James Gale writes:
As a "Swedish Lutheran" (with no Swedish blood, by the way) who has lived in Minnesota, I am fascinated by the spin about the Swedes that you picked up among Norwegians (who are much more numerous but were historically very divided among themselves).
Augustana did give preference to Augustana over the rest of the Confessions. However, it did embrace the rest of the "Symbols" as "pure and Scriptural." Augustana viewed its membership in the General Council as clear evidence of its Confessional commitment, a commitment that it did not find in all of the Norwegian churches (or in some other other "Lutheran" bodies). Indeed, the "me-and-my-Bible-alone," prairie piety of some of the Norwegians looked "non-Confessional" to the Swedes. The Swedes thought that they were the ones protecting the Confessions from the pietistic practices of some Norwegians.
And the Swedes most assuredly didn't go for "Methodist" or "Baptist" hymns. If anything, Augustana went in a more high-church direction than most of the Norwegians.
As for communion, the Swedes most assuredly observed the Galesburg Rule. I don't know what created the sense that Norwegians were more committed to "close(d)" communion than were the Swedes.
In short, I don't doubt that you are sharing what you heard from Norwegians about the Swedes. But it doesn't really comport with the history of Augustana.
James: Thanks for your response!
It is very interesting to hear things from the Swedish Lutheran perspective. I try to remain neutral and fair to both sides. My roots were in German Lutheranism, so I don't have anything invested emotionally with the Norwegians. (I simply lived among them for a number of years and attended an ELS college and church). I highly doubt everything they told me about the Swedes was either fair or accurate. I am familiar with the old Augustana Synod and the old Augustana Synod Hymnal of 1925. That particular hymnal preserves the old Olavus Petri rite of the Swedish Mass in English translation. Its a really nice service, and liturgically it is very rich, both textually and musically. I think its kind of a shame that it hasn't been preserved somewhere in American Lutheranism. I really liked the evangelical catholic flavor to it and much of the music that was used with it.
I can see why Swedes might think of Norwegian Lutheranism as "me and my Bible alone prairie Lutheranism". There is, especially among the more pietistic Norwegians a great sense of austerity and plainness.
For what its worth, I had locals in Mankato, Minnesota tell me that their perception was that the Swedes were, on the whole, wealthier and more urbane than the "Norskies" (as they called themselves.) There was a perception that the Swedes and many of the old Augustana Synod churches were where the Lutherans who had "arrived" financially attended. The Norwegians perceived themselves as more rustic, more rural and less wealthy than the Swedes. I don't know if any of this is actually true. I do know that Norwegian humor is very self-deprecating and that the Norwegians are the only ethnic group I have ever known that actually enjoys telling ethnic jokes about
themselves.
One joke they used to tell me in Mankato was that whenever someone moved from Sweden to Norway, the IQs of both nations went up.
Take care.
