The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland ( fi, Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; sv, Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland) is a
national church of
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...
. It is part of the
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
branch of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
. The church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the
Orthodox Church of Finland
The Orthodox Church of Finland ( fi, Suomen ortodoksinen kirkko, lit=Finnish Orthodox Church; sv, Ortodoxa kyrkan i Finland, lit=Orthodox Church in Finland; ) is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Cons ...
.
The church is a member of the
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most ju ...
and the
Conference of European Churches
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) was founded in 1959 to promote reconciliation, dialogue and friendship between the churches of Europe at a time of growing Cold War political tensions and divisions.
In its commitment to Europe as a who ...
. It is also a member of the
Porvoo Communion
The Porvoo Communion is a Communion (Christian), communion of 15 predominantly northern European Anglican and Lutheran, Evangelical Lutheran churches, with a couple of far-southwestern European (in the Iberian Peninsula) church bodies of the same ...
and is actively involved in ecumenical relations.
With almost 3.7 million members , the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world. It is Finland's largest religious body; at the end of 2021, 66.5% of Finns were members of the church.
The current
head of the Church is
Tapio Luoma,
Archbishop of Turku, who succeeded
Kari Mäkinen
Kari Mäkinen (born 5 January 1955) is the former archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. He was elected the 14th Archbishop of Turku and Finland on 11 March 2010, he was installed on 6 June 2010, and he retired on 1 June 2018. ...
on 3 June 2018.
History
Catholic bishopric
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland traces its lineage to the medieval
Diocese of Turku, which coincides geographically with present-day Finland. Christianity was introduced to Finland slowly: the first signs of the Christian faith being found in burial sites dated to the 11th century.
Based on etymological evidence, it seems that its very first influences came to present-day Finland from the
Eastern Christian tradition. Archaeological evidence shows that by the middle 12th century, Christianity was dominant in the region around present-day
Turku
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
. One legend recounts a crusade dated around 1054, but no contemporary or archaeological evidence backs the story. Another legend is that the martyr-bishop
St. Henry founded the Finnish Church, but that is also most likely fictional.
[Vuolanto, V. Kristinusko tuli Suomeen yli 850 vuotta sitten](_blank)
Sana. Kansan Raamattuseura. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
The introduction of Christianity was mostly a peaceful, slow process contemporaneous with the gradual integration with
Sweden that culminated in the
Sweden-Finland union.
The first bishop, whose name was
Thomas, lived in the first half of the 13th century. Thomas was granted resignation by Pope Innocent IV on 21 February 1245. According to the pope, Thomas had admitted committing several felonies, such as torturing a man to death, and forging a papal letter.
The ecclesiastical hierarchy was completely established during the
Second Swedish Crusade.
During the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, the Diocese of Turku was under the primacy of the
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala (spelled Upsala until the early 20th century) has been the primate of Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.
Historical ove ...
, mirroring the country's Swedish political rule. The diocese had a school, making it capable of educating its own priests, but several Finns also studied abroad in the universities of Germany and Paris.
Before the Reformation, the most important monastic orders active in the bishopric were those of the
Franciscans
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
, the
Dominicans, and the
Bridgettines
The Bridgettines, or Birgittines, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Savior (; abbreviated OSsS), is a monastic religious order of the Catholic Church founded by Saint Birgitta or Bridget of Sweden in 1344, and approved by Pope Urba ...
. The liturgy of the diocese followed the Dominican model.
Part of the Church of Sweden
The
Swedish Reformation began during the reign of King
Gustav Vasa
Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksför ...
(1527) and reached its conclusion in 1560. Sweden, like other Nordic countries, adopted the
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
form of Protestantism. Most monastic estates in Finland, along with
Kuusisto Castle
Kuusisto Castle ( fi, Kuusiston piispanlinna, sv, Kustö biskopsborg) was a medieval episcopal castle on the island of Kuusisto in Kaarina, Finland, near Turku. The castle was probably built in the early 14th century, although the site seems to h ...
