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- Title
Trends in Ecumenical Thinking and Cooperation in Finland since the 1800s.
- Authors
Lauha, Aila
- Abstract
This article gives an overview of religious developments in Finland from the perspective of religious tolerance between different Christian confessions, describing the main steps towards ecumenical understanding. It reflects on the extent to which the general political and social circumstances and changes thereto have impacted the willingness to promote ecumenical thinking and activities in Finland. Until 1809, Finland was a part of Sweden, a relationship that, because of Swedish state church policy, necessitated strict Lutheran religious uniformity. Nevertheless, until the beginning of the 20th century, more than 98% of the Finnish populace still belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Interest in ecumenical cooperation is shown in this article to have gradually increased over the years of Finnish autonomy (1809-1917), when Finland was a part of the Russian grand duchy. Ecumenical contacts were first formed already during this period, with the predecessor of the present-day Finnish Ecumenical Council founded in 1917. Prior to the establishment of Finnish independence in 1917, leading Finnish ecumenical activists, reacting to the oppressive policy of Russia, also used their international and ecumenical contacts toward nationalist ends. In 1923, a new law establishing freedom of religion came into force in Finland, but even thereafter no more than 1% of the population left the Lutheran Church. During the interwar period, interest towards ecumenical cooperation waxed stronger. The key features of this development are explored in this article especially by looking at the extent to which the foreign policy of the nascent Finnish state and other typical political tendencies of the time coloured these endeavours. The article also sheds light on ecumenical developments after the Second World War, concentrating on the main features and strategies of the Lutheran Church.
- Subjects
FINLAND; ECUMENICAL movement; SUOMEN evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; HISTORY; CHURCH history
- Publication
Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte: Internationale Zeitschrift für Theologie und Geschichtswissenschaft, 2017, Vol 30, Issue 2, p348
- ISSN
0932-9951
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.13109/kize.2017.30.2.348