Durham E-Theses The doctrine of the church in Norway in the nineteenth century Kaasa, Harris, E. How to cite: Kaasa, Harris, E. (1960) The doctrine of the church in Norway in the nineteenth century, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8395/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH IN NORWAY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY t>7 Karris E. Eaasa Subiritted to the University of Durham in partial fulfilment of the require• ments for the degree of Doctor of PhilosODhy. June, I96O. :< ABSTRACT OF THESIS THE r^OCTRIKE OF THE CHURCH IN NORWAY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY The object of the thesis is to trace the doctrine of the Church in Norway during the 19th century, a period of unique importance both In the thought and Church-life of the country. An attempt will be made to show that the problems Involved in the doctrine had a profound effect upon the whole current of Norwegian Church-life, On the basis of a theocentric approach and a dynamic, personal conception of Revelation, ilartin Luther adopted a dialectical view of Christian doctrine as a whole and the doctrine of the Church in particular, and a functional concept of the Ministry. Through the re-introduction of an intellectualist conception of Revelation, however, these insights were lost in the later history of Lutheranism. The unity of the doctrine of the Church was broken, and a dualism of "Objectivism" and "Subjectivism" arose. Informed by an Idealist metaphysic but virtually de• pendent upon an Empiricist eplstemology, 19th century Norv;egian theology vrao unable to overcome this dualism and to re-establish the dialectical view. It displayed a wide range of ecclesiologlcal positions, from Catholic Sacerdotal• ism (Krogh-Tonning) and Hegelian Erastianism (Monrad) on the one hand, to Low-Church Orthodox-Pietism (Gisle Johnson) and Assoclational Independency (Sverdrup) on the other. The crisis in the doctrine of the Church was clearly reflected in the practical Church-life of the period, which was characterized by a gradual but definite trend in the Low-Church direction. The Grundtvlglan party, seeking an objective authority, found it in the Church and its historic Creed. But the traditionalism and Sacramentallsm of this party were sharply opposed and finally overcome by the Orthodox-Pietists. The Introduction of Revivalism, with Its associatlonal Idea of the Church and charismatic concept of the Ministry, gave rise to the Inner Mission and Foreign Mission move• ments, and created tremendous tensions v/lthln the Church. After a protracted struggle, the "free organizations" and lay-preaching gained legal and ecclesiastical recognition. The Erastianlsm of the Church of Norway led to a re• action In the form of a vast movement for political reform. But failure to agree on a sound Lutheran doctrine of the Church within the movement and political pressure from without prevented the realization of its objectives. The question of Church discipline within the national Church provided the occasion for several small separatist movements, which, although relatively Insignificant, Illus• trate the eccleslologlcal tensions. Thus, the unity of the Church In Norway was shattered during the 19th century. What was needed was a return to the dynamic conception of Revelation and dialectical view of Luther and the Confessions. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . I. The Doctrine of the Church in the History of Lutheranism from Luther to the Nineteenth Century...1 Luther, 1 — The Lutheran Confessions, 21 — The Age of Orthodoxy, 36 -- Pietism, 46 -- The Enlight• enment, 58. II. Norway in the Nineteenth Century 68 Political .and Llerary History, 68 -- Philosophy, 75 -- Church Life, 9I. PART ONE: THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH IN NORWEGIAN THEOLOGY DURING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 96 I. S. B. Hersleb and S. J. Stenersen 100 II. C. N. Keyser and J. M. P. Kaurln 109 III. Gisle Johnson Ill IV. Andreas Grlmelund 142 V. M. J. Monrad 151 VI. Fredrik Petersen 164 VII. E. F. B. Horn 176 VIII. J. J. Jansen 193 IX. Gustav Jensen 202 X. Knud Krogh-Tonnlng 211 PART TWO: THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH IN NORWEGIAN CHURCH-LIFE DURING THE NINETEENTH CENT^-RY 234 I. Grundtvlglanism N.F.S. Grundtvlg, 234 -- The Rise of Norwegian Grundtviglanlsm; W. A. Wexels, 252 -- The Catechism Controversy and the Alienation of the Laity; Olaus Nielsen, 270 -- Grundtvigianism In Ascendancy: F.A. Wexelsen and J.V/.C. Dietrichson, 289 -- The Campaign