Books, dress, and emotions in the memoirs of the clergyman Johan Frosterus (1720–1809)

Abstract

This article investigates the gendered expressions of emotions in regard to experienced material hardship and professional aspirations in the memoirs of a Lutheran clergyman in 18th-century Finland, Johan Frosterus (1720–1809). In his narrative, Frosterus links the material hardship of his parents during the Great Northern War with the material difficulties he himself experienced during his young adulthood. In retrospect, he underlines the lack of books and appropriate clothing that stood in the way of his aspirations to establish himself socially and professionally as a clergyman, eligible both for a clerical position and marriage. Patronage and the emotional and material help through family members, especially Frosterus’ mother, are discussed as central parts of this process. The narrative describes both the emotions linked to the lack of these objects and the social relationships surrounding these status symbols, offering valuable insights into how materiality and emotions interact with constructions of masculinity – and in particular, clerical masculinity – in early modern life writing.

Keywords:

• emotions
• life writing
• clergymen
• masculinities
• 18th century

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Academy of Finland [project number 137642]. The author would like to thank Mareike Böth, Eva Johanna Holmberg, Johanna Ilmakunnas, and Stefan Schröder for their helpful discussion of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Frosterus, Hyödyllinen huwitus.

2 Suolahti, Finlands prästerskap, 15–16, 46, 48, 392.

3 For the biographical details, see Lempiäinen, ‘Frosterus’.

4 Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ‘Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 5.

5 On the differences between these concepts and especially the inherent problems of the more widely used term ‘ego-documents’, see Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ‘Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 5–9.

6 Broomhall, ‘Emotions’, 10, 13; Rosenwein ‘Problems’, 11–12; Rosenwein, ‘Worrying’, 842–44; Scheer, ‘Emotions’, 211.

7 Scheer, ‘Emotions’, 220.

8 Gammerl, ‘Emotional Styles’, 162–3; Scheer, ‘Emotions’, 219–20.

9 Broomhall, ‘Introduction’, 1–3; Gammerl, ‘Emotional Styles’, 166–7.

10 See, e.g., Kormann, Ich, Welt und Gott, 14–16; Rosenwein ‘Problems’, 19–21.

11 A pioneering work here is Karant-Nunn, Reformation of Feeling. See also Bähr, ‘Fear’; Dürr, ‘Laienprophetien’, 19–24; Lagerstam, Noble Life, 303; Rublack, ‘Review’, 907–8. For a recent criticism on the master narrative of Protestant rationality, see Eitler, Hitzer, and Scheer, ‘Feeling and Faith’.

12 Broomhall, ‘Introduction’, 6; Lagerstam, Noble Life, 313; Rublack, Dressing Up, 3.

13 [Frosterus, Johan], ‘En berättelse om släkten Frosterus’ öden’ [hereafter: ‘Berättelse’], 57–8.

14 Rublack, Dressing Up, 3, 101.

15 ‘Berättelse’, 61–2; Lagerstam, Noble Life, 313.

16 Broomhall and Van Gent, ‘Introduction’, 2–4, 19; Dinges, ‘“Hegemoniale Männlichkeit’”, 24. See, however, Gleixner, ‘Religion’; Hendrix, ‘Masculinity’.

17 However, their use is not unproblematic, as Suolahti’s references to sources and literature are at times very scarce. Suolahti, Suomen papisto (in Swedish: Suolahti, Finlands prästerskap); Suolahti, Suomen pappilat.

18 See, e.g., Kivimäki, Murtuneet mielet.

19 Katajala-Peltomaa, ‘Fatherhood’, 223.

20 See, e.g., Liliequist, ‘Masculinity and Virility’; Liliequist, ‘Political Rhetoric’; Liliequist, ‘Violence’.

21 Marklund, ‘Manly Sacrifice‘, 155–6.

22 Shepard, Meanings of Manhood, 1–4, 11, 16.

23 Shepard, Meanings of Manhood, 9. See also Amussen, ‘Manligheten’, 101.

24 See, with further references, e.g., Greyerz, Medick, and Veit, Von der dargestellten Person; Hindmarsh, Evangelical Conversion Narratives; Kormann, Ich, Welt und Gott; Mullan, Narratives.

25 Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ‘Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 9.

26 Heiligensetzer, Getreue Kirchendiener, 12–13; Heiligensetzer, ‘“wie wol”’, 181–2.

27 Heiligensetzer, Getreue Kirchendiener, 67, 73–5, 292–4.

28 Heiligensetzer, Getreue Kirchendiener, 18–19; Schorn-Schütte, ‘Priest, Preacher, Pastor’, 26; Wiesner-Hanks, Christianity and Sexuality, 72.

29 See, e.g., Amussen, ‘Manligheten’, 101; Broomhall and Van Gent, ‘Introduction‘, 13–14; Marklund, ‘Manly Sacrifice’, 155–6; Neal, Masculine Self, 122; Nordbäck, Lycksalighetens källa, 60; Schorn-Schütte, ‘Priest, Preacher, Pastor‘, 26–7.

30 The pages are filled with clear handwriting, and there are no marginal notes or commentaries whatsoever. Only on the last page of the little booklet can one find a few calligraphic exercises in the same hand. This suggests that the text was copied by a younger relative. See KA Genealogia Sursilliana, 8 Johannes Frosteruksen muistelmakäsikirjoitus.

31 [Frosterus, Johan]. ‘Biographi’.

32 ‘Berättelse’.

33 Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ‘Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 8.

