Carl Olof Rosenius
Encyclopedia
Carl Olof Rosenius was a Swedish revivalist preacher, author and editor of the newspaper Pietisten from 1842-1868.
in Västerbotten
as the third child to the priest Anders Rosenius (1780–1841) who was the town minister, and to his wife, Sarah Margaret Norenius, daughter of priest Olof Norenius. His father took part in the revival movement among with the so-called Nyläsarna. When he was thirteen, Carl lived with his family and went to school in Piteå, Umeå, and Härnösands gymnasium. In 1838, he began theological studies at the University of Uppsala; however, he was forced to cancel his studies for economic and health reasons. Instead, he took the post of tutor near Stockholm
.
He became one of Sweden's most widely read religious writers of his time and a central figure in the nineteenth century religious revival in Sweden. He played an important role in the formation of the Evangeliska Fosterlandsstiftelsen , which in English literally translates The Evangelical Homeland Foundation, (acronym EFS, known internationally as the Swedish Evangelical Mission
)
He was married to Agatha Rosenius and was an uncle of Paul Rosenius.
His religious breakthrough came when he was fifteen. Even then, he led the school holidays konventikelandakter. A sermon which he delivered in Härnösand
(1833), is said to have surprised the Bishop Franzen because of the strong emphasis on the Lutheran doctrine of the central justification by faith. He came to Uppsala as a student in 1838 to study theology, but he gave up the studies in 1839 due to failing health and financial difficulties. Instead, he took employment as a tutor at Länna farm outside Stockholm. There he ran into serious religious doubts. In Stockholm, he received the help of Methodist preacher George Scott to dispel those doubts. He then abandoned his plans to become a priest and moved to Stockholm in 1840 as Scott's assistant in the evangelism business. That same year, he had his own room near Haymarket Square in the so-called "Engelska kyrkan", literally "English Church" (not affiliated with the Church of England
) which was financed by the Foreign Evangelical Society.
When Scott had to leave Sweden and the English church suspended (1842), Rosenius did not stop his activity. He became one of the leading forces in the growing religious revival of what would be known as "neo-evangelical" type, during which he traveled through large parts of Sweden. In its service, he worked both in private meetings (conventicles) and in rented premises in Stockholm. When Evangelical Mission (EFS) was formed in 1856, Rosenius was one of the founders, and the year after EFS formed, a foundation that bought the English church's premises and opened a new church under the name of Bethlehem Church. Rosenius worked throughout the whole country. He also worked on the magazine Pietist initiated by himself and Scott in 1842, and he published it until his death (which sold 10,000 copies over time). He also published and edited the Mission magazine and several other publications.
During his last years he worked on a detailed Externalization of the letter to the romans, published in the Pietist. On Pentecost, 1867, Rosenius suffered a stroke in the pulpit of St. John's Church in Gothenburg and died a year later.
His religious position, pietism, retained in the key features a large influence from the northern swedish Lutheranism with the objective atonement and justification by grace alone as the dominant core. With herrnhutismen he was more friendly terms and he stood Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg pretty close. However, he believed that he went too far to the antinomistiska direction. Methodism influence on him by Scott was probably more on the external forms of activity than on the theological doctrine. Erik-jansismen disliked him strongly.
The weaknesses of his preaching were specific to the field of ethics. The continual sanctification of a Christian character over time and some anxiety for the world caused him to ignore the social life data.
Large parts of the Church of Sweden dismissed him initially. He did not use the Swedish hymnbook. In its place, he used the song collections of more personal religious nature, especially Ahnfelt songs. Throughout his life he was still there as a member of the Swedish Church, baptized his children there, took communion there, and dismissed all separation and free communion distribution.
Rosenius also had a number of disciples. Among them were a lay preacher from Småland named Nicolaus Bergensköld
, who emigrated to the United States in the 1860s. There he became an influential force of the revivalist movement
in the Scandinavian settlements of the midwest.
Rosenius had great influence on Sweden's religious development during the 1800s. His commitment to the personal involvement of religious belief and some Lutheran thoughts affected not only the Free Church activities but also the Church's preaching, especially in northern and central Sweden.
