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The Norwegian Short-Term Parochial School (Religionsskole) in North Dakota Lutheran Congregations, 1880S-1930S

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The Norwegian Short-Term Parochial School (Religionsskole) in North Dakota Lutheran Congregations, 1880S-1930S University of North Dakota UND Scholarly Commons Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects 5-1991 The Norwegian Short-Term Parochial School (Religionsskole) in North Dakota Lutheran Congregations, 1880s-1930s Erik Luther Williamson Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.und.edu/theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Williamson, Erik Luther, "The Norwegian Short-Term Parochial School (Religionsskole) in North Dakota Lutheran Congregations, 1880s-1930s" (1991). Theses and Dissertations. 3451. https://commons.und.edu/theses/3451 This Independent Study is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects at UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UND Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE NORWEGIAN SHORT-TERM PAROCHIAL SCHOOL (RELIGIONSSKOLE) IN NORTH DAKOTA LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONS, 1880s-1930s by Erik Luther Williamson Master of Arts, University of North Dakota, 1987 A Research Paper Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of North Dakota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Arts Grand Forks, North Dakota May 1991 This Research Paper, submitted by Erik Luther Williamson, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Arts from the University of North Dakota, has been read by the Faculty Advisory Committee under whom the work has been done and is hereby approved. This research paper meets the standards for appearance and conforms to the style and format requirements of the Graduate School of the University of North Dakota, and is hereby approved. Dean of ii Permission Title The Norwegian Short-'I'erm Parochial School (Religionsskole) in North Dakota Lutheran Congregations, 1880s-19}0s Department History Degree~---~----~-~----·---------~~---- Doctor of Arts In presenting this research paper in partial fulfill­ ment of the requirements for a graduate degree from the University of North Dakota, I agree that the library of this University shall make it freely available for inspec­ tion .. I further agree that permission for extensive copy­ ing for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor who supervis,ed my research paper work or, in his absence, by the Chairperson of the department or the Dean of the Graduate School. It is understood that any copying or publication or other use of this research paper or part thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of North Dakota in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my research paper. s Date iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. • .. • .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • .. .. • .. • • • .. .. .. .. .. .. .... V ACKNOWLE.DGMENT S .............. o .............................. ~ .. vi VITA {II, 1111 9 9 9J • 1ft e • 1111 • • Ill e 9 0, 'O •• 9 • ID 9 1ft Q "" 19 • 111 ·D \illl @i e • '<t 1$ ,._ "IJ tll 9 "It <e 'iio (II, e vii ABSTRACT ...................................................... · ................ .. viii INTRODUCTION ................................................ " ......... .. 1 CHAPTER I. THE PRECEDENTS IN NORWAY AND OTHER ST AT ES • • • • • • • "' 'lit rtt "' • • .-. • • a- 1111 • • • • i.-. ill • 111 • • • 11 • e 3 CHAPTER IL 'I1WO CONTROVERSIES: PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ELECTION; THE LUTHERAN SYNODS OF NORWEGIAN-AMERICANS ..... $ ..... ~ ....... ~.. .. • • 9 CHAPTER ITI .. DEFINING AND ESTABLISHING THE NORSK REL rG IONS SKOLE ... 8 • • • .. • • .. • • ,. .. " .. :--:-:-:-:-- • • 15 CHAPTER IV .. STUDYING IN THE NORSK RELIGIONSSKOLE; THE TEA CHE RS .................. " ......... $ ....... 8 ... 2 8 CHAPTER V.. SUPPORT AND NEGLECT FRQM THE NATIONAL LEVEL; THE. TRANSFORM.ATION OF THE RELIGI'ONSSKOLE .......................... ., • .. • .. 42 CON CL US'ION., ................................................. ~ Q .. ,. ~ .. .. • 5 4 NOTES • . • . .. .. ,. .. Kl • l!'l • • 5 6 APPENDICES........................................ ~ .. .. .. .. .. .. • .. .. .. .. .. 6 3 APPENDIX A.. CONGREGATIONS STUDIED.. .. .. .. .. • .. • .. • .. .. 6 4 APPENDIX K. COMMENTS ON PRIMARY SOURCES •• ~ • 8 • 7 3 BI'BLIOGRAPHY ........................................ m .. • .. .. • • • • • .. 