Awakening (religious movement)
Encyclopedia
The Awakening is a Lutheran
religious movement in Finland which has found followers in the provinces of Savo
and Ostrobothnia
. The origins of the movement are in the 18th century. It has functioned inside the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
throughout its existence. Formerly very pietist, the movement is currently considered within mainstream Finnish Lutheranism.
).
Today, the Awakening movement is widely known in Finland through an annual religious summer festival called Herättäjäjuhlat. The festival, held in July, attracts around 30,000 visitors and remains the second largest annual religious event in Finland, second to only the Laestadian
summer services
gathering.
The Awakening brought with it a form of the conventicle
known as the seurat which consists of singing of hymns as prayer interrupted with short speeches as commentary to the prevailing mood.
province. There were occasions when groups of people had trance-like religious experiences, for instance in the fields when collecting hay. The most famous of these occurred on Telppäsniitty in 1796. The original leader of the movement was Juhana Lustig. Gradually, in the 1820s, Paavo Ruotsalainen
rose as the leader figure in the movement. Simultaneously a religious revival started in Kalajoki
. The movement was encouraged by pastors Jonas Lagus and Nils Gustav Malmberg. In the 1830s the two revivals got in touch and united. The movement has always been strongest in Savo, Ostrobothnia
and in Kainuu
. Through Lutheran clergy, its influence has expanded beyond the region of origin.
In the mid-19th century, the unity of the movement was challenged. Eventually the Evangelical revival led by Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg
split from the movement and was organized separately. Simultaneously the movement entered a time of crisis when originally sympathetic clergymen distanced themnselves from the movement as protest against Paavo Ruotsalainen, but especially N.G. Malmberg, whom they accused of sinful living. The movement lingered on as a popular movement supported and organized independently by adherents among the peasant population.
In 1880s the son of Nils Gustav Malmberg, Wilhelmi Malmivaara
, rose to a leading position. He embraced modern means of communication by founding the periodical Hengellinen Kuukauslehti in 1888 and establishing the publishing company Herättäjä. The movement was institutionalized through the founding of the Herättäjä Society (Sisälähetysseura Herättäjä) in 1912.
According to a poll taken by Church Labor Unions in 2010, 48 % of the Finnish Lutheran clergy recognized the influence of awakening in their thinking and 28 % were associated with the movement (N=660). Thus, those reflecting the heritage of the Awakening form the largest group in clergy.
and Holy Spirit
alone according to Luther's principle sola gratia
. God is great, the human being is small. Gospel is preached on the low level amongst the people where the movement is also lived.
Religious views have been formulated primarily by the early leaders of the movement. Among them, especially Paavo Ruotsalainen
's views still continue to influence thinking. Today, herännäisyys is a moderate movement accepting the ordination of women as pastors and having a tolerant attitude toward sexual minorities. A study published in 2010 by the Finnish Church Research Centre revealed that supporters of the Awakening differ significantly from the supporters other Finnish Lutheran revival movements in their tolerant views toward e.g. sexual ethics.
Conventicle or Seurat is the typical religious gathering of the movement. Traditionally it was organized in homes, but it can now also take place in congregation halls and other places. Typically, seurat lasts about one hour. Hymns are sung in a meditative rhythm without accompaniment. The text of hymns is mostly prayer. Singing is interrupted by short speeches. The original form of seurat is democratically organized: only few speakers are invited and opportunity is given for anyone present to speak. Speech is usually held in a sitting position from the place of the speaker — not from a pulpit. Hymn selection is also free: anyone can select and start a hymn. If a speech is considered inappropriate, it is, according to custom, acceptable to interrupt the speaker by starting a hymn. Often the hymns and speeches are spontaneously thematically related, thus forming a chain of thoughts. It is the custom to start the gathering with coffee and end it with free discussion. This also provides opportunity for participants to withdraw into private discussion with pastors or lay speakers if necessary.
