DOCSLIB.ORG

Fifty Years in America

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Fifty Years in America Library of Congress Fifty years in America V Fifty Years in America N. ila N. ilan RØNNING THE FRIEND PUBLISHING COMPANY MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA Copy 2 VI F615 .N8R6 Copy 2 Copyrighted by THE FRIEND PUBLISHING COMPANY 454 Sexton Bldg., Minneapolis, Minnesota November, 1938 PRINTED BY THE HART PUBLICATIONS, INC. MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA ©ClA, 141456 CR FEB 12 1940 40-8330 VII With Happy Memories of My Wife, Inga Rønning, Who always said when at times I expressed regret for having entered the field of independent Christian literature, “This is your mission.” IX CONTENTS The Brook That Sought the Sea 13 What Excuse for This Book? 15 An Amazing Half Century 18 Fifty years in America http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.08330 Library of Congress Cultural and Religious Background 20 First Impressions of America 27 At Red Wing Seminary; Teachers 36 At the University of Minnesota; Teachers 50 A Peculiar People 62 A Summer in Telemark 68 As a Writer and Editor 70 In the Publishing Business 80 Was It a Waste of Time? 86 Re-thinking What I Was Taught 92 Norwegian-American Luth. Church Life 101 Attitude Toward Other Denominations 108 People Worth Knowing 112 In the Field of Politics 226 Whence This Marvelous Universe? 235 Tribute to Mother 238 Poems 240 X Fifty years in America http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.08330 Library of Congress Bersvend Anderson 157 Rasmus B. Anderson 209 William J. Bryan 228 C. J. Eastvold 183 Elling Eielsen 113 Martin G. Hanson 174 Østen Hanson 119 B. B. Haugan 195 Otto M. Haugan 218 Anne Marie Holter 193 K. C. Holter 190 Gjermund Hoyme 162 E. Kr. Johnsen 178 John A. Johnson 232 Johan Nathan Kildahl 131 Laur. Larsen 151 P. O. Larson 221 Fifty years in America http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.08330 Library of Congress B. J. Muus 126 Knute Nelson 227 Sven Oftedal 139 Wilhelm Pettersen 199 O. E. Rølvaag 203 Peer Strømme 211 Hans Gerhard Stub 168 George Sverdrup 185 Georg Sverdrup 145 Hans A. Urseth 212 Woodrow Wilson 230 XI Fifty Years in America 13 The Brook That Sought The Sea The brook began like a silver thread way up in the solitude of the mountains. Where it came from and where it was going, it knew not. It heard the call of the distant sea and started off on the long, long journey, alone and unafraid. Fifty years in America http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.08330 Library of Congress It slipped down a grassy slope with a light heart and a merry song, a mere whisper, which only the swaying blue bells could hear. At the bottom of the grassy slope the brook heard the murmur of another brook. They soon met and merged and went laughing and leaping down a shady glen. Waving ferns and graceful reeds grew in the wet soil and birds and beasts of the forest drank of the sparkling water. After heavy rains on the mountains the brook swelled into a turbulent current, but during the dry season it grew smaller and smaller. It began to fear that it was never to reach the distant sea. Proceeding on its way the brook was joined by many other brooks. Together they went swirling down the white cascades till they finally became a roaring river. Entering the valley the river grew wider and flowed slowly between fertile farms. On summer days when the sky was cloudless, high and clean, it mirrored a lovely landscape. It would have liked to linger there, but the call of the sea urged it onward, ever onward. As a child I was strangely drawn by some subtle power of the river as it flowed past my home. I would often slip away from my playmates to listen to the gentle swish-swash of the wavelets along the sandy shore and to look at the swaying reeds in the ever restless current. In the early spring when the river was at flood tide, I 14 would stand spell-bound and watch the men, lithe of limbs, with daring and skill leap from log to log, breaking up jams and steering the logs down stream. In the summer time I felt “the cool silver shock of the plunge in the pool's living water,” and in the winter time we fairly flew on our skates across the smooth ice, the steel flashing in the sun. Fifty years in America http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.08330 Library of Congress How far the river flowed before it reached the sea, I did not know, but the time came when I knew that the water of the brook finally washed the shores of distant lands. The long, long journey had come to an end. Nothing comes to an end. The water of the sea rises as mist and forms clouds, which drift inland, and thus the water of the brook returns to the mountains. Again it hears the call of the distant sea and starts off in search of it, alone and unafraid. The eternal mystery of life and death and life again. The story of the brook is your story and mine. Whence we come, whither we go, we know not. Early in life we hear the call to go forth into the world of time and space, the world of mind and spirit. We touch other lives. Experience is added to experience, thought to thought. There is the ripple of laughter, the rain of tears, the hope of becoming, the fear of failure. But ever and anon, as the water of the brook returns to the mountains to be renewed, so the spirit of man returns to the memories of the past to be renewed. The eternal mystery of life and death and life again. 