, which was the medieval residence of the Bishops of Turku, were confiscated by the Swedish crown.
The first Lutheran Bishop of
Turku
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
was Martinus Johannis Skytte, former
Vicar General
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
of the
Dominican Province of Dacia. He retained most of the old Catholic forms within the Diocese, which was part of the now-independent
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Swed ...
. The doctrinal reformation of the Finnish Church took place during the episcopacy of
Mikael Agricola, who had studied at the
University of Wittenberg under
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Luther ...
.
Agricola
translated the whole
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
and large portions of the
Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
into
Finnish. In addition, he authored a large amount of Finnish liturgical texts in the spirit of The Reformation, while preserving a number of decidedly Catholic customs such as the retention of many holy days including the
Visitation of Mary
In Christianity, the Visitation is the visit of Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, to Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, in the Gospel of Luke, .
It is also the name of a Christian feast day commemorating this visit, celebrate ...
and
Holy Cross Day
In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. Unlike Good Friday, which is dedicated to the passion of Christ and the crucifixion, t ...
, and the use of the bishop's
mitre
The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in t ...
. While images and sculptures of saints were retained in the churches, they were no longer venerated. Agricola was the first Bishop of Turku who was married.
By the end of the 16th century, the Swedish Reformation was finally complete, and the following century was known as the period of
Lutheran orthodoxy
Lutheran orthodoxy was an era in the history of Lutheranism, which began in 1580 from the writing of the '' Book of Concord'' and ended at the Age of Enlightenment. Lutheran orthodoxy was paralleled by similar eras in Calvinism and tridentine R ...
. Membership in the church was obligatory, as was weekly attendance at
Divine Service.
In newly conquered
Finnish Karelia, the Lutheran Church suppressed the
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonica ...
of the local population, which drove a large number to Russia.
At this time, the Church started to lay the foundations for comprehensive education, in which every person was required to know the basic tenets of the Christian faith. Parish
vergers were given the duty of instructing children in reading and in the
Catechism. The education of priests was improved,
the Royal Academy of Turku
The Royal Academy of Turku or the Royal Academy of Åbo ( sv, Kungliga Akademin i Åbo or ; la, Regia Academia Aboensis; fi, Turun akatemia) was the first university in Finland, and the only Finnish university that was founded when the country ...
was founded, and the educational system was codified in the Church Act of 1686.
In the early 18th century, Finland was occupied by Russia for a decade during the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swed ...
. A large portion of Finland was annexed by Russia, where the Lutheran church remained active despite being under Russian rule. The two branches of Finnish Lutheranism that were thereby divided were reunited in the early 19th century.
In both Russia and Sweden, Lutheranism was greatly affected by the theology of
Enlightenment
Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to:
Age of Enlightenment
* Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
, which had the effect of secularizing the Church. This, and the lavish lifestyle of parish
vicar
A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pr ...
s, caused public resentment which became visible in popular local
revival movements.
An independent state church
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is a successor to the
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Swed ...
of which it was a part until 1809, when the
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland ( fi, Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta; sv, Storfurstendömet Finland; russian: Великое княжество Финляндское, , all of which literally translate as Grand Principality of Finland) was the predecess ...
was established as a part of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...
, and consequently shared
established status with the
Finnish Orthodox Church.
In 1869, a new Church Act was passed by the
Finnish ''Lantdag''. The Act separated church and the state, giving the church its own legislative body, known as the central
Synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word mea ...
.
Changes in ecclesiastical form could be made only by the central Synod, which had the sole right to propose changes to the Church Act. These changes could subsequently either be passed or vetoed by the ''Lantdag'' and the Russian Emperor. A year earlier, Lutheran parishes had been differentiated from the secular municipalities, with both being given their own finances and administrative bodies.
The Church's general responsibility for comprehensive education and for the care of the poor was transferred to the secular municipalities. The Church accepted separation from the state because, in view of the fact that the
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state (polity), state#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international p ...
was the
Orthodox Russian Emperor, it regarded complete integration with the state as problematic.