The hymnal of the movement is Siionin virret
(Hymns of Zion), which originally was a translation of a Swedish Herrnhut movement hymnal from 1740, Sions Sånger. The hymnal has been reorganized and complemented several times. The newest addition was carried out in 2005. Many of the hymns of Zion have been included in the hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Most characteristic of herännäisyys has been the meditative singing of the movement's hymns.
Traditionally, typical for the movement has been a strict code of conduct for the adherents. Dancing, colorful clothes, theater and music have been frowned upon. The second Finnish name of the movement, körttiläisyys, is said to derive from the typical black clothing of the adherents, körttipuku (körtti being derived from the Swedish word skört). Adherents wanted to emphasize their freedom from fashion and simple life by dressing in simple black clothes and simple hairstyle. The use of characteristic clothing has declined and become a curiosity.
grew up within the movement and it was the subject of many of his novels and short stories. The Finnish composer Joonas Kokkonen
produced the opera The Last Temptations
, which portrayed the life of Paavo Ruotsalainen. The opera was composed for the famous Finnish bass Martti Talvela
, whose friend was awakening movement lay preacher Aku Räty.
. The former chair person (2010) of the society was a laywoman, Ms. Kaisa Rönkä, the first woman in Finland to act as the head of Finnish revival movements. Ms. Rönkä was succeeded by Jukka Hautala as the chair person in 2011 The executive director of the society is Simo Juntunen. The society employs 20 persons — mostly pastors or lay preachers. Herättäjä-Yhdistys publishes books and music, organizes confirmation
classes in the homestead of Paavo Ruotsalainen — Aholansaari in Nilsiä
, and continues publication of Hengellinen Kuukauslehti and other periodicals.
By far the most significant activity is the organization of the summer festival, Herättäjuhlat. The festival is also an important source of income for the movement. The festival is organized on a moving basis in different towns in the original area of the movement and occasionally in larger cities.
Student ministry was originated when families wanted to provide a safe home in Helsinki for students of theology. Youth ministry was started in the 1970s. Christian folk high school
s have been very important for the movement. They were established by the movement when the educational level in the countryside was still relatively low. Currently nine folk schools are loosely affiliated with herännäisyys. They are located in Eurajoki
, Jyväskylä
, Kajaani
, Lapua
, Lieksa
, Lapinlahti
, Ylivieska
, Turku
and Valkeala
.
The supporters of herännäisyys were actively involved in the establishment of the Finnish Missionary Society. Missionary support is channeled through the FMS. Independently the movement has operations among Finns and Finno-Ugric people in Russia and Estonia.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
religious movement in Finland which has found followers in the provinces of Savo
Savo
Savo may refer to:* Savo Island near Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands* Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942* Savonian dialects of the Finnish language* Savonia or , a historical province of Finland* Savo - a main-belt asteroid...
and Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia refers to various areas in Finland:* Ostrobothnia , province of the kingdom of Sweden before 1809* Ostrobothnia , in modern Finland* Other regions in modern Finland:** Southern Ostrobothnia** Central Ostrobothnia...
. The origins of the movement are in the 18th century. It has functioned inside the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the national church of Finland. The church professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is a member of the Porvoo Communion....
throughout its existence. Formerly very pietist, the movement is currently considered within mainstream Finnish Lutheranism.
Main characteristics
Theologically, the Awakening emphasized the greatness of God, the sinfulness of man, and the insignificance of human efforts towards salvation (see monergismMonergism
Monergism describes the position in Christian theology of those who believe that God, through the Holy Spirit, works to bring about effectually the salvation of individuals through spiritual regeneration without cooperation from the individual...
).
