The Political Trinity of Conservative Laestadianism: God, His Kingdom and Authorities

Nykänen, Tapio

doi:10.1179/1462317x15z.000000000175

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…However, the old political stance prevailed, and it still does in the late 2010s. Exact support numbers are not available, 3 but all studies strongly suggest that the members still tend to vote the moderate political right (Talonen 2019;Nykänen 2016). Our research suggests that The Centre Party is, as it has traditionally been, the most popular political choice amongst Laestadians in Finland.…”

Section: Laestadian Politics-historical and Theological Basismentioning

confidence: 70%

“…The official religious doctrine of Conservative Laestadianism has valued politics and political participation at least since the early 20th century (Talonen 1988;Nykänen 2012Nykänen , 2016. Theologically, the positive approach has originated in the Lutheran two kingdoms doctrine.…”

Section: Laestadian Politics-historical and Theological Basismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to the doctrine, religious (divine) and secular power are separated, but also secular power gains its legitimacy from God. Because of this, a true believer should support secular authorities in everyday life-even if the authorities are sometimes misguided and make decisions that are problematic from the religious perspective (Nykänen 2012(Nykänen , 2016. However, this does not mean that one should refrain from criticizing authorities entirely: Criticism is allowed but it should be moderate and reasonable, which means that a Laestadian should not act in a disruptive way (Nykänen 2016).…”

Section: Laestadian Politics-historical and Theological Basismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The political left as a whole was considered problematic because of its atheistic and revolutionary background. Also, supporting the Finnish Rural Party was condemned in the 1960s because its politics was deemed disruptive (Nykänen 2012(Nykänen , 2016. Perhaps the most imperative and explicit restrictions were issued in the 1960s and 1970s.…”

Section: Laestadian Politics-historical and Theological Basismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the early 1980s, the movement replaced its general instructions with a request to vote in elections. At the same time, politics and religion became more or less officially separated (Nykänen 2016). This was at least partially a counter-reaction to the distressing atmosphere of the two previous decades.…”

Section: Laestadian Politics-historical and Theological Basismentioning

confidence: 99%

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In this chapter, we argue that the political and economic activities of the members of the Conservative Laestadianism are often intertwined with the religion and the religious notions of the movement. Many seemingly secular stances and procedures have theological basis, while others rely and utilize the social networks that originate in the church. However, the effects of the religion in the secular life of Laestadians are quite diverse, and one should not oversimplify them. The implications of a person's religious background can be positive for the members of the movements and society as a whole, but the religious dimension can also have negative consequences in politics and business, especially in the context of strong social relationships, bonds, and reciprocal links. Religious literacy means, at least partly, that one recognizes the variable roles that religion has in different social contexts.

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Section: Laestadian Politics-historical and Theological Basismentioning

confidence: 70%

Section: Laestadian Politics-historical and Theological Basismentioning

confidence: 99%