Laestadianism, also known as Laestadian Lutheranism and Apostolic Lutheranism, is a
pietistic Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
revival movement started in
Sápmi
(, smj, Sábme / Sámeednam, sma, Saepmie, sju, Sábmie, , , sjd, Са̄мь е̄ммьне, Saam' jiemm'n'e) is the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people. Sápmi is in Northern and Eastern Europe and includes the ...
in the middle of the 19th century.
Named after
Swedish Lutheran state church administrator and
temperance movement
The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...
leader
Lars Levi Laestadius, it is the biggest pietistic
revivalist movement
Christian revivalism is increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation or society, with a local, national or global effect. This should be distinguished from the use of the term "revival" to refer to an evangelis ...
in the
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...
.
It has members mainly in
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 B ...
,
Northern America
Northern America is the northernmost subregion of North America. The boundaries may be drawn slightly differently. In one definition, it lies directly north of Middle America (including the Caribbean and Central America).Gonzalez, Joseph. 20 ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. There are also smaller congregations in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
and
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
. In addition Laestadians have missionaries in 23 countries. The number of Laestadians worldwide is estimated to be between 144,000 and 219,000.
Organization in Finland and North America
![Kiviharjunlenkki 7 Oulu 20200411 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Kiviharjunlenkki_7_Oulu_20200411_02.jpg)
Most Laestadians in Finland are part of the
national
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
Church of Finland (cf. ''
Communion of Nordic Lutheran Dioceses The Communion of Nordic Lutheran Dioceses are Lutheran dioceses that entered into schism with their Scandinavian national churches in 2003 due to what they perceived as "the secularization of the national/state churches in their respective countri ...
''), but in America, where there is no official Lutheran church, they founded their own denomination, which split into several sub-groups in the mid-20th century. Because of doctrinal opinion differences and personality conflicts, the movement split into 19 branches, of which about 15 are active today. The three large main branches are
Conservative Laestadianism
Conservative Laestadianism is the largest branch of the Lutheran Christian revival, revival movement Laestadianism. It has spread to 16 countries. As of 2012 there were about 115,000 Conservative Laestadians, most of them in Finland, the Un ...
(corresponds to the
Laestadian Lutheran Church
The Laestadian Lutheran Church (LLC) is a religious Christian movement, its teachings based on the Bible and the Lutheran Confessions. From June 9, 1973, the organisation was named the Association of American Laestadian Congregations (AALC), ...
, in North America known to other Laestadians as the "Heidemans" after 20th-century leader Paul A. Heideman);
the Firstborn (in North America, "Old Apostolic Lutheran Church" ("Esikoinens" to other Laestadian denominations); and ''Rauhan Sana'' ("Word of Peace"), known in USA and Canada as the
Apostolic Lutheran Church of America
The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America (ALCA) is a Laestadian Lutheran church denomination established by Finnish American and Norwegian immigrants in the 1800s. They came mainly from northern Finland and northern Norway where they had been mem ...
(to other Laestadians, the "Mickelsens" after 20th-century leader Reverend Andrew Mickelsen (1897–1983).
These comprise about 90 percent of Laestadians. Other branches are small and some of them inactive.
In Finland, the ''Elämän Sana'' ("the Word of life") group, as the most "
mainline" of the different branches of Laestadianism, has been prominent within the hierarchy of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland ( fi, Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; sv, Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland) is a national church of Finland. It is part of the Lutheran branch of Christianity. The church has a legal positio ...
: two members have been elected bishops of
Oulu
Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...
, and one has served as
Chaplain General (head chaplain of the
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces ( fi, Puolustusvoimat, sv, Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime the Finnish Border Guard (which i ...
, the equivalent of a
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
).
Distinguishing doctrines and practices
Emphasis on justification
All branches share many essential teachings including a central emphasis on the Lutheran doctrine of justification (
forgiveness
Forgiveness, in a psychological sense, is the intentional and voluntary process by which one who may initially feel victimized or wronged, goes through a change in feelings and attitude regarding a given offender, and overcomes the impact of th ...
and
grace
Grace may refer to:
Places United States
* Grace, Idaho, a city
* Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois
* Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office
* Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...
).
''The true Christians'' doctrine
Another core teaching concerns essential differences in lifestyle and beliefs between true believers on one hand, and false Christians (sometimes distinguished as living faith versus dead faith) and unbelievers on the other.