[1800-luku – kirkon itsenäistymisen ja herätysliikkeiden aika Suomessa](_blank)
. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
In 1889, an act was passed allowing other Christian denominations to act freely in the country, and members of the Lutheran Church were given the right to leave the church to join other Christian communities. Since 1923, it has been possible to leave the state
church without having to join another religious congregation.
During the early 19th century, several
revivalist movements were formed, four of which were particularly prominent. These movements were:
* (those who kneel to pray, or pray frequently), founded by peasant girl Liisa Erkintytär, and later, by the priest Abraham Achrenius. The movement has been active mostly in Western Finland.
*
''The Awakening'' (also called Pietists), founded by the peasant
Paavo Ruotsalainen.
* (connected to
Neo-Lutheranism), founded by the priest
Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg.
*
Laestadianism, founded by
Lars Levi Laestadius
Lars Levi Laestadius (; 10 January 1800 – 21 February 1861) was a Swedish Sami pastor and administrator of the Swedish state Lutheran church in Lapland who founded the Laestadian pietist revival movement to help his largely Sami congregations ...
.
The revivalists met strong opposition from the bishops and the educated part of the population but drew large followings in the countryside. In modern Finnish
historiography
Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians hav ...
, the revivalist movements have been considered to be a part of the social upheaval caused by the modernization of society.
In the late 19th century, the Church started to face opposition from
liberalism
Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for ...
, the position of the Church being particularly questioned by the emerging labor movement. The Church was also challenged by the
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christianity, Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe ...
faith and the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...
faith, which became the first two private religious communities in Finland.
The Church reacted by allowing its own revivalist movements more freedom and by starting new youth activities such as Sunday schools and Christian youth associations, but the main current of Finnish nationalism was affected by Lutheranism. For example, the most important philosopher of Finnish nationalism,
Johan Vilhelm Snellman, considered Lutheranism an important factor of the Finnish identity, although he was critical of the Church as an organization.
Disestablished national church
In the early 20th century, the old ''Landtag'', based on the four
estates of the realm
The estates of the realm, or three estates, were the broad orders of social hierarchy used in Christendom (Christian Europe) from the Middle Ages to early modern Europe. Different systems for dividing society members into estates developed an ...
, was changed into a
unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multi ...
parliament (
Eduskunta) selected by equal vote.
In 1908, an amendment of the Church Act freed church members from the legal duty to participate in
Holy Communion
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in others. According to the New Testame ...
at least once a year. After this, church attendance dropped and has since become an indicator of personal religious opinion. (See also ''
kyrkogångsplikt'', the previous requirement to attend church services.)
Finnish independence, in 1917, was immediately followed by the
Finnish Civil War, with the church associating itself with the White (nationalist) side, while the
Red Guards embraced
anticlericalism to the point of murdering priests.
In the
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princip ...
of 1919, the new republic was deemed to be non-confessional and
freedom of worship was enshrined as a right.
In 1923, this right was further implemented through the Freedom of Religion Act. Although the act gave the right for every adult Finn to leave the Church (and consequently be free from the duty of paying Church tax), the vast majority of the people remained members, regardless of their political leanings.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the church was an important factor in Finnish nationalism. The common nationalist cry during the war was ''For the home, the religion and the Fatherland'' ( fi, Kodin, uskonnon ja isänmaan puolesta, sv, För hem, tro och fosterland). In addition, during the war, the church participated actively in social work, thereby coming closer to the labour movement.
Military chaplains, who shared the life of the common soldiers for several years, also grew closer to the life of the working class. At the war's end, these so-called ''brother-in-arms priests'' ( fi, asevelipapit/vapenbrödra präster) continued their work among factory workers. Elsewhere in society, liturgical, family, and youth works emerged as new forms of church activity, and the position of laity within the Church was strengthened. The so-called fifth revivalist movement also began as a result of revivals experienced during the war.
