The Old Apostolic Lutheran Church: Old Finns in a New Millennium

Abstract

Jeremiah Backhaus explores the origins, development, and present state of the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church (OALC), tracing its roots to the 19th-century Laestadian revival in Lapland led by Lars Levi Laestadius. The movement emphasized personal confession, absolution “in the name and blood of Christ,” and emotional religious experiences known as liikutukset. Backhaus details the migration of Finnish Laestadians to America, their separation from other Scandinavian Lutherans, and the eventual formation of the OALC. The essay examines the church’s practices, including its rejection of worldly adornments, its unique worship customs, and its limited engagement with broader Lutheran theology. Despite its small size and internal schisms, the OALC maintains a strong cultural and spiritual identity rooted in Finnish heritage and revivalist tradition. —Abstract prepared by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)