Exclusion and inclusion among Laestadian sub-groups
The leaders of the two largest Laestadian sub-groups, the
Conservative Laestadians and
Firstborn Laestadians, have for decades excluded each other and all other Laestadian sub-groups from the kingdom of Heaven even though the denominations' core doctrines are nearly indistinguishable. The leadership of the smaller third main sub-group, the
Federation
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
, has continued to regard the other sub-groups as of living faith, after having unsuccessfully sought to preserve unity within Laestadianism when its larger counterparts' leaders in the 1930s called for, and later required, dissociation from the Federation and other Laestadian denominations.
Declaration of forgiveness
The church teaches that every believer has the authority to testify that others' sins are forgiven, sometimes referred to as the audible declaration of the forgiveness of sins. Laestadians usually proclaim the forgiveness of sins "in Jesus' name and blood".
In practice
Laestadianism holds that when a Christian has committed a sin, whether in thought or deed, she or he should confess the sin to another believer. Thus it is a common practice among Laestadians in or out of church at any time, but especially during the church service prior to the rite of holy communion, to be confessing their sins to one another or, occasionally, to one of the church ministers performing the sacrament. A common declaration is, "Believe your sin(s) forgiven in Jesus' name and (shed) blood." This procedure, ingrained in Laestadianism, differs from
absolution in mainstream Lutheran churches in several aspects, including that the request for forgiveness need not be, and most often is not, to the minister; the confession is often made openly; confession is not by appointment but rather readily available to any believer from any other believer at any time; and the specific wording of the declaration states that the means of
atonement
Atonement (also atoning, to atone) is the concept of a person taking action to correct previous wrongdoing on their part, either through direct action to undo the consequences of that act, equivalent action to do good for others, or some other ex ...
is
Christ's shed blood.
A most solemn rite
Because a Laestadian takes very seriously the proposition that grace exists only for one whose sins have been specifically forgiven, there is scarcely another rite in this movement that would rival the importance of the declaration of forgiveness. This doctrine is a unique extension of the
priesthood of the believer doctrine.
Identifying greeting and farewell
When greeting each other, Laestadians say "God's peace" in English (or in Finnish: , meaning 'God's greeting' or 'welcome'). To take their leave of each other, they say "God's peace" in English (or in Finnish: ).
Emphasis on avoiding sin and "worldliness"
"Worldliness" is discouraged, and Laestadians frown on pre-marital sex and on
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
consumption except in the sacrament of holy communion. Conservative Laestadians frown upon worldly vices such as dancing, television, birth control,
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...
ic
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
,
make-up
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
, earrings, movies,
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...
s, and cursing. Some conservative elements within the church go even further in rejecting the ways of the world, for examples, refusing to buy insurance, prohibiting their children's participation in organized school sports, and removing their car radios. Simplicity in the home, including the prohibition of curtains and flowers, is also a common claim - especially among
Firstborn Laestadians - but not a Church doctrine.
Birth control
Especially large numbers of Firstborn Apostolic Lutherans and many members of the most conservative congregations within the Word of Peace group, for examples, do not use birth control because they believe that a child is a gift from God; therefore, many Laestadian families are large.
Social gatherings
The central activities of Laestadians are annual or more frequent church conventions, including the
Summer Services
Summer services in Perho, Finland in 2005
Flags represent countries where SRK (the central organization of Conservative Laestadians in Finland) or its sister organizations are regularly active
The main tent for the services used between 1960†...
of
Conservative Laestadians, attended by members from congregations far and wide; and for the youth, haps (gatherings of teenagers and young adults to sing from ''Songs and Hymns of Zion'' and visit), song services, bonfires, youth discussions, caretaking meetings and
revival meeting
A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held to inspire active members of a church body to gain new converts and to call sinners to repent. Nineteenth-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said, "Many blessings may come ...
s.
Within
Firstborn Laestadianism in Scandinavia, the most important yearly events are the Christmas services in
Gällivare
Gällivare (; fi, Jällivaara; se, Jiellevárri or ; smj, Jiellevárre or ; fit, Jellivaara) is a locality and the seat of Gällivare Municipality in Norrbotten County, province of Lapland, Sweden with 8,449 inhabitants in 2010. The town was ...
and the Midsummer services in
Lahti
Lahti (; sv, Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the region of Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme) and its growing region is one of the main economic hubs of Finland. Lahti is situated on a bay at the southern e ...
, where thousands of Firstborn Laestadians gather each year from different countries.
Publications
Different branches publish their newspapers and magazines.