against Grundtviglanism: Gisle Johnson and CP. Casparl, 300 -- The Collapse of the Grundtvlgian Party, 308 The Grundt- vlgian Doctrine of the Church: Loss and Gain, 310. II. The Inner Mission Movement The Haugean Revival, 316 -- The Repeal of the Conventicle Act, 323 -- The Johnsonian Revival and the Foundation of Inner Mission, 33I -- The Change of Direction in the Inner Mission Kove- ment and the Foundation of Lutherstlftelsen, 3^5 -- The Development of a National Inner Msslon, 359 — The Final Conflict over Lay-preaching: J.C. Heuch and Jakob Sverdrup, 36? -- The Close of the Controversy on Lay-preaching, 397. III. The Foreign Mission Movement The Origins of the Foreign Mission Movement, 405 -- The Foundation of the K.i:.S. and H. P. S. Schreuder, 4o8 -- The Conflict Between Schreuder and the Board of N.M.S., 416 -- The mdagascar Question and Lars Dahle, 425 -- Other Missionary Enterprises Founded During the 19th Century, 432 The Formation of the China Missionary Associa• tion, and Ludvig Hope, 435. IV. The Reform Movement Introduction, 448 -- The Constitution of 1814 and The First Attempts at Reform, 453 — The Movement for Reform, 1840-1850, 457 -- The Reform Movement, 1850-59: Glsle Johnson: The Grundtvlgians, 468 -- The Royal Commission of 1859, 479 — Dissension Within the Reform Movement: Jakob Sverdrup and the Bergen Party, 488 -- The High Church Party and Reform, 496 -- The Appeal of 1883 and the Synods of 1885 and 1887, 503 -- Conclusion, 509. V. Separatism Introduction, 514 — The Passage of the Dissenter Act, 520 -- G.A. Lammers and the Separatist Congregation at Skien, 525 -- Nils Poulsen and the Separatist Congrega• tion at Eker, 546 -- The Rise of Other Dissenting Bodies in Norway, 554 — The Establishment of the Lutheran Free Church, 556 — The Later History of Separatism; The Movement for Free Communion, 570 -- Conclusion, 575- CONCLUSIONS 578 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS KF Kirkelig Folkeblad (1857-70, .1887) KT Kirkelig Tidende (1848-57) LK Luthersk Firketidende (1863-- ) LU Luthersk Ugeskrift (1877-93) MTIM Maanedstidende for den Indre Mission (1868-76) NBL Norsk Biografisk Lexicon NK Norsk Kirketidende (1856-62) NLK Ny Luthersk Kirketidende (1877-81) NMS Det Norske Misjonsselskapet NTT Norsk Teologlsk'Tidsskrift (1900— ) NTU Nordisk Teologisk Uppslagsbok TT Theologisk Tidsskrift for den Norske Kirke (1846-55) TTK Tidsskrift for Teologi og Kirke (1930-- ) TTLEN Theologisk Tidsskrift for den Evanpelisk- Lutherske Kirke 1 Norge (I858-9I) NOTE ON TERIvIINOLOGY In a thesis where the source material is In a foreign language, problems of terminology inevitably arise. I have at all times sought to render the Norwegian terms by the correct English equivalents. I have used the translations "doctrine of the Church" and "Churchmanship" for the Norwegian terms KIRKEBEGREP and KIRKESYN. Where there is no English equivalent, as in the case of the adjectives KIRI{ELIG and UKIRKELIG, I have had to coin the terms "Churchly" and "unchurchly". The Church of Norway was normally described in the 19th century as the State Church (STATSKIRKEN). This correctly defines its status under the Constitution. The term "Folk- Church" (popular in Grundtvigian circles) was rarely used during the period. It originated in Denmark, where it was introduced into the Constitution of 1849 by the Prime Minister, D. J. Monrad. As defined by Professor Hal Koch, the Folk- Church Is simply the Church of the majority, without any essential connection with the State.It represents the recognition of a factual situation, not a national need. On this definition, it Is clear that the Church of Norway was a State Church and not a Folk-Church during the period. It is even open to question whether it could be properly designated a Folk-Church today, in view of its status under the Constitution. 1 "Den Danske Folkekirken", in Nordisk Teologi: Festskrift till Ragnar Bring, Lund, 1955. A particularly confusing problem is presented by the two words KIRKE and raiGHET (Congregation). In Norv/egian usage, the word KIRICE may possess all the ambiguity associa• ted with the English "Church". Generally, however, it is used of the larger entitites (the national or the universal Church). The word MENIGHET is used in the translation of the Bible to render the Greek £ KKX«^<rvc. There is, however, the possibility of a similar ambiguity as with the term KIRKE. It is frequently used to denote the "Invisible" Church, as well as the local congregation. In some quarters, it has assumed a more "spiritual" connotation than the word KIRKE.