15 What Excuse For This Book? I'll tell you, but let me first introduce myself. I am afraid to let others do it; if they know me well, they may say too much; if not, too little. This introduction business is seldom a satisfactory affair. Once when I was introduced as the main speaker, it was not much of an occasion, I was wondering what a remarkable man the chairman was talking about. When it dawned on me that I was the man, I realized with a pang what I might have been; now it was too late. Fifty years in America http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.08330 Library of Congress Sometimes the chairman says, “The speaker needs no introduction.” I take that to mean that he has nothing good to say about me and is too generous to say anything else. The most striking introduction I ever got was this: “The speaker's name begins with N. N., but it ends with N. G.” I think I lived up to my reputation. So here I am going to introduce myself. My name has already made its appearance in the book and the title of the book suggests that I have been in America fifty years. I came from Norway at the age of seventeen. All my ancestors, as far as there is a record, were bønder, people who owned and worked their farms. None of my ancestors are mentioned in the histories of Norway. I read in an old newspaper that my father was asked by the king of Norway and Sweden to kick a hat held high aloft on a pole. My father did kick the hat. The king laughed and slapped himself on the knee. I must have inherited my father's vaulting proclivity for when on my way to America the first time, I kicked hanging lamp in a hotel, but there was no king present to applaud or to pay the fine. When I come to think of it I am not altogether Norwegian. 16 One day when I met the Danish publisher, Christian Rasmussen, on a street in Minneapolis, he stopped, took off his broad-rimmed hat which an elegant gesture, made a graceful bow and asked me why I looked so sad. I told him that I had just discovered that there was Danish blood in my veins. “Congratulations, I always thought so,” he cried. Now I am proud of my Danish blood. I came to America because my brother wrote me that here I could go to school as long as I wanted to. After confirmation I attended a continuation school two years. That would have been the end of my formal education. In this country I attended public school in Faribault, Minnesota, two years, Red Wing Seminary three years, and the University of Minnesota nearly five years. When people hear me talk or they read what I write they never guess that I have much of an education. How could they? Fifty years in America http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.08330 Library of Congress When I graduated from the last school I attended, I did not dare to accept positions offered me, so I Kept on going to school almost a year more. I drifted into the work of wielding a pen and hitting the keys on a typewriter. Anybody can write, don't you know. Somewhere in this book I may incidentally refer to my work as writer, editor and publisher. It may be more of a warning than an encouragement to young writers. I have served on a number of boards, committees and commissions, but the main contribution has been that without me there would sometimes have been no quorum. Then, too, I moved that we adjourn. When seconded, such a motion can't be debated.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Kunnskapsdepartementets Historie
    1814–2014 Kunnskapsdepartementets historie KIM GUNNAR HELSVIG 1811 Det Kgl. Frederiks Universitet etableres i Christiania 1814 1. departement opprettes. 1818 1. departement skifter navn til Kirke- og undervisningsdepartementet. 1821 Stortinget etablerer Oplysningsvæsenets Fond. 1826 Første lærerseminar opprettes. 1827 Lov om allmueskolen på landet. 1845 Skoleavdelingen i Kirke- og undervisningsdepartementet får konsulentstilling. 1848 Lov om allmueskolen i byene. 1851 Hartvig Nissen etablerer Selskabet til Folkeoplysningens Fremme. 1860 Lov om allmueskolen på landet. 1865 Hartvig Nissen utnevnes til den første ekspedisjonssjefen i Kirke- og undervisnings- departementets skoleavdeling. 1869 Lov om offentlige skoler for den høyere almenndannelse innfører inndelingen i 6-årig middelskole og 3-årig gymnas. 1882 Kvinner får rett til å ta examen artium. 1884 Kvinner får adgang til universitetet og dermed rett til å ta embetseksamen. 1889 Folkeskolelovene åpnet muligheten for høyere utdannelse for alle, både i byene og på landet. 1890 Kvinner får adgang til offentlige lærerskoler. Den første normalplanen for folkeskolen. 1896 Gymnaslovene etablerte en allmenn høyere skole med to hovedlinjer, real- og engelsklinjen. 1897 Norges landbrukshøgskole opprettes. 1905 Universitetet får sin egen rektor ved Lov om Det Kgl. Frederiks Universitet. 1910 Norges tekniske høgskole opprettes. 1911 Departementet nedsetter den såkalte enhetsskolekomiteen. 1912 Kristine Bonnevie blir Norges første kvinnelige professor. 1814–1914 1922 Norges lærerhøgskole opprettes. Normalplan for landsfolkeskolen. 1925 Normalplan for byfolkeskolen. 1931 Lærerorganisasjonenes skolenemnd nedsettes. 1936 Lov om folkeskolen på landet og Lov om 1940 april Rektor ved Universitetet i Oslo Didrik Arup Seip blir sjef for Kirke- folkeskolen i kjøpstedene. og undervisningsdepartementet under Administrasjonsrådet. 1940 september Professor ved Norges tekniske høgskole Ragnar Skancke blir Kirke- og undervisningsminister i Reichskommisar Terbovens nye regjering.