Chosen Scripture
In Finland, the Bible version primarily used by Laestadians is the
Finnish Bible of 1776 which, unlike newer translations, is based on the
Textus Receptus
''Textus Receptus'' (Latin: "received text") refers to all printed editions of the Greek New Testament from Erasmus's ''Novum Instrumentum omne'' (1516) to the 1633 Elzevir edition. It was the most commonly used text type for Protestant denomi ...
. The
Central Association of the Finnish Associations of Peace (SRK) publishes a triple Finnish translation (1776, 1933/1938, and 1992) that is used as both a study and a service Bible by Conservative Laestadian preachers. American and Canadian Laestadianism uses the
King James Version
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and publis ...
, based as well on the Textus Receptus.
History
Roots of the movement
The name of the movement stems from
Lars Levi Laestadius (1800–1861), a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
Sámi
The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are a Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Murmansk Oblast, Rus ...
preacher and administrator for the
Swedish state Lutheran church in
Sápmi
(, smj, Sábme / Sámeednam, sma, Saepmie, sju, Sábmie, , , sjd, Са̄мь е̄ммьне, Saam' jiemm'n'e) is the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people. Sápmi is in Northern and Eastern Europe and includes the ...
who was also a noted botanist. Laestadius started the movement when working as a pastor for 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 Sw ...
in northern Sweden in the 1840s. Laestadius met a
Sami
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise net ...
woman named
Milla Clementsdotter
Milla Clementsdotter (also known as, Milla Clemensdotter, Maria of Lappland (Finnish language, Lapin Maria; 1 November 1812 – 8 April 1892) was a Swedish Southern Sami woman who is remembered for guiding Lars Levi Laestadius in questions of Chr ...
from Föllinge in the municipality of
Krokom in
Jämtland
Jämtland (; no, Jemtland or , ; Jamtish: ''Jamtlann''; la, Iemptia) is a historical province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland to the north a ...
during an 1844 inspection tour of
Ã…sele
Åsele () is a locality and the seat of Åsele Municipality in Västerbotten County, province of Lapland, Sweden with 1,798 inhabitants in 2010. Its elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed referen ...
. She belonged to a revival movement within 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 Sw ...
led by pastor
Pehr Brandell of the parish of Nora in the municipality of
Kramfors
Kramfors () is a locality and the seat of Kramfors Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It had a population of 5,990 inhabitants in 2010.
The town grew on the western bank of the Ã…ngerman river in the 19th century as harvested logs wer ...
in
Ã…ngermanland
Ångermanland ( or ) is a historical province (''landskap'') in the northern part of Sweden. It is bordered (clockwise from the north) by Swedish Lapland, Västerbotten, the Gulf of Bothnia, Medelpad and Jämtland.
The name is derived from the O ...
and characterized by
pietistic and
Moravian influences. She told Laestadius about her spiritual experiences on her journey to a truly living Christianity, and after the meeting Laestadius felt he had come to understand the secret of living faith. He had had a deep experience of having entered a state of grace, of having received God's forgiveness for his sins and of at last truly seeing the path that leads to eternal life. His sermons acquired, in his own words, "a new kind of colour" to which people began to respond. The movement began to spread from
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
to
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 B ...
and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, particularly among the Sámi and the
Kvens
Kvens (; fi, kveeni; no, kvenar, kvener; sv, kväner; se, kveanat) are a Balto-Finnic ethnic minority in Norway. They are descended from Finnish peasants and fishermen who emigrated from the northern parts of Finland and Sweden to Northe ...
. He preferred his followers to be known simply as "Christians", but others started to call them "Laestadians."
Initial effect on Laestadius's Sámi parishioners
Two great challenges Laestadius had faced since his early days as a church minister were the indifference of his Sámi parishioners, who had been forced by the
Swedish government
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden ( sv, Konungariket Sveriges regering) is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority.
The Government consists of the Prime Ministerappointed and dismissed by the Speaker of the R ...
to convert from their
shamanistic religion to Lutheranism, and the misery caused them by alcoholism. The spiritual understanding Laestadius acquired and shared in his new sermons "filled with vivid metaphors from the lives of the Sami that they could understand, ... about a God who cared about the lives of the people" had a profound positive effect on both problems. An account from the Sámi cultural perspective recalls a new desire among the Sámi to learn to read and a bustle and energy in the church, with people confessing their sins, crying and praying for forgiveness—within Laestadianism this was known as ''liikutukset'', a kind of
ecstasy. Drunkenness and cattle theft diminished, which had a positive influence on the Samis’ relationships, finances and family life.