7 6 LIS'I1 OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure L North Dakota Congregations researched for Re 1 i g icm s s ko le r.. ,. .. $ .. • .. • .. • • • • .. .. .. • .. • • • .. .. • 14 V ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank Dr. William Go Gard for his interest in this paper and for his incisive editing, and Dr .. James F .. Vivian fo.r his moral support during the research and h.is editing of the paper. I thank Sandy Beidler of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections for the patience and h.elp she gave me. in th_e las.t four years of research.. I thank both Paul A .. Daniels of the Evangelical Lutheran Church_ in America Archives and Lloyd Hustvedt of the Norwegian-American Historical Association Archives for their help and arrangements during my hurried visits to their archives. I thank all the good people who either attended or taught Norsk Religionsskole or English Parochial School, and who re fleeted upon their school days with me. Above all, I thank Dr. Playford V. Thorson, my professor, my advisor, my mentor, and my friend for twenty-eight years, for his labors and time spent beyond the call of duty to ensure the completion of this re.search pape.r .. vi VITA Erik Luther Williamson was born in Grafton, North Dakota, on May 24, 1945. He graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1967 with a Bachelor of Philosophy in history. He studied briefly at Eastern Washington State College (University)_ and at the University of Washington {_Seattle)_. In 1976, Mr .. Williamson graduated from Luther (Luthern NorthwesternI Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity.. A year later he received a Master of Theology from the same institution. In 1983 he rece~ved a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the. University of North Dakota. In 1987 he. received a Master of Arts in history from the same institution,. Mr. · Williamson has. had some poetry printed, and had articles based on his two theses published. He has been associated witfr the Boy Scouts of America for thirty­ eight years. He is a Life Member of Alphi Phi Omega, a service fraternity, and a member and a past chapter presi­ dent of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society. He is a Life Member of the Norwegian-American Historical Association and a member of the Society for the Advance­ ment of Scandinavian Studies. He also is a member of the American Institute of Parliamentarians. vii ABSTRACT Within the Norwegian-American community of the United States and North Dakota there is a memory of "Norwegian Schoolsn held mainly in summers$ These schools taught the essence of Lutheranism with hymn singing, and Norwegian grammar and literature. These schools se.emed pervasive in North Dakota, but there. is little material on them.. General church histories neglected them; Sunday School seemed dominant .. People who had attended or taught the Norwegian Schools in the early twentieth century were becoming fewer .. It was appropriate to research the schools before. recollection faded and significance waned,. Research began with anniversary pamphlets of Lutheran churches which affirmed that congregations had sponsored the schools be£ore the year 1900 and for a few decades afterwards. Research led to two archives in Minnesota where papers of churchwomen and personal docu­ ments atte.sted to the vitality of the schools in the Norwegian Midwest. Tn North Dakota individuals were in..­ terviewed.. The greatest effort was reading the micro­ filmed minutes of congregational meetings of North Dakota in the original Norwegianu Eventually a hundred and seventy-one congregations were examined .. viii Research concluded that most Norwegian Lutheran congregations sponsored Norwegian Religion Schools to educate their youth in the. basics of their faith, to pre­ pare them for confirmation, and to retain a command of the Norwegian language and other old country traditions ft With firm discipline paid teachers taught children for usually six weeks. The celebrations at end of school terms were holidays-. Most students were happy with the education they received. By the. end of the 1930s, English pre­ vailed in speech_ and Sunday School dominated religious education.. The old religion schools were reconstructed into Vacation Bible Schools .. The legacy of the old schools was a commitment of many North Dakota congregations to further Christian education by other means. INTRODUCTION From the. 1880s through the 19 30s North Dakota had a private religious educational system that is nearly for­ gotten today.. This system served the Norwegian immigrant Lutheran congregations in the Red River Valley, in the northern tier of counties and the lands about Devils Lake. Wherever Norwegian immigrants or second-generation Norwegian-Americans settled, this system, the Norsk Religionsskole,--the Norwegian Religion School--became en­ trenched. It only began to retrench when the third genera­ tion spoke English and chose the, American Sunday School as the chief religious educational system. The Norsk Religionsskole, which could run for eight weeks in the summer from nine to four we.ekdays, survives today as the Vacation Bible School that runs for ten half-days.. The demands placed
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