A3 Book section, Chapters in research books
‘A Storm Might Be Brewing:’ The Lutheran Church and Secular Authority in Finland, 1944–1948 (2019)

Tilli, J. (2019). ‘A Storm Might Be Brewing:’ The Lutheran Church and Secular Authority in Finland, 1944–1948. In K. Sinnemäki, A. Portman, J. Tilli, & R. Nelson (Eds.), On the Legacy of Lutheranism in Finland : Societal Perspectives (pp. 273-291). Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Studia Fennica Historica, 25. https://oa.finlit.fi/site/books/10.21435/sfh.25/

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Tilli, Jouni

Parent publication: On the Legacy of Lutheranism in Finland : Societal Perspectives

Parent publication editors: Sinnemäki, Kaius; Portman, Anneli; Tilli, Jouni; Nelson, Robert

ISBN: 978-951-858-135-5

eISBN: 978-951-858-150-8

Journal or series: Studia Fennica Historica

ISSN: 1458-526X

eISSN: 2669-9591

Publication year: 2019

Number in series: 25

Pages range: 273-291

Number of pages in the book: 346

Publisher: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura

Place of Publication: Helsinki

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: English

Persistent website address: https://oa.finlit.fi/site/books/10.21435/sfh.25/

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/66943

Abstract

Although Finland, a Nazi-ally, was among the defeated, the country was not invaded after the war, and the governmental system did not change from parliamentary democracy to people’s democracy. This does not, however, mean that the war-to-peace transition in Finland was lacking drama. The years from 1944 to 1948 were marked by a series of ‘crises of peace’ so turbulent that the term ‘the war-after-the-war’ is warranted. Also for the Lutheran church in Finland the period was in many ways traumatic. The rise to power of the left, backed by the Soviet Union, and the general change in the cultural atmosphere challenged the traditionally symbiotic relation between the church and the state. This chapter examines how Lutheran priests constructed publicly the church’s relationship to the state, evolving from mild optimism towards criticism and even martyrdom.

Keywords: church (institution); state (public sector entities); state church; political crises; societal change; secularisation; postwar period

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2019

JUFO rating: 2