Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - VIII. The Church in the last century (1811—1910 A.D.)
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
io.~PRESENT CONDITION. 423
Lutheran countries. Bishop Ullman s charge, quoted
below, throws some light on this point, and shows his
desire for an acceptance of "modern positive theology"
in the place of the old stiff orthodoxy.
(2) How far has the Swedish Church lost ground, and what
are its chief difficulties and anxieties? Difficul
ties in U.S.A.
Looking at this matter first from the American point of
view it is impossible not to come to the conclusion that
the Church has lost hold of the population in many dis
tricts. This is evident from the fact that three-quarters of
the immigrants to U.S.A. have drifted away from
Swedish, and, indeed, from all Lutheran associations.
Something is doubtless due to the attractions of material
comfort, and to the satisfaction which is felt by many new
settlers in home life, and political and business life, apart
from Church life. Yet I do not think that alienation from
Church life is due mainly to materialism and irreligion.
It is due rather to the fact that the adhesion of the Swedish
peasantry to the Church has (as in England) meant too
often submission to law or custom, and is not the result of
affection or religious conviction. The glory and the
beauty of the Church has not got a hold of their imagina
tions. In making these comments I am quite aware that
they largely apply to Anglicans and Anglicanism, both
at home and in foreign countries, and in our colonies and
dependencies.
Difficulties in the Mother Country.
The loss of ground in the Mother Country may be
illustrated from the recent charges of Swedish bishops,
three of which have come into my hands from the dioceses
of Upsala, Kalmar and Strengnas. They contain also
(especially the two latter) hints and notes of encourage
ment, but on the whole the picture is discouraging.
This is particularly the case with the careful statistics
collected by the Archbishop of Upsala for the years 1902
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