Today, the Awakening movement is widely known in Finland through an annual religious summer festival called Herättäjäjuhlat. The festival, held in July, attracts around 30,000 visitors and remains the second largest annual religious event in Finland, second to only the Laestadian
Laestadianism
Laestadianism is a conservative Lutheran revival movement started in the middle of the 19th century. It is strongly marked by both pietistic and Moravian influences. It is the biggest revivalist movement in the Nordic countries. It has members mainly in Finland, North America, Norway, Russia and...
summer services
Summer services
Summer services is the annual meeting of the Finnish Lutheran movement known as Conservative Laestadians. In addition to the primary Finnish gathering, similar meetings are arranged in North America, Sweden and Russia.-Suviseurat in Finland:...
gathering.
The Awakening brought with it a form of the conventicle
Conventicle
A conventicle is a small, unofficial and unofficiated meeting of laypeople, to discuss religious issues in a non-threatening, intimate manner. Philipp Jakob Spener called for such associations in his Pia Desideria, and they were the foundation of the German Evangelical Lutheran Pietist movement...
known as the seurat which consists of singing of hymns as prayer interrupted with short speeches as commentary to the prevailing mood.
History
It is nowadays widely assumed that the roots of Herännäisyys lay in several 18th century popular religious revival movements e.g. in SavoSavo
Savo may refer to:* Savo Island near Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands* Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942* Savonian dialects of the Finnish language* Savonia or , a historical province of Finland* Savo - a main-belt asteroid...
province. There were occasions when groups of people had trance-like religious experiences, for instance in the fields when collecting hay. The most famous of these occurred on Telppäsniitty in 1796. The original leader of the movement was Juhana Lustig. Gradually, in the 1820s, Paavo Ruotsalainen
Paavo Ruotsalainen
Paavo Ruotsalainen was a Finnish farmer and lay preacher.Born in Tölvänniemi as the oldest son of plain farmers, he received his first bible at age six. At the time of his confirmation he had already read it three times. His preoccupation with the words of the bible gained him the nickname...
rose as the leader figure in the movement. Simultaneously a religious revival started in Kalajoki
Kalajoki
Kalajoki is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
. The movement was encouraged by pastors Jonas Lagus and Nils Gustav Malmberg. In the 1830s the two revivals got in touch and united. The movement has always been strongest in Savo, Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia refers to various areas in Finland:* Ostrobothnia , province of the kingdom of Sweden before 1809* Ostrobothnia , in modern Finland* Other regions in modern Finland:** Southern Ostrobothnia** Central Ostrobothnia...
and in Kainuu
Kainuu
Kainuu is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, North Karelia and Northern Savonia. In the east it also borders Russia. Kainuu is known in the ancient Norse sagas as Kvenland....
. Through Lutheran clergy, its influence has expanded beyond the region of origin.
In the mid-19th century, the unity of the movement was challenged. Eventually the Evangelical revival led by Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg
Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg
Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg was Finnish Lutheran priest, Neo-Lutheran writer and father of confessional Lutheranism in Finland....
split from the movement and was organized separately. Simultaneously the movement entered a time of crisis when originally sympathetic clergymen distanced themnselves from the movement as protest against Paavo Ruotsalainen, but especially N.G. Malmberg, whom they accused of sinful living. The movement lingered on as a popular movement supported and organized independently by adherents among the peasant population.
In 1880s the son of Nils Gustav Malmberg, Wilhelmi Malmivaara
Wilhelmi Malmivaara
Wilhelm "Wilhelmi" Malmivaara was one of the leaders of Finnish Awakening in the beginning of the 20. century. He was also a member of the Parliament of Finland belonging to the Finnish Party in the years 1907–1914 and 1917–1919...
, rose to a leading position. He embraced modern means of communication by founding the periodical Hengellinen Kuukauslehti in 1888 and establishing the publishing company Herättäjä. The movement was institutionalized through the founding of the Herättäjä Society (Sisälähetysseura Herättäjä) in 1912.
According to a poll taken by Church Labor Unions in 2010, 48 % of the Finnish Lutheran clergy recognized the influence of awakening in their thinking and 28 % were associated with the movement (N=660). Thus, those reflecting the heritage of the Awakening form the largest group in clergy.
