Revivalist movements and religious contracultures in Finland

Authors

• Juha Pentikäinen

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67085

Keywords:

Finland, Sociology and religion, Church renewal -- Lutheran churches, Revivals, Social change and church, Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko, Finland -- Minorities, Pluralism, Religious, Evangelical revival, Pietism, Laestadianism

Abstract

The religious behavior of the Finns has usually been characterised as an extremely static phenomenon which is further colored by a strong ecclesiastical tradition. This may be seen in that over 92 % of the Finnish population belongs to the Evangelical-Lutheran Church and that the largest religious movements function within this church. This conception seems to receive additional support by the fact that, with the exception of the most recent neo-pietism (uuspietismi) organised during the period of the second world war, the main revivalist movements functioning within the church are more than a century old: Knee-praying (rukoilevaisuus) from the 18th century, Revivalism (herännäisyys) from the transitional period between the 18th and 19th century, Lestadianism (lestadiolaisuus) and Evangialism (evankelisuus) from the middle of the 19th century.