Rise of Laestadianism among the Sámi
The rapid rise of Laestadianism among the Sámi was due to several factors. Laestadius proudly self-identified as Sámi through his Southern Sámi mother. He spoke and preached in two Sámi dialects. Further he chose uneducated lay preachers from the Sámi reindeer herders to travel year around with them and preach to the unrepented among them. Additionally, in the early days of the movement, Laestadius, in order to find common ground with his parishioners, borrowed the Sámis’ own familiar pagan deities and concepts and adapted them to Christianity. Another factor in the rise of Laestadianism among the Sámi was that the state-mandated boarding schools soon came to be populated by Laestadian personnel. Next, the strict moral code including strict temperance of Laestadianism appealed to the Sámi. Whole communities that had been wrecked by alcoholism went sober virtually overnight. This had the added positive effect of improving the Sámis' social standing with the outside world. Finally, Laestadianism was a faith that the Sámi could identify as originating from within inasmuch as Laestadius himself professed to have come to know the true living faith only upon his encounter with the poor abused Sámi woman, Milla Clementsdotter.
"Unbroken line of living Christianity"
A faction within Laestadianism has believed that the movement is a contemporary descendant of an unbroken line of living Christianity via the
Luther
Luther may refer to:
People
* Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation
* Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American minister and leader in the American civil rights movement
* Luther (give ...
, the
Bohemian Brethren, the
Lollards
Lollardy, also known as Lollardism or the Lollard movement, was a proto-Protestant Christian religious movement that existed from the mid-14th century until the 16th-century English Reformation. It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Catholic ...
, and the
Waldensians
The Waldensians (also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi or Vaudois) are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation.
Originally known as the "Poor Men of Lyon" in ...
all the way back to the
primitive Church.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
,
Jan Hus
Jan Hus (; ; 1370 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the inspir ...
,
John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe (; also spelled Wyclif, Wickliffe, and other variants; 1328 – 31 December 1384) was an English scholastic philosopher, theologian, biblical translator, reformer, Catholic priest, and a seminary professor at the University of O ...
and
Peter Waldo
Peter Waldo (; c. 1140 – c. 1205; also ''Valdo'', ''Valdes'', ''Waldes''; , ) was the leader of the Waldensians, a Christian spiritual movement of the Middle Ages.
The tradition that his first name was "Peter" can only be traced back to the f ...
are seen as spiritual ancestors of Laestadianism.
Demographics
Groups in 2012
* 1.
Conservative Laestadianism
Conservative Laestadianism is the largest branch of the Lutheran Christian revival, revival movement Laestadianism. It has spread to 16 countries. As of 2012 there were about 115,000 Conservative Laestadians, most of them in Finland, the Un ...
115 000 people (in Finland (
SRK), U.S.A. (
Laestadian Lutheran Church
The Laestadian Lutheran Church (LLC) is a religious Christian movement, its teachings based on the Bible and the Lutheran Confessions. From June 9, 1973, the organisation was named the Association of American Laestadian Congregations (AALC), ...
), Sweden (
SFC), Russia, Togo (ELLT), Canada (
LLC), Kenya (LLOP), Ghana (
LLC), Gambia (
LLC), Ecuador, Norway, Estonia (
ELR), Latvia, London, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, etc.)
* 2.
Firstborn Laestadianism unknown membership number (in U.S.A. (
Old Apostolic Lutheran Church), Finland (Esikoislestadiolaiset ry), Sweden, Norway, Russia, Latvia)
* 3. Little Firstborn group (Rauhan Sana group) 21 000 people (in Finland (LFF and LYRS), U.S.A. (
Apostolic Lutheran Church of America
The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America (ALCA) is a Laestadian Lutheran church denomination established by Finnish American and Norwegian immigrants in the 1800s. They came mainly from northern Finland and northern Norway where they had been mem ...
), Sweden, Norway, Canada (
ALC), Guatemala, Nigeria, India, Togo(ALC) and Kenya)
* 4. Torola group 4 000 people (in U.S.A.(First Apostolic Lutheran Church), Sweden and Finland (SVR))
* 5. Reed group (Pollarites) 3,500 people in U.S.A. (Independent Apostolic Lutheran Church)
* 6. Reawakening 3 000 people (in Finland (LLK) and Norway)
* 7. Old Erikians (Lyngen group) 1 200 people in Norway
* 8. New Erikians 800 people in Norway
* 9. Aunes group 550 people in U.S.A. (The Apostolic Lutheran Church)
* 10. Elämän Sana group (clericalists) 300 people (in Finland, Sweden (SFK) and Norway)
* 11. Levi group 200 people (in Finland and Sweden)
* 12. GALC 50 people in U.S.A. (Grace Apostolic Lutheran Church)
* 13. Leskinen group 50 people (in Sweden and Norway)
* 14. Kvaenangen group (svärmeri) 50 people in Norway
* 15. Davidites 40 people in U.S.A.
