Lutheranism, Catholicism, and evangelical traditions more seriously.

He and Maggie wanted to share one faith as a family. Their discussions took time, and Gehne says they learned to approach disagreements as a shared search for understanding rather than a contest to win.

The experience also taught him that theological conversations—especially with a partner or family—should be handled with care. Criticizing a belief can feel to someone else like criticizing an important part of their identity.

What Gehne Sees as Shared—and Different—Among Traditions

Lutherans and Catholics

Gehne and Maggie found common ground in the historic creeds, liturgy, church practices, and traditions such as Advent wreaths.

Gehne describes several key differences:

• Authority: He argues that Scripture is the final authority, while Catholicism gives the Church a distinct teaching authority alongside Scripture. He points to disagreements among church leaders as a reason he believes church authority must remain subject to the Bible.
• Justification and grace: Gehne describes the Lutheran position as salvation entirely God’s gift, received through faith, rather than something completed in part by human cooperation or merit. He regards even a very small human contribution to salvation as a significant theological difference.
• The biblical canon: A question from Maggie’s father about the books excluded from Protestant Bibles prompted Gehne to study the issue. He argues that the canon was debated across Christian history and that Martin Luther did not simply invent a shorter canon for personal convenience.

Lutherans and Baptists or Evangelicals

Gehne appreciates the emphasis Baptists and evangelicals place on community, outreach, and inviting people into church life. He also sees shared commitments in the Reformation’s “five solas.”

He describes several key differences:

• Lutherans understand Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as means of grace, not merely symbols or public expressions of faith.
• Gehne values the Lutheran effort to read Scripture alongside the witness of early Christianity, rather than treating church history as irrelevant.
• He questions slogans such as “relationship, not religion” when they imply that individuals can interpret Scripture entirely on their own, while in practice still relying on a church to explain difficult passages.

Online Theology and the Need for Charitable Discussion

Gehne began creating social-media content after finding that theological questions deepened his own understanding and gave him a way to share what he was learning.

He says online discussions often contain misunderstandings, aggressive comments, and inaccurate portrayals of other traditions. To make dialogue productive, he tries to describe an opposing position accurately—even when he disagrees with it—before explaining his own view.

He criticizes portrayals of Christian history that suggest all Christians were united until Luther, noting that divisions and reform movements existed well before the Reformation. He also objects to accounts that present Luther as having removed biblical books simply because he lost an argument.

He likewise challenges some evangelical arguments, especially when people are told to interpret the Bible independently but then are directed to a church’s interpretation when their reading conflicts with that church’s teaching.

Gehne wants his content to be clear and accessible without sacrificing accuracy. His aim is to connect people with an actual church community, not simply build an online following.

Why Historic Christianity Appeals to Young People

Gehne sees signs of renewed interest in historic Christian traditions, particularly among young adults and young men. He suggests several reasons:

• In an increasingly digital and isolated culture, people are drawn to tangible community and shared moral commitments.
• Online testimonies and confident religious voices can make historic traditions appealing to people searching for direction.
• The visible history, architecture, and long-standing identity associated with Catholicism and Orthodoxy can be especially compelling.

He argues that Lutheranism offers many of the things seekers may be looking for: sacramental theology, reverent liturgy, strong ties to church history, and a deep engagement with Scripture.

In his view, Lutheranism’s main problem is often not a lack of theological depth but limited visibility and accessibility online. People leaving non-denominational churches may assume they must leave Protestantism altogether to find a more historical or sacramental faith.

Sacraments, Mystery, and Assurance

Gehne says conversations about Baptism are a frequent entry point for people curious about Lutheranism. He contrasts the Lutheran understanding of Baptism as God’s action and a means of grace with the view that it is primarily a symbolic act performed after a person believes.

He acknowledges that sacramental theology and other spiritual questions can be difficult to explain. He prefers to accept the full range of biblical statements, even when they cannot be neatly reconciled, rather than force them into an overly simple system.

As an example, he describes the Lutheran position on election as holding together three claims: salvation is God’s gift, God desires all people to be saved, and hell is real. He says Christians should be willing to acknowledge mystery rather than claim to understand everything about God.

The host adds that the Lutheran view of Baptism can offer assurance by emphasizing what God gives, rather than making the sacrament mainly a person’s own declaration.

Gehne’s Work and Future Plans

Gehne focuses his social-media work on Instagram so he can maintain conversations with people who contact him. He measures success more by meaningful exchanges than by follower counts or views.

When questions exceed his expertise, he consults a group of Lutheran pastor relatives and directs people toward knowledgeable local pastors.

He is involved with Hodos, an LCMS initiative for people ages 18–29. He hopes it will support young adults through college, early careers, and moves—years when some may lose their connection to church. He also hopes Hodos can bring together people with different styles and perspectives within the LCMS while maintaining their shared theological commitments.

Gehne and Maggie are members of a Lutheran church and plan to have their daughter baptized there. He emphasizes that Maggie came to appreciate Lutheranism herself, rather than being pressured into it.

Sponsor Message

The episode includes a promotional segment for Child Beyond International, describing its work with children affected by violence, neglect, abandonment, or unsafe circumstances. The organization says it provides rescue, care, recovery support, and help toward reunification or adoption, followed by continued assistance for children and families.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Zach Zehnder — Host and interviewer.
• Matthew Gehne — Guest; his surname is rendered as “Gay” in the auto-generated subtitles.
• Child Beyond International — Sponsor featured in a recorded promotional segment.
• Father Mike Schmitz — Mentioned by Gehne as a Catholic commentator whose discussion of the biblical canon he had heard.
• Johann Eck — Historical figure discussed in Gehne’s account of debates about the biblical canon.