Martti Simojoki and
Mikko Juva were two former military chaplains who became Finnish archbishops, their time in the office covering two decades.
In the 1960s, the church faced strong opposition from the radical left, who considered it an old-fashioned fortress of reaction and criticized the rudiments of the church's position within the state.
The 1966
blasphemy
Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religio ...
trial of novelist
Hannu Salama
Hannu Sulo Salama (born 4 October 1936) is a Finnish author.
Biography and work
Hannu Salama was born in Kouvola, Kymenlaakso region in Southern Finland. He spent his childhood in the Pispala district of the city of Tampere, in a traditional ...
became a ''
cause célèbre
A cause célèbre (,''Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged'', 12th Edition, 2014. S.v. "cause célèbre". Retrieved November 30, 2018 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/cause+c%c3%a9l%c3%a8bre ,''Random House Kernerman Webs ...
'' for the
antiestablishmentarian position. Salama was sentenced to three months in prison but placed on probation, before subsequently being pardoned by
President Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as prime minister ...
.
Another widely criticized aspect of the Finnish Church-State relationship was the prohibition of public dances and movie theaters on Saturdays preceding certain Sundays, a ban that remained in effect until 1968.
The Church responded to its unpopular situation by a program of modernization.
During the 1970s, work on new Finnish
Bible translations and a new
hymnal
A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chr ...
was begun. The hymnal, which incorporated a large number of revivalist and youth hymns, was adopted in 1986. In addition, a new Bible translation (based on the theory of
dynamical equivalence
The terms dynamic equivalence and formal equivalence, coined by Eugene Nida, are associated with two dissimilar translation approaches that are employed to achieve different levels of literalness between the source and target text, as eviden ...
) was completed and approved for use in 1992. Finally, the Synod
opened the priesthood to women, a change that was first discussed, but not passed, by the Synod in 1963, and which continues to cause controversy.
Position in Finnish society
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has a legal position as a national church in the country alongside the
Finnish Orthodox Church. The
Constitution of Finland provides for a Church Act (''kirkkolaki'') to organize and govern the Evangelical Lutheran Church; the Act can only be amended with the initiative of the Synod of the Church – maintaining the
autonomy since Tsarist times.
Finnish society has experienced a general
secularization
In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses t ...
, and membership in the church has decreased in recent decades. In 2015,
Eroakirkosta.fi, a website which offers an electronic service for resigning from Finland's state churches, reported that half a million church members had resigned from the church since the website was opened in 2003. Nevertheless, the church retains the allegiance of a large majority of the population, a special role in state ceremonies, and the right to collect the church tax from its members in conjunction with governmental income taxation. In addition to the membership tax, businesses also participate to some extent by a tax that is distributed to the church.
Avoidance of the church tax (between 1 and 2 percent depending on location) has been a popular reason cited for defections from the Church. In 2010, the number of defections hit a record of 83,097, caused in part by the church's position that homosexuality is a sin. That position was made clear on a Finnish television discussion program concerning gay rights that was broadcast on 12 October 2010, in which church clergy and laymen were divided both for and against proposed legal amendments to increase LGBT rights.
["Up to 18,000 leave Lutheran Church over statements on gay current affairs programme"](_blank)
''Helsingin Sanomat'', 18 October 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.[Mikko Alanne]
''HuffPost'', 21 October 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
Stefan Wallin, Finland's minister responsible for church affairs, accused
Päivi Räsänen, the leader of the
Christian Democrats, of deliberately taking a public position against homosexuality and gay rights in order to drive away from the church those people who might hold more liberal views on gay acceptance.
["Wallin blames Räsänen for church's PR disaster"](_blank)
''Helsinki Times'', 18 October 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
On 9 February 2011, the ELCF Bishops' Conference issued a "Pastoral instruction concerning free prayer with and for those who have registered their civil partnership", which can be conducted either privately or publicly in a church, with or without guests, but which is not to be confused with "the blessing of a partnership comparable to marriage".
