Lutheranism has more in common with Catholicism than any other Protestant sect.
Confessional Lutherans believe that Mary is the Theotokos and that she was Ever-Virgin.
They believe in the sacraments and have a concept of the real presence, and also believe in the power of the keys for Holy Confession.
And the Lutheran Confessions even say that prayers for the dead are permissible.
http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2009/11/prayer-for-dead-lutheran-pastor-lcms.html
Interesting. How many Lutherans would agree?
I’m not sure what you mean by Theotokos. You’ll have to explain that one to me.
The prayers for the dead didn’t sound right to me so I looked up the context at http://bookofconcord.org/defense_23_mass.php . The prayers that were referenced there were prayers of THANKSGIVING for the lives and blessings bestowed on those already dead, and yes, we do that on All Saints Sunday if not other times. That’s not to be confused with praying for the SALVATION of the dead, which we believe is already determined when a person dies.
Here’s the full paragraph from the Book of Concord (Apology to the Augsburg Confession) cited in the link you gave:
“93] Neither does the Greek canon apply the offering as a satisfaction for the dead, because it applies it equally for all the blessed patriarchs, prophets, apostles. It appears therefore that the Greeks make an offering as thanksgiving, and do not apply it as satisfaction for punishments. [For, of course, it is not their intention to deliver the prophets and apostles from purgatory, but only to offer up thanks along and together with them for the exalted eternal blessings that have been given to them and us.] Although they speak, moreover, not of the offering alone of the body and blood of the Lord, but of the other parts of the Mass, namely, prayers and thanksgiving. For after the consecration they pray that it may profit those who partake of it; they do not speak of others. Then they add: [”Yet we offer to you this reasonable service for those having departed in faith, forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles,” etc.] Reasonable service, however, does not signify the offering itself, but prayers and all things which are there transacted. 94] Now, as regards the adversaries’ citing the Fathers concerning the offering for the dead, we know that the ancients speak of prayer for the dead, which we do not prohibit; but we disapprove of the application ex opere operato of the Lord’s Supper on behalf of the dead. Neither do the ancients favor the adversaries concerning the opus operatum. And even though they have the testimonies especially of Gregory or the moderns, 95] we oppose to them the most clear and certain Scriptures. And there is a great diversity among the Fathers. They were men, and could err and be deceived. Although if they would now become alive again, and would see their sayings assigned as pretexts for the notorious falsehoods which the adversaries teach concerning the opus operatum, they would interpret themselves far differently.”