* 16. Gundersen group 30 people in Norway
* 17. Hanka group (Melvinites) 20 people in U.S.A.
* 18. Sten group 15 people in Finland
* 19. Kontio group 5 people in Finland
File:Family_tree_of_laestadianism_in_Russia_3.png, Family tree of Laestadianism in Russia and Ingria (not so much in Karelia). Includes defunct groups.
File:Laestadianism family tree 2.png, Family tree of laestadianism in world. Does not include defunct groups.
File:Family tree of laestadianism in Finland 6.png, Family tree of laestadianism in Finland and Karelia. Includes defunct groups.
File:Amerikan lestadiolaisuuden sukupuu eng.svg, Family tree of laestadianism in America. Includes defunct groups.
File:Family tree of laestadianism in Sweden 2010.png, Family tree of laestadianism in Sweden. Includes defunct groups.
File:Family tree of laestadianism in Norway.jpg, Family tree of laestadianism in Norway. Includes defunct groups.
File:Family tree of laestadianism in Vadso 3.png, Family tree of laestadianism in Vadsø (in Norway) in 1860–1960. Includes defunct groups.
Fertility
Members tend to have large families by Western standards. In
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 B ...
, their demographic advantage has grown as the national fertility rate has fallen: in the 1940s their fertility rate was twice the national average, while in the 1980s it was four times the average. "By 1985–7, the Laestadian and Finnish
TFRs stood at 5.47 and 1.45 respectively. Even within the Laestadian TFR of 5.47, there is diversity, with a 'moderate' group preferring to stop at four
hildrenand practise
birth control
Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
while a conservative cluster engages in unrestrained reproduction.
No research has been done on Laestadians' level of
endogamy
Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting those from others as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships.
Endogamy is common in many cultu ...
and membership retention
s of 2010 However, they are residentially and occupationally integrated, so lose more members to assimilation." For example, in the small town of
Larsmo
Larsmo ( fi, Luoto) is a municipality of Finland, located in the Ostrobothnia region.
''Larsmo'' is also the name of one of the villages in the municipality of Larsmo. The municipality is bilingual with Swedish as the majority language and Finn ...
, despite some losses to outmarriage and emigration, their share of the population doubled over just thirty years to about 40% in 1991 and was predicted to be "a two-thirds majority of the town in a generation."
In popular culture
In literature
''An Examination of the Pearl'' a book written by Edwin A. Suominen. An Examination of the Pearl is a study of the doctrine and history of Conservative Laestadianism. The book also looks at the teachings of Martin Luther, early Christianity,
Christian fundamentalism
Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and ...
and sectarianism, and the Bible.
To Cook A Bearby
Mikael Niemi
Mikael Niemi (born 13 August 1959) is a Swedish author. He wrote the novel ''Populärmusik från Vittula'' (in English as ''Popular music from Vittula''). It is the story of a young boy, Matti, growing up in Pajala in the 1960s and is recounted in ...
. A fictional tale set in the far north of Sweden in 1852 following a runaway Sami boy and his mentor, the famous pastor
Laestadius.
''Lars Levi Laestadius and the Sami'' by Viktor 'Vulle' Cornell
''Lars Levi Laestadius and the Revival in Lapland'' by Warren H. Hepokoski
''The Laestadian Movement: Background Writings and Testimonies'' compiled by Warren H. Hepokoski
''The Laestadian Movement: Disputes and Divisions 1861 – 2000'' by Warren H. Hepokoski
*''We Sinners'', a novel about Laestadianism by former LLC-member Hanna Pylväinen
Science_Fiction_author_Walter_Jon_Williams_discusses_his_family_history_with_Laestadianism.html" ;"title="Walter Jon Williams">Science Fiction author Walter Jon Williams
discusses his family history with Laestadianism">Walter Jon Williams">Science Fiction author Walter Jon Williams
discusses his family history with Laestadianism
In film
*All the Sins - a Finnish TV series set in a Laestadian town in northern Finland
''Laestadianism – USA''(short documentary)
*
Forbidden Fruit
Forbidden fruit is a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden which God commands mankind not to eat. In the biblical story, Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and are exiled from Eden.