Teachings
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland sees itself as part of the
one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. It is
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
in doctrine, following the teachings of
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Luther ...
. The church is a member of the
Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; german: Lutherischer Weltbund) is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran denominations headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish ...
and the
Porvoo Communion
The Porvoo Communion is a Communion (Christian), communion of 15 predominantly northern European Anglican and Lutheran, Evangelical Lutheran churches, with a couple of far-southwestern European (in the Iberian Peninsula) church bodies of the same ...
, but has not signed the
Leuenberg Agreement.
The faith of the Church is pronounced in the three
confessions of the old church (
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith".
The creed most likely originated in 5th-century ...
,
Nicene Creed
The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is ...
and
Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed, also called the Pseudo-Athanasian Creed and sometimes known as ''Quicunque Vult'' (or ''Quicumque Vult''), which is both its Latin name and its opening words, meaning "Whosoever wishes", is a Christian statement of belief ...
) and the Lutheran confessional documents as defined in the ''
Book of Concord
''The Book of Concord'' (1580) or ''Concordia'' (often referred to as the ''Lutheran Confessions'') is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since ...
''.
The practical faith is described in the
catechism of the church, which is based on and literally includes the
Luther's Small Catechism. The latest version of the catechism was accepted by the General Synod in 1999.
Catechism
,'' Christian doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, p. 2. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
The Church accepts the doctrines of the
virgin birth and bodily resurrection.
The church does not embrace
creationism
Creationism is the religious belief that nature, and aspects such as the universe, Earth, life, and humans, originated with supernatural acts of divine creation. Gunn 2004, p. 9, "The ''Concise Oxford Dictionary'' says that creationism ...
but states:
Catechism
,'' Christian doctrine of EVL, pp. 32, 35–57, 43–44. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
Among contemporary doctrines, the church takes a moderate position.
The Church allows its members to work as military personnel or as judges, considering these duties important to the welfare of society.
Catechism
,'' Christian doctrine of EVL, pp. 16, 18–22. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
The relation of the church to sexuality is somewhat ambiguous, strictly condemning extramarital sex but in relation to premarital sex stating:
Divorce and subsequent remarriage is accepted, with reservations.
Abortion is accepted, because the church deems that the woman has the right to decide to terminate the pregnancy but the woman is not allowed to make the decision alone. Abortion should be limited to serious cases where the birth would cause serious danger or suffering either to the family or the child. Such cases should be defined in legislation, which is the case in Finland. However, the woman pondering abortion should get all possible support before and after the decision, regardless of its outcome.
On
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term i ...
issues, the Church has been engaged in dialogue. The church has no official policy on the ordination of gay clergy, and, since 2002, "one bishop has declared his willingness to ordain homosexuals." The synod of bishops has stated that sexual minorities should not be shunned or persecuted, but that they are, as all people, responsible for the applications of their sexuality. In 2010, the church took a more open position and voted to allow prayer services to be given following a civil same-sex union. The purpose of such prayer services, according to the Finnish Lutheran synod and archbishop, is to take a "clear and unequivocal stance in support of gay and lesbian couples". According to church policy on same-sex civil partnerships, "the couple may organise prayers with a priest or other church workers and invited guests. This may take place on church premises."
In 2012, the
Diocese of Kuopio appointed an openly transgender pastor to an office in the church.
After same-sex marriage became legal in 2014, Archbishop Kari Mäkinen announced his support for gay marriage. In 2016, the Synod did not authorize a rite for same-sex marriage, but did, as before, allow pastors "to pray with and for all couples who have entered into a civil
ame-sexmarriage". Therefore, while the bishops did not agree to performing same-sex marriages, "the bishops have taken the position that it is possible to hold prayer services to bless same-sex couples." As with civil partnerships, the church teaches that "same-sex couples can have a prayer ceremony" in the church. The bishops' announcement also said that "
hischange to marriage laws means that members of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, persons in high office and workers stand with same-sex
ersonsin marriage." Some clergy announced their intent to marry same-gender couples arguing that "public servant's rights grant
hemthe possibility of marrying same-sex couples". Nevertheless, the Diocese of Helsinki disciplined a pastor for performing a same-sex marriage.
