A story that you may have to be British, an Anglophile, or Canadian (or possibly Australian) to fully appreciate. There is a small but sturdy Lutheran church in Great Britain, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE), with which the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is in fellowship. Its theological institute is the Westfield House at Cambridge University. (I know a number of Americans who have studied there.) Well, Westfield House has been granted its own Coat of Arms by the Crown. Here it is, with an explanation after the jump:
From Mathew Block, Lutheran institute in England granted Coat of Arms | International Lutheran Council:
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE)’s theological institute, Westfield House, was granted its own Arms, Crest, and Badge in a special ceremony in Cambridge, April 22. In the United Kingdom, the right to grant heraldry is possessed by the monarchy, which in England exercises this right through the College of Arms. . . .
The crest features a rearing white horse, in reference to the White Horse Inn, a former Cambridge pub where the works of Martin Luther were read and discussed. The arms features a cross as its central motif; a book which alludes to Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and education in general; and a Luther rose. The motto is Fidelis et verax—Latin for “faithful and true.” Additional information on the meaning of the crest, arms, moto, and badge are available at the website of The Friends of Westfield House.
That would make a great Lutheran tattoo!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In