Biography
Carl Rosenius was born in NysätraRobertsfors Municipality
Robertsfors Municipality is a municipality in Västerbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Robertsfors.-History:In 1759 the small village Edfastmark became Robertsfors Bruk...
in Västerbotten
Västerbotten
', English exonym: West Bothnia, is a province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders Ångermanland, Lapland, Norrbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. It is famous for the cheese with the same name as the province.- Administration :...
as the third child to the priest Anders Rosenius (1780–1841) who was the town minister, and to his wife, Sarah Margaret Norenius, daughter of priest Olof Norenius. His father took part in the revival movement among with the so-called Nyläsarna. When he was thirteen, Carl lived with his family and went to school in Piteå, Umeå, and Härnösands gymnasium. In 1838, he began theological studies at the University of Uppsala; however, he was forced to cancel his studies for economic and health reasons. Instead, he took the post of tutor near Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
He became one of Sweden's most widely read religious writers of his time and a central figure in the nineteenth century religious revival in Sweden. He played an important role in the formation of the Evangeliska Fosterlandsstiftelsen , which in English literally translates The Evangelical Homeland Foundation, (acronym EFS, known internationally as the Swedish Evangelical Mission
Swedish Evangelical Mission
The Swedish Evangelical Mission is an independent organisation within the Church of Sweden. SEM cooperates with independent churches, Christian councils and other partners in Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Malawi, the Sudan and Tanzania...
)
He was married to Agatha Rosenius and was an uncle of Paul Rosenius.
Biography
Carl Olof Rosenius was an influential lay preacher in Sweden during the nineteenth century.His religious breakthrough came when he was fifteen. Even then, he led the school holidays konventikelandakter. A sermon which he delivered in Härnösand
Härnösand
Härnösand is a locality and the seat of Härnösand Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 18,003 inhabitants in 2005. It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape rises just some miles north of Härnösand...
(1833), is said to have surprised the Bishop Franzen because of the strong emphasis on the Lutheran doctrine of the central justification by faith. He came to Uppsala as a student in 1838 to study theology, but he gave up the studies in 1839 due to failing health and financial difficulties. Instead, he took employment as a tutor at Länna farm outside Stockholm. There he ran into serious religious doubts. In Stockholm, he received the help of Methodist preacher George Scott to dispel those doubts. He then abandoned his plans to become a priest and moved to Stockholm in 1840 as Scott's assistant in the evangelism business. That same year, he had his own room near Haymarket Square in the so-called "Engelska kyrkan", literally "English Church" (not affiliated with the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
) which was financed by the Foreign Evangelical Society.
When Scott had to leave Sweden and the English church suspended (1842), Rosenius did not stop his activity. He became one of the leading forces in the growing religious revival of what would be known as "neo-evangelical" type, during which he traveled through large parts of Sweden. In its service, he worked both in private meetings (conventicles) and in rented premises in Stockholm. When Evangelical Mission (EFS) was formed in 1856, Rosenius was one of the founders, and the year after EFS formed, a foundation that bought the English church's premises and opened a new church under the name of Bethlehem Church. Rosenius worked throughout the whole country. He also worked on the magazine Pietist initiated by himself and Scott in 1842, and he published it until his death (which sold 10,000 copies over time). He also published and edited the Mission magazine and several other publications.
During his last years he worked on a detailed Externalization of the letter to the romans, published in the Pietist. On Pentecost, 1867, Rosenius suffered a stroke in the pulpit of St. John's Church in Gothenburg and died a year later.
His religious position, pietism, retained in the key features a large influence from the northern swedish Lutheranism with the objective atonement and justification by grace alone as the dominant core. With herrnhutismen he was more friendly terms and he stood Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg pretty close. However, he believed that he went too far to the antinomistiska direction. Methodism influence on him by Scott was probably more on the external forms of activity than on the theological doctrine. Erik-jansismen disliked him strongly.
The weaknesses of his preaching were specific to the field of ethics. The continual sanctification of a Christian character over time and some anxiety for the world caused him to ignore the social life data.
Large parts of the Church of Sweden dismissed him initially. He did not use the Swedish hymnbook. In its place, he used the song collections of more personal religious nature, especially Ahnfelt songs. Throughout his life he was still there as a member of the Swedish Church, baptized his children there, took communion there, and dismissed all separation and free communion distribution.
Rosenius also had a number of disciples. Among them were a lay preacher from Småland named Nicolaus Bergensköld
Nicolaus Bergensköld
Nils Gustaf Nicolaus Bergensköld was a disciple of Rosenius and an early leader of the revivalist movement in the swedish settlements of the Midwestern United States during the later part of the 19th century.-Biography:...
, who emigrated to the United States in the 1860s. There he became an influential force of the revivalist movement
Third Great Awakening
The Third Great Awakening was a period of religious activism in American history from the late 1850s to the early 1900s. It affected pietistic Protestant denominations and had a strong sense of social activism. It gathered strength from the postmillennial theology that the Second Coming of Christ...
in the Scandinavian settlements of the midwest.
Rosenius had great influence on Sweden's religious development during the 1800s. His commitment to the personal involvement of religious belief and some Lutheran thoughts affected not only the Free Church activities but also the Church's preaching, especially in northern and central Sweden.