Religious views
The movement strictly holds on to the Lutheran theological basis of the church of Finland. However, its mission is to point of the significance of faith in the life of the individual and empower people to follow Christ. The movement strongly emphasized that faith and salvation are acts of God. Man cannot contribute towards his/her salvation. Salvation is the act of GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
alone according to Luther's principle sola gratia
Sola gratia
Sola gratia is one of the five solas propounded to summarise the Reformers' basic beliefs during the Protestant Reformation; it is a Latin term meaning grace alone...
. God is great, the human being is small. Gospel is preached on the low level amongst the people where the movement is also lived.
Religious views have been formulated primarily by the early leaders of the movement. Among them, especially Paavo Ruotsalainen
Paavo Ruotsalainen
Paavo Ruotsalainen was a Finnish farmer and lay preacher.Born in Tölvänniemi as the oldest son of plain farmers, he received his first bible at age six. At the time of his confirmation he had already read it three times. His preoccupation with the words of the bible gained him the nickname...
's views still continue to influence thinking. Today, herännäisyys is a moderate movement accepting the ordination of women as pastors and having a tolerant attitude toward sexual minorities. A study published in 2010 by the Finnish Church Research Centre revealed that supporters of the Awakening differ significantly from the supporters other Finnish Lutheran revival movements in their tolerant views toward e.g. sexual ethics.
Religious traits and customs
It has been typical to the movement to emphasize a quiet and simple life and taking responsibility in society. In modern times the movement expressed concerns about social justice in Finnish society.Conventicle or Seurat is the typical religious gathering of the movement. Traditionally it was organized in homes, but it can now also take place in congregation halls and other places. Typically, seurat lasts about one hour. Hymns are sung in a meditative rhythm without accompaniment. The text of hymns is mostly prayer. Singing is interrupted by short speeches. The original form of seurat is democratically organized: only few speakers are invited and opportunity is given for anyone present to speak. Speech is usually held in a sitting position from the place of the speaker — not from a pulpit. Hymn selection is also free: anyone can select and start a hymn. If a speech is considered inappropriate, it is, according to custom, acceptable to interrupt the speaker by starting a hymn. Often the hymns and speeches are spontaneously thematically related, thus forming a chain of thoughts. It is the custom to start the gathering with coffee and end it with free discussion. This also provides opportunity for participants to withdraw into private discussion with pastors or lay speakers if necessary.
The hymnal of the movement is Siionin virret
Siionin Virret
Siionin virret is a hymnbook of the Finnish Awakening religious revival movement . The hymnal is used in the traditional conventicle 'seurat' which is an informal religious gathering taking often place in homes. Hymns of Zion are also sung in the religious summer festival 'Herättäjäjuhlat' of the...
(Hymns of Zion), which originally was a translation of a Swedish Herrnhut movement hymnal from 1740, Sions Sånger. The hymnal has been reorganized and complemented several times. The newest addition was carried out in 2005. Many of the hymns of Zion have been included in the hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Most characteristic of herännäisyys has been the meditative singing of the movement's hymns.
Traditionally, typical for the movement has been a strict code of conduct for the adherents. Dancing, colorful clothes, theater and music have been frowned upon. The second Finnish name of the movement, körttiläisyys, is said to derive from the typical black clothing of the adherents, körttipuku (körtti being derived from the Swedish word skört). Adherents wanted to emphasize their freedom from fashion and simple life by dressing in simple black clothes and simple hairstyle. The use of characteristic clothing has declined and become a curiosity.
