A Church History of Denmark - Hardcover

Lausten, Martin Schwarz

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0754603075 ISBN 13: 9780754603078

Publisher: Routledge, 2002

Synopsis

The assertion written on the Great Stone of Jelling is that it was Harold (Bluetooth) who converted the Danes to Christianity in c.965. In this comprehensive survey, Martin Schwarz Lausten charts the fortunes of the church in Denmark from its very beginnings to the present day. Starting with the pagan society of the Vikings, Lausten describes how the Danes were introduced to the new religion prior to Harald's enthronement through their contact with Christian traders and missionaries, and in the encounters of the Viking raiders with Christian culture in France and England. Drawing on a wealth of manuscript, printed and pictorial sources, the book details how Church and Royal power transformed an ancient peasant society into a typical medieval state. Following chapters examine the impact of Luther and the Reformation on Danish society, and the shift in the struggles for authority between the Church and the State. The influence of the Humanist movement and the European Enlightenment are also examined in full, together with the issues they raised such as how the Church was to speak to the modern man who no longer took at face value the authority of the Bible. Lausten brings his survey right up to current times with an overview of the nineteenth-century revivalist movements, the Danish Church's response to the Jewish question during the German occupation, through to the present day establishment of the People's Church.

About this title

About the Author:

Martin Schwarz Lausten, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Review:

'... a most thorough overview... I believe this will be the standard work from now on, for Lausten takes us from the Christianizing of Denmark in the late tenth century under King Harald Bluetooth to the present scene, a largely Lutheran, secular, yet intensely pious culture and population. For the first time, we have here a comprehensive look at the intriguing, often surprising history of the church in Denmark.' Sixteenth Century Journal 'Any scholar interested in Lutheran History and theology will find this book to be a most helpful resource.' Lutheran Quarterly 'The book is beautifully supported with ample reproductions and illustrations and is quite clear and easily accessible.' Heythrop Journal

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0754603075
• ISBN 13: 9780754603078
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 344