The
apostolic succession of the Church is considered to have remained intact through the proper ordination of bishop
Mikael Agricola, but it was broken in 1884 when all the Finnish Lutheran bishops died within a year. The succession remained valid in the
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Swed ...
from where it was returned in the 1930s by the ordination of the bishop of
Tampere
Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclo ...
. However, the concept of apostolic succession is important foremost in ecumenical contexts, particularly in dealings with the Anglican Communion. In the theology of the Church itself, the valid signs of the Church include only the "pure preaching of the gospel and the performance of the sacraments according to the decree of
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religi ...
".
The central point of the Church doctrine, does not, however, lie in the areas of sexuality and creation but in the doctrine of
justification
Justification may refer to:
* Justification (epistemology), a property of beliefs that a person has good reasons for holding
* Justification (jurisprudence), defence in a prosecution for a criminal offenses
* Justification (theology), God's act of ...
. The human being is always a sinner, completely unable to reach God by his own merit. However, Christians are atoned by the grace of God, through the sacrifice of Christ, completely undeservedly. The Christian is simultaneously a sinner and a righteous person.
At the end of time, Christ will return and subject all to his judgment. Then everlasting perdition can only be avoided by Christ's mercy.
The saving grace becomes visible in the two
sacraments, the Holy Communion and Baptism. Baptism is
administered even to children, as it is effective regardless of personal attitudes, "for Baptism and faith are God’s work in us." Any Christian may perform a valid baptism, but in normal cases, the priest should perform the sacrament. An emergency baptism performed by a member of the Church must immediately be reported to the parish in which the baptism took place.
Catechism
'' Christian doctrine of EVL, pp. 67–70, 74–78. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
In the Holy Communion, or the Sacrament of the Altar, Christ gives his own real body and blood for people to eat and to drink. The Church practises
closed Communion
Closed communion is the practice of restricting the serving of the elements of Holy Communion (also called Eucharist, The Lord's Supper) to those who are members in good standing of a particular church, denomination, sect, or congregation. Though ...
but does not put any limitations on its members for partaking the Holy Communion. The only prerequisite needed is faith, however fragile.
Children may take part in Communion after their parents have instructed them to understand the meaning of Communion. If a person is in mortal danger and wishes to receive Holy Communion, any Christian is allowed to administer him a valid sacrament. Normally, nonetheless, the administering of the sacrament is reserved to priests.
The
ordination of women
The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian traditions and most denominations in which "ordin ...
is allowed.
Publicly, the church strongly supports the existing Finnish social welfare model, which it sees threatened especially by neoliberalism and globalization. This has led to the church being criticized from the political right for being the religious arm of
social democracy
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to prom ...
. The church has answered that it takes no political sides but strives to work for the weakest in the society.
The Church does not control its members strictly. Rituals such as weddings and funerals are often considered to be the most important reasons to remain a member.
Organisation
The structure of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is mainly based on geographical division. Every member belongs to the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
of their domicile, with parish boundaries following
municipal
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
boundaries. Large cities, on the other hand, are usually divided into several parishes, with the geographical location of the members' homes determining parish membership. The membership of a parish varies from a few hundred in small municipalities to around 60,000 members in the parish of
Malmi, Helsinki
Malmi (; sv, Malm) is a regional center and a major district on the north-eastern part of Helsinki, Finland. It has a population of 24,312 (2008).[legal person
In law, a legal person is any person or 'thing' (less ambiguously, any legal entity) that can do the things a human person is usually able to do in law – such as enter into contracts, sue and be sued, own property, and so on. The reason for ...]
of public nature, capable of taxing its members. The amount of tax collected is decided by the parish council and falls between 1 and 2.25 percent of personal income. In practice, the tax is collected by the state, for a fee.