34 This can be seen in phrases such as ‘in those times’, ‘if I remember correctly’, or ‘I do not remember’. See, e.g., ‘Berättelse’, 48, 59, 60.

35 Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ‘Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 10–11. See also Cubitt, History and Memory, 90.

36 Cubitt, History and Memory, 91–2.

37 Algazi, ‘Food for Thought’, 25. See also Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ‘Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 7.

38 Cubitt, History and Memory, 90–3.

39 Algazi, ‘Food for Thought’, 23; Broomhall, ‘Emotions’, 10–11; Lagerstam, Noble Life, 314–16; Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ’Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 8.

40 See, e.g., the account of the professional history of Johan’s father Abraham Frosterus. ‘Berättelse’, 52.

41 ‘Berättelse’, 46–7.

42 [Frosterus, Jacob], ‘Biographi’, 45–6.

43 According to Ulrike Gleixner, the point of Pietist life writing was to give individual life circumstances and emotions a specifically Pietist interpretation. Gleixner, ‘Memory’, 249; Gleixner, ‘Religion’, 263–4.

44 Brändle et al., ‘Texte’, 7; Gleixner, ‘Memory’, 249; Kormann, Ich, Welt und Gott, 185; Rapola, Suomenkielinen proosa, 196.

45 ‘Berättelse’, 54–5, 58, 64, 67, 70; Brändle et al., ‘Texte’, 3–4, 26.

46 Amelang, Flight of Icarus, 28–32.

47 Heiligensetzer, Getreue Kirchendiener, 6–73.

48 Broomhall and Van Gent, ‘Introduction’, 16; Liliequist, ‘Political Rhetoric’, 193–5; Shepard, Meanings of Manhood, 9.

49 Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ‘Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 7.

50 ‘Berättelse’, 48–50.

51 ‘Berättelse’, 49–50.

52 ‘Berättelse’, 50–1.

53 ‘Berättelse’, 51–2. On the relationship between sickness and masculinity, see Broomhall and Van Gent, ‘Introduction’, 15–17.

54 ‘Berättelse’, 51–2.

55 Kormann, Ich, Welt und Gott, 299–300; Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ‘Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 9.

56 Broomhall and Van Gent, ‘Introduction’, 3; Shepard, Meanings of Manhood, 2–6.

57 ‘Berättelse’, 54, 57, 59–62.

58 Heiligensetzer, Getreue Kirchendiener, 68–9, 293.

59 ‘Berättelse’, 61.

60 ‘Berättelse’, 58–9.

61 Medick, ‘Kultur des Ansehens’, 194–5; Rublack, Dressing Up, 113, 118, 271.

62 ‘Berättelse’, 64.

63 ‘Berättelse’, 63–4.

64 ‘Berättelse’, 67.

65 ‘Berättelse’, 68.

66 ‘Berättelse’, 63, 68.

67 ‘Berättelse’, 63.

68 ‘Berättelse’, 63–5, 68–70.

69 For similar narrative contrasts between rich and poor students, see Algazi, ‘Food for Thought’, 29.

70 ‘Berättelse’, 64–5.

71 See, e.g., ‘Berättelse’, 46, 55.

72 ‘Berättelse’, 47.

73 ‘Berättelse’, 54.

74 See, e.g., ‘Berättelse’, 49, 50–1, 54, 57.

75 ‘Berättelse’, 58. See also ‘Berättelse’, 56.

76 See, e.g., ‘Berättelse’, 58.

77 See, e.g., Wiesner-Hanks, Christianity and Sexuality, 70–1, 116–18.

78 ‘Berättelse’, 48.

79 ‘Berättelse’, 49.

80 See, e.g., ‘Berättelse’, 51, 54–6.

81 ‘Berättelse’, 54.

82 Lagerstam, Noble Life, 179–80.

83 Cf. Johan Frosterus’ biography of Eric Cajanus. [Frosterus, Johan], ‘Eric Johannes Cajanus’, 73.

84 ‘Berättelse’, 57.

85 See, e.g., ‘Berättelse’, 66.

86 ‘Berättelse’, 70–1.

87 ‘Berättelse’, 70–2.

88 Broomhall, ‘Emotions’, 25.

89 See also Ulbrich, Medick, and Schaser, ‘Selbstzeugnis und Person’, 7.

90 Cf. Brändle et al., ‘Texte’, 13–14; Heiligensetzer, Getreue Kirchendiener, 67.

91 See, e.g., the diaries of the 17th-century English clergyman Ralph Josselin or the 18th-century Pietist leader from Württemberg, Philipp Matthäus Hahn, who both commented on domestic quarrels. Gleixner, ‘Religion’, 269–77; MacFarlane, Family Life, 105–25.

92 See, e.g., Algazi, ‘Food for Thought’, 26–8, 39; Ekenstam, ‘Rädd att falla’, 157, 163; Lagerstam, Noble Life, 320.

93 Heiligensetzer, ‘“wie wol”’, 179.

94 [Chydenius], ‘Sjelfbiografi’, 423.

95 Broomhall and Van Gent, ‘Introduction’, 21.

Additional information

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Päivi Räisänen-Schröder

Päivi Räisänen-Schröder received her PhD in Medieval and Early Modern History at the University of Göttingen. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Helsinki. Her research interests include the social and cultural history of religion, religious nonconformity, and everyday life, as well as the history of gender, medicine, and healing from the 16th to the 18th centuries. In addition to many articles, she has published the monograph Ketzer im Dorf. Visitationsverfahren, Täuferbekämpfung und lokale Handlungsmuster im frühneuzeitlichen Württemberg (Constance: UVK 2011).