    [Show full text]
  • Robertson Davies Fifth Business Fifth Business Definition: Those Roles Which, Being Neither Those of Hero Nor Heroine, Confidant
    Robertson Davies Fifth Business Fifth Business Definition: Those roles which, being neither those of Hero nor Heroine, Confidante nor Villain, but which were nonetheless essential to bring about the Recognition or the denouement, were called the Fifth Business in drama and opera companies organized according to the old style; the player who acted these parts was often referred to as Fifth Business. —Tho. Overskou, Den Daaske Skueplads I. Mrs. Dempster 1 My lifelong involvement with Mrs. Dempster began at 8 o’clock p.m. on the 27th of December, 1908, at which time I was ten years and seven months old. I am able to date the occasion with complete certainty because that afternoon I had been sledding with my lifelong friend and enemy Percy Boyd Staunton, and we had quarrelled, because his fine new Christmas sled would not go as fast as my old one. Snow was never heavy in our part of the world, but this Christmas it had been plentiful enough almost to cover the tallest spears of dried grass in the fields; in such snow his sled with its tall runners and foolish steering apparatus was clumsy and apt to stick, whereas my low-slung old affair would almost have slid on grass without snow. The afternoon had been humiliating for him, and when Percy as humiliated he was vindictive. His parents were rich, his clothes were fine, and his mittens were of skin and came from a store in the city, whereas mine were knitted by my mother; it was manifestly wrong, therefore, that his splendid sled should not go faster than mine, and when such injustice showed itself Percy became cranky.
    [Show full text]
  • Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses
    Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT THE ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT, AND HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH FROM THE 1840s TO 1887 by Bjorgvin Martin Hjelvik Snorrason Adviser: Jerry Moon ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: THE ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT, AND HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH FROM THE 1840s TO 1887 Name of researcher: Bjorgvin Martin Hjelvik Snorrason Name and degree of faculty adviser: Jerry Moon, Ph.D. Date completed: July 2010 This dissertation reconstructs chronologically the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Norway from the Haugian Pietist revival in the early 1800s to the establishment of the first Seventh-day Adventist Conference in Norway in 1887. The present study has been based as far as possible on primary sources such as protocols, letters, legal documents, and articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers from the nineteenth century. A contextual-comparative approach was employed to evaluate the objectivity of a given source. Secondary sources have also been consulted for interpretation and as corroborating evidence, especially when no primary sources were available. The study concludes that the Pietist revival ignited by the Norwegian Lutheran lay preacher, Hans Nielsen Hauge (1771-1824), represented the culmination of the sixteenth- century Reformation in Norway, and the forerunner of the Adventist movement in that country.