In culture
Despite being traditionally even hostile to culture, the movement has inspired prominent Finnish artists and experienced a revival in the 1970s and 1980s by being featured in plays and in the hugely popular Finnish opera. The Finnish author Juhani AhoJuhani Aho
Juhani Aho, originally Johannes Brofeldt, was a Finnish author and journalist.Aho's literary output is wide-ranging since he pursued different styles as time passed....
grew up within the movement and it was the subject of many of his novels and short stories. The Finnish composer Joonas Kokkonen
Joonas Kokkonen
Joonas Kokkonen was a Finnish composer. He was one of the most internationally famous Finnish composers of the 20th century after Sibelius; his opera The Last Temptations has received over 500 performances worldwide, and is considered by many to be Finland's most distinguished national opera.-...
produced the opera The Last Temptations
The Last Temptations
The Last Temptations is an opera in two acts by Joonas Kokkonen to a libretto by Lauri Kokkonen. Along with Leevi Madetoja's Pohjalaisia and Aarre Merikanto's Juha, it is considered one of the most important Finnish operas. The opera deals with the life of the late eighteenth- and early...
, which portrayed the life of Paavo Ruotsalainen. The opera was composed for the famous Finnish bass Martti Talvela
Martti Talvela
Martti Talvela was a Finnish operatic bass.Born in Hiitola, Finland , he studied in Lahti and Stockholm, and made his operatic debut in Helsinki in 1960 as Sparafucile. At , he was the tallest singer of his century. He trained as a boxer in his youth and developed the stamina necessary for the...
, whose friend was awakening movement lay preacher Aku Räty.
Organization and activities
The umbrella organization of herännäisyys is Herättäjä-Yhdistys (Awakening Society), which is based in LapuaLapua
Lapua is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located next to the Lapua River in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...
. The former chair person (2010) of the society was a laywoman, Ms. Kaisa Rönkä, the first woman in Finland to act as the head of Finnish revival movements. Ms. Rönkä was succeeded by Jukka Hautala as the chair person in 2011 The executive director of the society is Simo Juntunen. The society employs 20 persons — mostly pastors or lay preachers. Herättäjä-Yhdistys publishes books and music, organizes confirmation
Confirmation (Lutheran Church)
Confirmation in the Lutheran Church is a public profession of faith prepared for by long and careful instruction. In English, it is called "affirmation of baptism", and is a mature and public profession of the faith which "marks the completion of the congregation's program of confirmation...
classes in the homestead of Paavo Ruotsalainen — Aholansaari in Nilsiä
Nilsiä
Nilsiä is a small town and a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
, and continues publication of Hengellinen Kuukauslehti and other periodicals.
By far the most significant activity is the organization of the summer festival, Herättäjuhlat. The festival is also an important source of income for the movement. The festival is organized on a moving basis in different towns in the original area of the movement and occasionally in larger cities.
Student ministry was originated when families wanted to provide a safe home in Helsinki for students of theology. Youth ministry was started in the 1970s. Christian folk high school
Folk high school
Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...
s have been very important for the movement. They were established by the movement when the educational level in the countryside was still relatively low. Currently nine folk schools are loosely affiliated with herännäisyys. They are located in Eurajoki
Eurajoki
Eurajoki is a municipality of Finland located in the region of Satakunta in the province of Western Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
, Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
, Kajaani
Kajaani
Kajaani is a town and municipality in Finland.It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi , which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki . There are inhabitants and city surface area is of which is water. The population density is . The town is...
, Lapua
Lapua
Lapua is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located next to the Lapua River in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...
, Lieksa
Lieksa
Lieksa is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, Lapinlahti
Lapinlahti
Lapinlahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, Ylivieska
Ylivieska
Ylivieska is a town and a municipality of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. It has a population of , and it serves as the administrative centre for Kalajokilaakso and Pyhäjokilaakso, an area with about 90,000 inhabitants....
, Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
and Valkeala
Valkeala
Valkeala is a former municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland, near the city of Kouvola, and it was a part of the Kymenlaakso region. The municipality had a population of 11,238 and covered an area of 1,004.40 km² of which 143.47 km² was water...
.
The supporters of herännäisyys were actively involved in the establishment of the Finnish Missionary Society. Missionary support is channeled through the FMS. Independently the movement has operations among Finns and Finno-Ugric people in Russia and Estonia.