|
Kirkon tutkimuskeskus - Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
The revivalist movements are groups within the Evangelical Lutheran Church which all have their own doctrinal emphases. They traditionally have a strong foothold in the life of the Finnish Church. The revivalist movements originally arose as a protest against the secularization and inflexibility of the official Church, but over time they have become an integral part of the folk church.
Relations between the revivalist movements and the Church now rest on solid foundations. Nevertheless, the movements have adopted a critical standpoint on some of the decisions made by the Church. In the 1990s, the Lutheran - Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification came in for particular criticism within some of the movements. The ordination of women to the priesthood has also remained a cause of grievance for certain movements.
The revivalist movements enrich parish life in many ways. In addition to the traditional revivalist movements - Pietism, Laestadianism, Evangelicalism, and Supplicationism, which all arose in the nineteenth century - there have been neo-Pietist movements active in Finland since shortly after the war, and in recent decades a new charismatic movement has spread to many Finnish parishes.
Although revivalist activity has been dwindling in some parishes, the movements have simultaneously been expanding into new areas. The summer festivals of the various movements are a sign of their continuing vigour. In the summer of 1999 they attracted a total of about 150,000 guests.
Pietism - the movement generally regarded as having the highest degree of loyalty towards the Church - has been particularly influential in the central parts of the country. Of all the revivalist movements, Pietism has had the strongest influence on the Finnish clergy and other parish workers. Half of all parish personnel feel an affinity with the Pietists. There is Pietist activity in nearly two parishes out of every three. Pietism is characterized by a sense of God's greatness and the smallness of the human being. In the Pietist view, people themselves are not capable of faith and joy: they can only long for and await God's grace.
The Evangelical revival, which emphasizes the Lutheran confession and the mercy of baptism, is also active in two parishes out of every three. It has its main area of support in western Finland. Unlike the Pietists, the Evangelicals emphasize a sense of rejoicing in the firmness of one's faith.
Laestadianism began with the healing sermons of Lars Levi Laestadius; the movement has since fragmented and now encompasses a number of different branches. Its strongest area of support is in northern Finland. An important feature of the Laestadian conception of faith is the confession of sins followed by absolution `in the name and blood of Jesus'. Absolution can only be pronounced by someone whose faith is uncorrupted. The Laestadians completely abstain from alcohol and disapprove of contraception. Conservative Laestadianism is the most important branch of the movement. It was active in approximately two out of three parishes. The summer festival of the conservative Laestadians is the largest annual religious event in Finland. It brings together 70,000 people every year. The other major branches of Laestadianism are `firstling Laestadianism', the Word of Peace, and the New Awakening.
Supplicationism is by far the smallest of the traditional revivalist movements. It was active in only 7% of the parishes, chiefly in south-western Finland. Supplicationism is characterized by long kneeling prayers and adherence to old song books, hymnals, and devotional books, which date back to the eighteenth century. In the 1980s, Supplicationism split into two branches, partly because of disagreements over the ordination of women.
The neo-Pietist movements which arose after the war were geographically the most widely spread. Neo-Pietism is characterized by an emphasis on faith as a personal decision and on the importance of repenting of one's sins. The most widely supported neo-Pietist movement was the Peoples Mission, which was active in nearly three parishes out of every four in 1999. Like the other neo-Pietist movements, it has established itself most firmly in eastern Finland. Other neo-Pietist movements with large numbers of supporters are the Peoples Bible Society and the Finnish Bible Institute.
Since the 1970s, the charismatic movement has been spreading into an increasing number of parishes. In 1999 it was active in one parish out of every three. The charismatic movement is characterized by an emphasis on gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as healing the sick, prophesying, and speaking in tongues. Over a couple of decades, the movement has established its position as part of the spiritual landscape of the Lutheran Church.
Figure 18. The spiritual background of parish personnel and
elected officers. Parish leader survey 2/1999. N=1,370.
http://www.evl.fi/kkh/ktk/publication96-99/18.gif
Figure 19. Revivalist movements active within the parishes
in 1999.
http://www.evl.fi/kkh/ktk/publication96-99/19.gif
Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Finland
Previous Page |
Table of Contents | Next
Page
