Luther Seminary Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Theses Student Theses 5-20-2018 Hauge’s Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America and the Continuation of the Haugean Spirit in Twentieth-Century American Lutheranism Thomas E. Jacobson Luther Seminary Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/phd_theses Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Jacobson, Thomas E., "Hauge’s Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America and the Continuation of the Haugean Spirit in Twentieth-Century American Lutheranism" (2018). Doctor of Philosophy Theses. 24. https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/phd_theses/24 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses at Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Philosophy Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. HAUGE’S NORWEGIAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD IN AMERICA AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE HAUGEAN SPIRIT IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN LUTHERANISM by THOMAS E. JACOBSON A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Luther Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 2018 © 2018 by Thomas E. Jacobson All rights reserved LUTHER SEMINARY ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA PH.D. THESIS Title of Thesis: Hauge’s Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America and the Continuation of the Haugean Spirit in Twentieth-Century American Lutheranism Author: Thomas E. Jacobson Thesis committee: Thesis Adviser Date ABSTRACT Hauge’s Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America and the Continuation of the Haugean Spirit in Twentieth-Century American Lutheranism by Thomas E. Jacobson This thesis explores the history and enduring legacy of Haugeanism in American Lutheranism, a tradition that has been overlooked in the scholarship of recent decades. Originally, this lay-led Norwegian movement sought to enhance the spiritual life of Norwegian Lutherans within the established church and was fueled by the revival activity of Hans Nielsen Hauge in Norway. It became transplanted on American soil with the immigration of the nineteenth century. The interaction in America between the low- church Haugeans and their more formal counterparts rooted in the state church of Norway reveals that a sense of friction existed between the two emphases from early on. In time, the Haugean-based church body known as Hauge’s Synod participated in merger negotiations with the larger Norwegian-American Lutheran organizations that had greater emphasis on formality and ecclesiastical order, leading to the merger of 1917 that produced the NLCA. Though some scholars of the second half of the twentieth century provided a positive assessment of the coexistence of these two traditions within the NLCA, this assessment was incorrect and overlooked the struggle of the Haugeans for maintaining their tradition. The sense of friction that characterized the relationship between the theological subjectivism of the Haugeans and the theological objectivism of the others continued within the new church body. Even prior to the merger, many of the Haugean ii minority expressed reservations about the merger, yet in the end agreed to participate, sensing a call to influence the spiritual life of the organization. Yet the Haugeans, with their lack of focus on institutional life, often felt disenfranchised, especially in reaction to the closure of their educational institutions. At the same time, one observes that many Haugeans participated in a number of independent movements for mission and evangelism at this time, perhaps in reaction to this disenfranchisement. Because Haugeanism within the NLCA was not centrally organized, different pieties influenced its expression over the years, which can be observed at present. Today, the tradition of American Haugeanism lives on in these independent movements that supplement the work of established church bodies, similar to how Haugeanism functioned within the Church of Norway. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In the process of researching the history of Hauge’s Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America and the Haugean tradition in American Lutheranism more generally, I am sometimes asked whether I consider myself a Haugean. Though my upbringing and experience in the Lutheran congregation of my childhood in Canby, Minnesota cannot be described as overly pietistic or Haugean, research into my family history indicates that my great-great grandparents might have been members of a congregation of Hauge’s Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America in the vicinity of Roland and McCallsburg, Iowa. The discovery that Randolf and Martha Jacobson, who came from the area around Stavanger, Norway to central Iowa in 1883 and were married shortly thereafter, might have been a part of the Haugean tradition contributed to my interest in this part of the American Lutheran tradition and commended to me an appreciation of some of its emphases. Because of the possible familial connection, one could say that Haugeanism is “in my blood.” In reality, like most American Lutherans of my generation, my experience of Lutheranism is an amalgamation of a variety of traditions, and I have been enriched by all of them. I have therefore jokingly referred to myself as “a Haugean who wears chasubles.” Only those aware of the historic American Haugean aversion to the use of clerical vestments will understand the humor. In all seriousness, however, my hope is that this thesis will serve the purpose of creating greater awareness of Haugeanism as a significant part of the iv American Lutheran tradition, and I begin by acknowledging my ancestors Randolf and Martha Jacobson for playing a small role in piquing my interest in this topic. In the process, I also honor the memory of three of their children who did not survive to see adulthood: Inger Christina, Jalmar, and Rakel, the last two of which are at rest in the Roland, Iowa cemetery and were forgotten until the recent discovery of their grave. Beyond this, compiling a list of acknowledgments for a work of this magnitude is a challenging task, as the fear of omitting someone who has provided assistance in the course of my study and the writing of this thesis is real. Therefore, I take Martin Luther’s advice to Philipp Melanchthon to “sin boldly” as I attempt to enumerate the many individuals and organizations that have played a helpful if not invaluable role in my work, recognizing the near impossibility of listing everyone who has been supportive in some way. First, I acknowledge my indebtedness to the scholars of previous generations who have plowed important ground in the area of Norwegian-American Lutheran history. Five deserve special mention: J. Magnus Rohne for his 1926 work entitled Norwegian American Lutheranism up to 1872 and Eugene Fevold and E. Clifford Nelson for their joint work of 1960 entitled The Lutheran Church among Norwegian-Americans. My own work builds on the foundation that these scholars have laid and would be impossible without their efforts. More recent scholarship by Joseph Shaw and Todd Nichol has also informed my work in important ways. It is my hope that this study as well as my future scholarship will be a worthy addition to their important work and will contribute to a greater understanding of this field of history. v Second, I offer general thanks to the administration, faculty, and staff of Luther Seminary for their support, patience, guidance, and most especially for the opportunity to pursue doctoral study. The particular individuals connected to Luther Seminary named below have been of great assistance and have made my work much easier. I thank Paul Lokken and Katherine Dahl, both formerly of the office of Graduate Theological Education, as well as the current office of Graduate Theological Education for their guidance in navigating the many requirements of the degree. I also extend thanks to Bruce Eldevik, Karen Alexander, and the rest of the library staff for their assistance in gathering necessary books and periodicals. Also deserving of special thanks are Paul Daniels and Kari Bostrom of the Luther Seminary archives. This thesis relies heavily on documents discovered in this archive and could not have been written without them. Kari, who lost her battle with cancer in late January of 2017, was of tremendous help, and her energy and encouragement will be sorely missed by me and the rest of the Luther Seminary community. Finally, my heartfelt appreciation goes to the following current and former faculty members who have played an important role in my coursework, research, and writing: Lois Farag, Gracia Grindal, Mary Jane Haemig, Alan Padgett, Gary Simpson, Walter Sundberg, and most especially to my thesis adviser, Mark Granquist, for his guidance and support during my degree completion. Support for my research has come from individuals and organizations outside of Luther Seminary as well, and I wish to thank the following: Kerstin Ringdahl of the Pacific Lutheran University archives, Jeff Sauve of the St. Olaf College archives, Elizabeth Thrond of the Center for Western Studies at Augustana University, and Charles Lindquist and the entire staff of the World Mission Prayer League. I also wish to thank vi Roy Harrisville Jr., James Knutson, David Preus, Joseph Shaw, and David Wee for their helpful insights on the history and enduring legacy of Hauge’s Synod. Additionally, I thank the many former Hauge’s Synod congregations that graciously provided me with access to their congregational histories and records. The one hundredth anniversary of the 1917 merger, which brought the life of Hauge’s Synod to an end and produced the new church body of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, has come and gone with June of 2017. In light of that significant observance, it is my hope that this thesis is a fitting tribute to the heritage and legacy of these congregations and the tradition they represent.