Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of History, March 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Secularization is an ambiguous concept. An important part of the Swedes' self-understanding is about a larger secularization process that forms the basis of Swedish society. The link between revival movements and secularization indicates a paradoxical relationship, since "revival" may have meant religious renewal; repentance or spiritual awakening. Spiritualism has been hijacked by religion, an individual spiritual center does not have to mean an "invisible religion". The release from the supremacy of religion can mean the prophet, the pope, the priest, the church or the state religion. This essay has a western and a secularized perspective, as the essay also emphasizes that secularization is a western phenomenon. The thesis examines Gustavi's congregation in the dioceses of Gothenburg during the years 1860 to 1903. The thesis investigates how the number of communion guests has changed during these years. The question is how much has the number of communion guests changed as a percentage from 1860 to 1903 as well as what the priests' views on the sects in the congregation were. The question regarding the number of communion guests has been answered by statistical calculations. The question of the priests' view of the sects within the congregation has been answered by reading the priesthood documents. The essay also provides a deeper understanding of the concept of secularization, as this concept is widely debated. The revival movements undermined the unified power of the state church. The collectivist state church was replaced by individualists who, in their revival, sought a spiritual awakening. In the Gustavi congregation there was a liberation from a religious authority.

Herbert Smenner was one of the most prolific architects in the east central Indiana area from 1920 up until his death in 1950. During those three decades, Smenner designed some of Muncie's most beloved and recognizable buildings, including churches, schools, homes, and governmental institutions. The purpose of this study is to study trends in architecture from 1920 to 1950 through Herbert Smenner's work, to determine if he followed these trends, and to see if these trends themselves influenced his work.Smenner was a very sought after architect in Muncie and the surrounding area. His main clientele were the upper class of Muncie, as well as being the choice for many public commissions. Smenner's work, for the most part, did follow the architectural trends of the time. He worked mostly in the revival styles, which was the primary mode of choice during the 1920's and 1930's. In the early 1930's he also designed several buildings in the popular Art Deco and Art Moderne styles. His innovative design the Harrison Township School in 1924, was popular among many regional architects who came to study the unique layout of the school.Smenner was a troubled man. Throughout his career he battled illness, depression and severe issues with his temper. His work was widely appreciated, but the man faced many trials in the public eye do to his personality and legal problems. Smenner was often known as a copy artist by his peers. Many of his contemporaries felt that Smenner never had the creative skills to be a true architect, and that he was simply a wonderful draftsman interpreting the designs of others. Sadly, he took his own life at the age of 52 only leaving behind his buildings as a testament to his life and accomplishments. / Department of Architecture

In 19th century Sweden women preached in the popular revival movements as they did in the other Nordic countries, in Great Britain and the United States. One of the most famous preachers in Sweden was Nelly Hall (1848–1916). Internal and external evidence of her public life is the main focus of the study, and in this way it seeks to uncover the origin of her inspiration and to specify her connection to the spiritual movements of the time, at the same time that it analyses the reception and the debate of women as preachers in the period when she was active. Nelly Hall studied at the Royal School for Women’s Higher Teacher Education and worked as a teacher for ten years before she decided to enter into the ministry of preaching. She was influenced by the Anglo-American Holiness movement and had close contacts with the Salvation Army in London. From 1883 she travelled in the southern parts of Sweden. Thousands of people listened to her and as part of her ministry she practised faith healing. She went on preaching tours to Finland, Norway, Germany and the United States. When the Swedish Holiness Mission started as a small mission society in 1887 it was to some extent a result of the preaching work carried out by Nelly Hall. She was elected a member of the first board and worked as a mission secretary for ten years. Around 1900 there was a shift in her theological thinking and she became more absorbed by apocalyptic ideas. In 1901 she went for the second time to the United States and lived there until 1916 when she died in Brockton, Massachusetts. Little is known about the last fifteenth years of her life. The ministry of Nelly Hall and other women raised considerable public interest and in the Swedish context her time of ministry coincided with the emerging movement for the emancipation of women. Many were against women preaching in public and the discussions often occurred in the press. Parts of these discussions as well as several pamphlets in favour of women’s preaching are analysed in this study. / <p>Contains a summary in English</p>