Financially, the parishes are responsible for themselves. However, poor parishes can be assisted by the central administration. On the other hand, all parishes are responsible for contributing 10 percent of their income to the central administration of the church and the dioceses. The day-to-day affairs of the parish administration are taken care of by the vicar and the parish board, elected by the parish council. In cities, the parishes of the city have a common parish council but separate parish boards.
Pastoral formation
A Master's degree in
Theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...
is compulsory before ordination. The Church also has its own vocational postgraduate educational system. A newly ordained pastor is eligible for the position of ''Parish Pastor'' ( fi, seurakuntapastori, sv, församlingspastor), formerly ''Assistant Priest'' ( fi, apupappi, sv, adjunkt). In order to be eligible for the position of ''Chaplain'' ( fi, kappalainen, sv, kaplan) or ''Vicar'' ( fi, kirkkoherra, sv, kyrkoherde), the ''Pastoral Degree of the Church'' ( fi, pastoraalitutkinto, sv, pastoralexamen) is required. Before being able to apply for the post of Vicar, a degree in leadership skills ( fi, Seurakuntatyön johtamisen tutkinto, sv, Examen i ledning av församlingsarbete) is also compulsory. The
Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Prayer Brotherhood is an optional clergy confraternity.
In order to be eligible for the position of a ''Vicar General'' ( fi, tuomiorovasti, sv, domprost) or ''Diocesan Dean'' ( fi, hiippakuntadekaani, sv, stiftsdekan) the ''Higher Pastoral Degree of the Church'' ( fi, ylempi pastoraalitutkinto, sv, högre pastoralexamen) is required.
In addition to religious worship, local Lutheran communities arrange many non-religious activities as well. In Finland, as in other Nordic countries, most people go to church only occasionally, such as for Christmas and weddings.
Dioceses and bishops
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is divided into nine
diocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
s. Each diocese is headed by a
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
and a cathedral chapter. The Archdiocese of
Turku
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
is headed by the archbishop, who is personally responsible for leading two deaneries within that diocese. He is assisted by a bishop of Turku who takes day-to-day responsibility for running the rest of the diocese, leaving the archbishop free for his duties of national leadership and international representation. The bishops meet together regularly in the Bishops' Conference, which has eleven members; these are the archbishop, his assistant bishop of Turku, the other eight diocesan bishops, and the Chaplain General of the Defence Forces, whose title is ('field bishop'), although he is not necessarily in bishop's Orders.
[Deails of Bishop's Conference and Chaplain General to the Defence Forces (in English]
here
Eight dioceses are regional, with the remaining one covering all of the country's
Swedish-language
Swedish ( ) is a North Germanic language spoken predominantly in Sweden and in parts of Finland. It has at least 10 million native speakers, the fourth most spoken Germanic language and the first among any other of its type in the Nordic countr ...
parishes. The Church's supreme decision-making body is the
Synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word mea ...
, which meets twice a year.
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother.
In both religious and wider secular usage, a laype ...
comprise a majority of the Synod, but a fixed number of seats are reserved for the clergy. The Synod proposes changes in the Ecclesiastical Act and decides on the Ecclesiastical Order. The Synod deals with questions of doctrine and approves the books of the church. The Synod directs the Church's common activities, administration, and finances. Congregational elections are held every four years to determine administrative posts at the local level.
See also
*
Bollhustäppan
*
Conventicle Act (Sweden)
*
Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
*
Finnish Seamen's Mission
*
Treaty of Fredrikshamn
;Other Nordic national Lutheran churches
*
Church of Denmark
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...
*
Church of the Faroe Islands
*
Church of Iceland
*
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. ...
*
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Swed ...
References
External links
*
The Church in Finland today- thisisFINLANDFinnish Seamen's MissionFinnish Church in London, U.K.Catechism of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
{{Authority control
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...
Members of the World Council of Churches
Religious organizations established in 1809
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...
1809 establishments in the Russian Empire
Lutheran World Federation members
19th-century establishments in Finland
1809 establishments in Finland