As a ...
*
The Kautokeino Rebellion
''The Kautokeino Rebellion'' ( no, Kautokeino-opprøret, se, Guovdageainnu Stuimmit) is a 2008 film based on the true story of the Kautokeino riots in Kautokeino, Norway in 1852 in response to the Norwegian exploitation of the Sami community a ...
*
The Earth Is a Sinful Song
''The Earth Is a Sinful Song'' ( fi, Maa on syntinen laulu) is a 1973 Finnish drama film directed by Rauni Mollberg and based on the novel ''Maa on syntinen laulu'' by late Finnish author Timo K. Mukka. It was entered into the 24th Berlin Intern ...
*''
Elina: As If I Wasn't There''
*
Arctic Circle (Finnish: Ivalo) – TV Series
*
Bordertown (Finnish TV series)
''Bordertown'' ( fi, Sorjonen) is a Finnish crime drama and Nordic noir television series created by Miikko Oikkonen and starring Ville Virtanen as detective inspector Kari Sorjonen. The first season, which consisted of eleven episodes, premi ...
, season 3, episodes 7 & 8, features mysterious deaths in a Conservative Laestadian community.
Famous Laestadians
In addition to the founder Laestadius himself, who was also a noted botanist, and chronicler of the Samis' shamanistic religious beliefs, former prime minister of Finland and leader for seven years of the
Finnish Centre Party,
Juha Sipilä
Juha Petri Sipilä (; born 25 April 1961) is a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2015 to 2019. A relative newcomer to politics, he has a successful background in business. He was the leader of the Centre Party fro ...
, is a life-long Laestadian of the Rauhan Sana group.
See also
*
Conservative Laestadianism
Conservative Laestadianism is the largest branch of the Lutheran Christian revival, revival movement Laestadianism. It has spread to 16 countries. As of 2012 there were about 115,000 Conservative Laestadians, most of them in Finland, the Un ...
*
Firstborn Laestadianism
*
Kautokeino rebellion
The Sami revolt in Guovdageaidnu, also known as the Kautokeino uprising, was a revolt in the town of Kautokeino in northern Norway in 1852 by a group of Sami who attacked representatives of the Norwegian authorities. The rebels killed the local ...
*
Korpela movement
The Korpela movement, or Siikavaara sect, was a religious sect started by Laestadian preacher Toivo Korpela in Sweden during the 1920s. It saw its decline later during the next decade as its practices involved heavy drinking and unconventional s ...
*
Laestadianism in America
**
Apostolic Lutheran Church of America
The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America (ALCA) is a Laestadian Lutheran church denomination established by Finnish American and Norwegian immigrants in the 1800s. They came mainly from northern Finland and northern Norway where they had been mem ...
**
Laestadian Lutheran Church
The Laestadian Lutheran Church (LLC) is a religious Christian movement, its teachings based on the Bible and the Lutheran Confessions. From June 9, 1973, the organisation was named the Association of American Laestadian Congregations (AALC), ...
*
Summer Services
Summer services in Perho, Finland in 2005
Flags represent countries where SRK (the central organization of Conservative Laestadians in Finland) or its sister organizations are regularly active
The main tent for the services used between 1960†...
*
Läsare
(lit. 'reader') or the Reader movement was a Swedish Pietistic Christian revival movement of people who stressed the importance of reading (), that is, reading the Bible and other Christian literature. It was influenced by both the Herrnhute ...
, a related Swedish movement
*
Hans Nielsen Hauge
Hans Nielsen Hauge (3 April 1771 – 29 March 1824) was a 19th-century Norwegian Lutheran lay minister, spiritual leader, business entrepreneur, social reformer and author. He led a noted Pietism revival known as the Haugean movement. Hauge is also ...
, a non-Laestadian figure in the Awakening revival in Norway whose writings are studied by some Laestadians today.
*
Ushkovayzet are Eastern Orthodox Laestadians (article is in Russian).
Karelian religious movement Uskhovayzet
/ref>
Sources
*
Notes
External links
* NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
Faith, Family And Forgiveness In 'We Sinners' a novel by Hanna Pylvainen
*Warren H. Hepokoski
*Lestadiolaisuus.info
*Lestadiolaisuus.info
{{Pietism
Lutheranism in Finland
History of Lutheranism in Sweden
Lutheran revivals
Lutheran denominations