Notre travail, sur la base d’un corpus de textes très complet que nous avons rassemblé et numérisé (CD-rom en annexe), présente quelques grands thèmes de l’œuvre théologique du pasteur Louis Dallière (1897-1976). Après un aperçu biographique nous développons sa critique de la philosophie idéaliste et des répercussions qu’elle a engendré sur la théologie protestante. L. Dallière entend par là redonner droit à une ecclésiologie privilégiant le concret et foncièrement confessante. Dans cette optique, il entend repenser la pratique du baptême, en particulier celui des enfants. Dans un contexte de fin de la chrétienté, il souhaite privilégier l’immersion de confessants. En raison de son soutien au mouvement pentecôtiste naissant il défend aussi une spiritualité ouverte à l’exercice des charismes. Cette Église confessante a pour vocation de préparer la venue en gloire du Christ. Elle doit donc se réapproprier l’eschatologie sans pour autant s’abandonner aux excès apocalyptiques. Dans chacun des chapitres nous situerons l’auteur dans son contexte ecclésial et théologique. En conclusion nous indiquons quelle peut être la pertinence aujourd’hui de cette pensée. / I base my research on a fairly complete collection of pastor’s Dallière writings that I have assembled and digitized (see the CD-rom), presenting some of the main themes in the theology of Louis Dallière (1897-1976), a pastor in the Reformed church of France. After a biographical sketch of his life, I present his critique of Idealist philosophies and its impact on Protestant theology. I present Louis Dallière's larger objective of establishing a more concrete and confessional ecclesiology, including his rethinking of the practice of baptism, especially infant baptism. Convinced that the era of Christianity was coming to an end, he called for a renewed practice of the immersion of confessing believers. Because he supported the beginnings of Pentecostalism he also believed in a renewal of spiritual charisms within church life. I also explore the larger purpose of his call for a renewed confessing church to prepare for Christ's Second Coming, with his consequent re-appropriation of eschatology without the excesses of some apocalyptic movements. In each of our chapters I place L. Dallière in his ecclesiological and theological context. In my conclusion I explore the relevance of Dallière’s insights for our current theologies.

Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka vilka olika religiösa inriktningar som finns bland sverigefinländare idag och vilken religiös bakgrund de har. Ett annat syfte har varit att ta reda på om religionen spelar en primär eller en sekundär roll för identiteten jämfört med kultur och språk hos sverigefinländare, och om det finns skillnader i den religiösa identiteten hos första, andra och tredje generationens sverigefinländare, samt hur dessa förmodade skillnader kan förklaras. En annan målsättning med denna studie har varit att undersöka hur religiositet uttrycks hos första, andra och tredje generationens sverigefinländare genom religiös praktik. Det teoretiska ramverket består av Nancy T. Ammermans and Lori Peeks teorier om religiös identitet and Thomas Hylland Eriksens and Fredrik Barths teorier om gränsdragningsprocesser. Denna studie visar att det finns en stor mångfald vad gäller religiösa inriktningar bland sverigefinländarna och att även deras religiösa bakgrund skiftar. Resultatet av denna studie visar att religiös tro tycks vara viktigare för identiteten för första generationens sverigefinländare jämfört med andra och tredje generationen. En av förklaringarna skulle kunna vara att sverigefinländare av andra och tredje generationen är mer assimilerade i det sekulära, svenska samhället och även att andra och tredje generationens invandrare har en mer otydlig identitet och att de i vissa fall kan bli etniska eller religiösa anomalier. Trots mångfalden vad gäller religiösa inriktningar, visar studien att det även finns likheter, i synnerhet bland första generationens sverigefinländare. Första generationen tycks vara mer konservativ vad gäller bibeltolkning och religiösa värderingar, exempelvis. Ett av skälen kan vara att finsktalande präster från Finland, som arbetar inom Svenska kyrkan, har en bakgrund inom väckelserörelsen, som har haft stark påverkan på Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland. Denna studie visar också att det finns ett levande och aktivt religiöst liv bland sverigefinländare idag, trots att assimilationstycket har varit stort. / The aim of this study has been to explore what kind of religious directions are to be found among Sweden Finlanders today and what religious background they have. Another aim has been to find out if religion has a primary or a secondary role for the identity compared to culture and language among Sweden Finlanders, and if there are differences in religious identity between the first, the second and the third generation and how these assumed differences can be explained. Another purpose with this study has been to explore how religiosity among Sweden Finlanders of the first, the second and the third generation is shown through religious practice. The theoretical framework consists of Nancy T. Ammerman’s and Lori Peek’s theories about religious identity and Thomas Hylland Eriksen’s and Fredrik Barth’s theories about boundary making processes. This study shows there is a great diversity in religious directions among Sweden Finlanders and their religious background is also shifting. According to the results of this study, religious faith seems to be more important for the identity for religious Sweden Finlanders of the first generation compared to the second and the third generation. One of the explanations could be that Sweden Finlanders of the second and the third generation are more assimilated in the secular, Swedish society and also because second and third generation immigrants’ identity is less clear and in some cases they become an ethnic or a religious anomaly. This study also shows that although there are differences between the religious directions, similarities also exists, especially between Sweden Finlanders of the first generation. The first generation seems to be more conservative when it comes to Bible interpretation and religious values, for example. One of the reasons might be that Finnish speaking priests from Finland, who work within Church of Sweden, have a background in the religious revival movements which has had a strong influence on the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. This study also shows there is a living and active religious life among Sweden Finlanders today, even though the pressure to assimilate has been strong.