    [Show full text]
  • The Origin, Development, and History of the Norwegian Seventh-Day Adventist Church from the 1840S to 1889" (2010)
    Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2010 The Origin, Development, and History of the Norwegian Seventh- day Adventist Church from the 1840s to 1889 Bjorgvin Martin Hjelvik Snorrason Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Snorrason, Bjorgvin Martin Hjelvik, "The Origin, Development, and History of the Norwegian Seventh-day Adventist Church from the 1840s to 1889" (2010). Dissertations. 144. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/144 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT THE ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT, AND HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH FROM THE 1840s TO 1887 by Bjorgvin Martin Hjelvik Snorrason Adviser: Jerry Moon ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: THE ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT, AND HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH FROM THE 1840s TO 1887 Name of researcher: Bjorgvin Martin Hjelvik Snorrason Name and degree of faculty adviser: Jerry Moon, Ph.D. Date completed: July 2010 This dissertation reconstructs chronologically the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Norway from the Haugian Pietist revival in the early 1800s to the establishment of the first Seventh-day Adventist Conference in Norway in 1887.
    [Show full text]
  • Download 2021-2022 Catalog
    1 8/2021 2 The Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) [15935 Forest Road, Forest, VA 24551; Telephone: 434.525.9539; e-mail: [email protected]] having been awarded Ac- credited Status as a Category III institution by the TRACS Accredi- tation Commission on October 30, 2018; this status is effective for a period of up to five years. TRACS is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDOE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). The Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary is also a member of the Association for Biblical Higher Education in Canada and the United States (ABHE) [5850 T G Lee Blvd, Suite 130, Orlando, FL 32822; Telephone: (407207-0808; email: [email protected]] 3 Welcome ___________________________________________ 6 Academic Calendar ___________________________________ 7 Communicating with FLBC ____________________________ 8 History of the Free Lutheran Bible College ________________ 9 Mission Statement/Institutional Objectives ________________ 9 FLBC Program Outcomes ___________________________ 9-10 Means of Support ___________________________________ 10 Philosophy of Education ___________________________ 10-11 Biblical Foundations Statement _____________________ 12-15 Campus and Student Life __________________________ 16-21 FLBC Office/Athletics/Bookstore/Chapel Attendance _____ 16 Christian Service _______________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Carl Olof Rosenius – Der Seelsorger Des Nordens
    Odd Eivind Stensland Carl Olof Rosenius – Der Seelsorger des Nordens 1. Einleitung Carl Olof Rosenius wird zu den größten Laienpredigern in Schweden gezählt. Er hat zwar nie ein Buch geschrieben, war aber dennoch einer der drei am meisten gelesenen Verfasser im Schweden des 19. Jahrhunderts – neben Selma Lagerlöf und August Strindberg. Bei Rosenius ist der Grund darin zu suchen, dass er für die Zeitschrift Der Pietist verantwortlich war, die sehr weit verbreitet war. Darin schrieb er erbauliche Artikel, die später in Buchform erschienen. Es sind ungefähr 90 verschiedene Titel von Rosenius auf Schwedisch erschie- nen. Seine Schriften wurden in über 30 Sprachen übersetzt, und seine Bücher erreichten in Schweden eine Auflage von über zwei Millionen, und in anderen Sprachen eine Million. Rosenius starb am 24. Februar 1868 im Alter von 52 Jahren. Aber im Laufe dieses kurzen Lebens prägte er ein ganzes Volk, nicht nur in Schweden, sondern auch im ganzen Norden und darüber hinaus und tut das immer noch. Es müsste viel mehr gesagt werden, als der Umfang dieses Artikels zulässt, aber ich möchte doch eine kleine Skizze von diesem Mann zeichnen, der so viel bedeutet hat – sowohl für mich als auch für viele andere Menschen. So lange es ein lebendiges Christentum gibt, wird sein Name geliebt und aktuell bleiben. 1 2. Wer war dieser Mann? Wer war dieser Mann, der so viele Menschen geprägt hat? – Carl Olof Rosenius wurde am 3. Februar 1816 in Nysätra, etwa 70 km nördlich von Umeå, als drittes von sieben Geschwistern geboren. Sein Vater hieß Anders Rosenius und war 1 Umfassend informiert über das Leben von Rosenius auf Deutsch: Sven Lodin: Carl Olof Rosenius.
