Table of Contents

Contents: Preface; The Middle Ages: The missionary period; The Christian kingdom; The struggle between king and archbishop; The late Middle Ages; Life in the church; The Reformation: The presuppositions for the Reformation; The Reformatory struggle; The introduction of the Reformation; Conformity; Orthodoxy: Piety strengthens the kingdoms; Luther triumphant; The state church under absolutism; Theology and Piety in the Reformation and Orthodoxy Periods: The Biblical humanists; The bright day of the gospel;The consolidation of theology; The scourge of the anger of God - and the king’s long truncheon; Devotional literature and hymnic poetry; Pietism: Pious wishes; Anti-clerical pietism; Ecclesiastical pietism; The Period of Enlightenment: Revelation and reason; The rise and fall of Struensee: the epoch of Guldberg; Court revolution and reforms; The church struggle; The 19th and 20th centuries: Back to the Bible; The first popular revival movements; N.F.S. Grundtvig; The revival movement, its expansion and divisions; The social background of the revivals; Freedom of conscience and the people’s church; Søren Kierkegaard; The ecclesiastical fractions; The church and the social question; Theology and Christianity in crisis; Church government and church policy; The economy of the people’s church; Theology and the life of the church; The people’s church - church of the people?; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author

Martin Schwarz Lausten, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Reviews

'... 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