    [Show full text]
  • Practical Information1
    University of Oslo The Faculty of Social Sciences Oslo Summer School in Comparative Social Science Studies 2015 Practical Information1 Contents: Monday morning registration (20th of July and 27th of July)…………………………....2 Oslo Summer School Information Office………….......……………………………………….2 Opening hours – the University Library (Georg Sverdrup Hus)……….……………………..2 Computer Access at the University of Oslo……………………………………………………….2 General transport information……………………………………………………………………….3 Campus guide……………………………………………………………………………………. ..6 Lunch arrangements and social events………………………………………………….…….....7 Accommodation………………………………………………………...…….…………....…………..8 Assignments and ECTS Credits………………………………………………………………………9 Useful Links………………………………………….……………………………………………………11 1 This is meant to be a general information document for all participants at Oslo Summer School. All information may not be relevant for all participants. For more specific questions, please e-mail us: Tron Harald Torneby: [email protected] Magnus Aase: [email protected] University of Oslo The Faculty of Social Sciences Monday Morning Registration (20th of July and 27th of July) Registration takes place in Georg Sverdrups Hus (The University Library) at Blindern University Campus between 9.15 and 10.15 Monday 20th of July and Monday 27th of July. Please show up in due time! Oslo Summer School Information Office This is the main source of information during Oslo Summer School. The office is located just next to where the lectures are held, in the Georg Sverdrups Hus (The University Library). The Information Office will be open every day during the two weeks of the summer school (except Saturday and Sunday) from 09.30 to 15.30. The Oslo Summer School staff will be present to provide you with information and assistance. Please stop by, at least once a day, for news and updates, events, activities, and other relevant information.
    [Show full text]
  • VOCATION， ACCESS， and Excellence
    Vocation, access, and excellence: ThE EduCATIonAL VISIon of AuGSburG CoLLEGE et in a vibrant neighborhood at the heart of the Twin Cities, Augsburg College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and Snine graduate degrees to more than 4,000 students of diverse backgrounds. The Augsburg experience is shaped by its global and urban settings and is supported by an engaged community committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. Guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. Looking forward to its sesquicentennial celebration in 2019, Augsburg College has articulated three strategic pathways to guide our collective work: creating a culture of innovation and excellence, equipping all of our students to succeed, and telling our story in word and deed. The strategic work of the College is grounded in Augsburg’s legacy of flexibility and innovation and our pledge to practice semper reformanda — to be always in the process of reforming, of pursuing excellence while alert to the facts on the ground, the forces of the market and the cross currents in culture. Augsburg’s future is grounded in its heritage; enriched by its community and urban place; and shaped by its commitment to vocation, access, and excellence. It is with these foundations and aspirations that we come together to live out, through our work, the Educational Vision of Augsburg College. Vocation, Access, and Excellence: The Educational Vision of Augsburg College I. Executive Summary II. Foundations of an Augsburg Education III. Educating at Augsburg IV.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Bergen Congregation Compiled for Golden Jubilee (51St Anniversary) July 12-13, 1936 by R
    History of Bergen Congregation Compiled for Golden Jubilee (51st Anniversary) July 12-13, 1936 by R. S. Sigdestad The Bergen congregation in Day County, South Dakota, was organized in the home of Nels Williamson Sr., by Lynn Lake, in the autumn of 1885, by Rev. K. 0. Storli of Wilmot, S. Dak., on one of his mission journeys. It consisted of the following 17 voting members: Iver E. Skaare, Rasmus K. Mork, Ole Simonson, Ole E. Bakken, John J. Grove, Sakarias J. Sigdestad, Kolben T. Mork, John S. Sigdestad, Jacob K. Mork, Erik Winson, Ole Aas, Ole Monson, Nels Williamson Sr., Ole Svang, Martin Davidson, Hans Anderson and Martin Anderson. In 1886, together with Webster, Grenville and Fron churches, a call was extended to candidate in theology, .C M. Nordtvedt to become their pastor. He served until the fall of 1889 when he moved to Wisconsin. Two acres of land was donated to the congregation by Anton Norby for a cemetery in 1887. It was consecrated by Rev. Nordtvedt in 1888, and the first one t& be buried there was Anfin Sand, March 13 of that year. The first infant to be baptized of families who later became Bergen Church was Serine Skaare (Mrs. Lars Mydland) in the home of John Tofley, Dec. 5,1984. And the first child of Bergen to be baptized was Selma Grove (Mrs. Rasmus Egge) in the Nels Williamson home in October, 1885. Both were baptized by Rev. Storli. The first confirmation was held by Rev. Nordtvedt June 10, 1887, when the following were confirmed: Kolben K.
    [Show full text]
  • The Doctrine of the Church and Its Ministry According to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the Usa
    THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH AND ITS MINISTRY ACCORDING TO THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD OF THE USA by KARL EDWIN KUENZEL Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY In the subject SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROFESSOR ERASMUS VAN NIEKERK November 2006 ii Summary Nothing has influenced and affected the Lutheran Church in the U.S.A. in the past century more than the doctrine of the Church and its Ministry. When the first Norwegian immigrants entered the U.S. in the middle of the 19th century, there were not enough Lutheran pastors to minister to the spiritual needs of the people. Some of these immigrants resorted to a practice that had been used in Norway, that of using lay-preachers. This created problems because of a lack of proper theological training. The result was the teaching of false doctrine. Some thought more highly of the lay-preachers than they did of the ordained clergy. Consequently clergy were often viewed with a discerning eye and even despised. This was one of the earliest struggles within the Norwegian Synod. Further controversies involved whether the local congregation is the only form in which the church exists. Another facet of the controversy involves whether or not the ministry includes only the pastoral office; whether or not only ordained clergy do the ministry; whether teachers in the Lutheran schools are involved in the ministry; and whether or not any Christian can participate in the public ministry. Is a missionary, who serves on behalf of the entire church body, a pastor? If only the local congregation can call a pastor, then a missionary cannot be a pastor because he serves the entire church body in establishing new congregations.
    [Show full text]
  • Defining Lutheranism from the Margins: Paul Peter Waldenström on Being a ‘Good Lutheran’ in America Mark Safstrom Augustana College, Rock Island Illinois
    Augustana College Augustana Digital Commons Scandinavian Studies: Faculty Scholarship & Scandinavian Studies Creative Works 2012 Defining Lutheranism from the Margins: Paul Peter Waldenström on Being a ‘Good Lutheran’ in America Mark Safstrom Augustana College, Rock Island Illinois Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/scanfaculty Part of the History of Christianity Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, and the Scandinavian Studies Commons Augustana Digital Commons Citation Safstrom, Mark. "Defining Lutheranism from the Margins: Paul Peter Waldenström on Being a ‘Good Lutheran’ in America" (2012). Scandinavian Studies: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works. https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/scanfaculty/3 This Published Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Scandinavian Studies at Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Scandinavian Studies: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works by an authorized administrator of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Defining Lutheranism from the Margins: Paul Peter Waldenström on Being a “Good Lutheran” in America MARK SAFSTROM he histories of church institutions may often be written by the orthodox “winners,” but dissenters, protestors, and even her Tetics undoubtedly play important roles in giving direction to the parent institution’s evolving identity. Such voices from the mar- gins often set the agenda at crucial moments, prompting both the dissenters and establishment to engage in a debate to define proper theology and practice. Once a dissenting group has formally sepa- rated from a parent body, there is a risk that teleological hindsight will obscure the nature of these conversations, including the reasons for the ultimate separation and the intentions of both the dissenters and the establishment.
    [Show full text]
  • Hans Nielsen Hauge: a Catalyst of Literacy in Norway
    NB! This is the final manuscript. In the published version there are changes in litterature and notes. HANS NIELSEN HAUGE: A CATALYST OF LITERACY IN NORWAY Linda Haukland, University of Nordland In this article, I examine the role Hans Nielsen Hauge (1771–1824) played in encouraging literacy in the Norwegian peasant society in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, an aspect of his ministry never before discussed. This poorly educated son of a peasant broke the unwritten rule of never publishing texts for a large readership without the necessary educational skills. Thus he opened up a new literate space where the common person could express him- or herself on paper. Hauge printed around 40 different texts, 14 of them books, in a language the peasants could understand. This inspired his followers not only to read, but also to write, mainly letters to Hauge and to Haugeans in other parts of Norway. Some even became authors. Women played a central role in this wave of literacy spreading throughout the country. Based on Hauge’s original texts, I present some crucial aspects of his mentality and show how his ministry served as a catalyst to the growth of literacy among peasants during the period. NB! This is the final manuscript. In the published version there are changes in litterature and notes. References Archival sources Kvamen, Ingolf, Haugianerbrev Bind 1: 1760 - 1804, Norsk Historisk Kjeldeskrift- Institutt, upublisert Universitetsbiblioteket i Trondheim (UBIT), A 0161 Per Øverland, F Haugianerne i Norge Published sources Aftenbladet December 02, 1859. In Fet, Jostein, ‘Berte Canutte Aarflot’. Store Norske leksikon.
    [Show full text]