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Abstract
The Firstborn group is one of the main groups of the Laestadian tradition. As in Protestantism in general, the Laestadian movement has always been, and continues to be, a producer of transnational mass communication. This article's primary focus is the Firstborn group's self-mediation through minor historical books and booklets. This genre seems more developed and used among Firstborns when compared to other Laestadian groups. Here, an alphabetical, linear and conceptual communication of religion is produced which points to an affective, symbolic and emotional religious practice that is special to the Firstborn group. A loyalty to tradition and the elders in Swedish Lapland are an important part of this communication of religion. Examples from the books and booklets will be discussed in light of recent theoretical perspectives drawn from studies of religion and media, with a basic assumption that all religions are mediated and thus in need of mediation. Religious groups choose different strategies of mediation and with regard to the Firstborn Laestadians, this article will illustrate how they have chosen the production of historical scriptures for self-mediation.
Notes
1. Obituaries will not be discussed further in this article.
2. More detailed discussions regarding research on the Laestadian movement which support my overview are presented in Drivenes and Niemi (2000), Minde (1998) and Olsen (2008: 13–23).
3. “Soteriological” refers to thoughts and ideas about salvation; what leads to salvation and what salvation contains. “Ecclesiological” refers to the role of the Christian congregation [in this case the Firstborn congregation] or community in reference to salvation. This means that the term “ecclesiological” contains ideas and understanding of what the Christian congregation is, how it is defined, and what role it has, especially its importance for salvation. The term “soteriological-ecclesiological” is used here to describe how the Firstborns have emphasized the importance of the congregation and that you have to belong to the Firstborn congregation to have a hope for salvation. Thus, the Firstborn congregation is understood as a congregation of “true” Christians and it is within this congregation salvation lie.
4. In the foreword of the booklet it is emphasized that Frans Larsson Vettainen Parakka was part of the congregation in the era of Raattamaa. Parakka's text is undated, but is written in the period between when Havas’ book came out in 1927 and the time that the first text was published in 1931, see endnote 4.
5. The original Finnish title was Tositietoja Laestadiolaisesta Herätysliikeestä Ruotsissa ja Suomessa. Vastalauseita teokseen “Laestadiolaisuuden Historia” (Lahti, 1931). Information about the original text is based on Raittila (1967: 311).
6. According to the current chief editor of Rauhan Side, Raimo Airamo in Lahti, the bulletin had a total of 3387 subscribers in 2009. A total of 223 were in other countries, including Sweden (80), Norway (40) and America (41).
7. I use the formulation “the elders of Swedish Lapland” to characterize the leadership among the Firstborn. The term in Norwegian and Swedish is Moderförsamlingen i Lappmarken.
8. Johan Takkinen (1838–1892) was born in Kuusamo in Finland. In 1877, he was sent to America by Raattamaa and the elders in Swedish Lapland to settle the situation there because of disputes which had arisen.
9. A 27-page booklet published in 1976 by Niclai Malmo after Ballstad's death. The booklet is widely distributed, and in 1994 it was translated into Swedish and became widely distributed among Firstborns in Sweden.
10. There have been disputes and divisions among Firstborn in America, while disputes in the Nordic countries have resulted in the separation of one small group known as “Leeviläiset” (opposing group). Preachers representing this group, albeit a rather small one by the account of the adherents, have produced some very interesting documents within the Laestadian tradition. As one example, the book Den andliga styrelsens skiften i den Förstfödda Laestadianska församlingen i Sveriges Lappmark (Koistinen, 1976) (The Changes in the Spiritual Leadership in the Firstborn Laestadian Congregation of Swedish Lapland, my translation) is a very interesting document regarding disputes within the Firstborn tradition. Here, a special focus is given to Swedish minister Per Boreman's (1890–1964) translation of Laestadius’ sermons which was published in 1956. Boreman's translation was criticized and discussions arose regarding whether it could be used in assemblies and sermons. The “Leeviläiset” group, which wrote the above-mentioned scripture, strongly opposed (hence the name “Leeviläiset”) the use of Boreman's translation for two reasons: first, because it was in a modern language that was considered to be too far from the original text, and second because Boreman had left out entire paragraphs and sentences which could give new meaning to the text. In 1999, an edition of Laestadius’ sermons, called Nya Evangeliepostillan was published by the group which had opposed Boreman's translation (Laestadius, 1999). In the introduction to the so-called “new” edition of Boreman's translation, it says that all 45,000 words which Boreman left out are included. Blue print in the text of the new edition, as well as the translation made by elder Lauri Koistinen, is used to show which passages and words Boreman left out, thereby legitimizing the earlier criticism of the “Leeviläiset” group. Koistinen is also the author of the 1976 book mentioned above.
11. The letter books are distributed and read on a transnational basis, and form a well-developed genre that is primarily in the Laestadian tradition of emphasizing the Firstborn. The letter books are published in Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian and English, with the first being published in America in 1898 by John Kieri (b. 1852), a Finnish immigrant who arrived to America in 1880 (Old Apostolic Lutheran Church of America, 1999: 90). The continuous editing of new editions of the letter books is an interesting phenomenon such as the examples of controversial letters being removed from later editions of the books, in addition to examples of such letters not being translated from the original. One of the most interesting letters to illustrate this is one which was published in Aikakautemme Wanhinten Kirjoituksia (Our Elders' Writings) (Haatanen (Ed.), 1903: 146). In a letter to Kieri dated 10 December 1901, the elders in Swedish Lapland claim that Raattamaa pointed to Joonas Purnu, who was one of his followers, as the leader of the Laestadian movement: “And as Raattamaa said even the last time in Vittangi, while laying his hands on Joonas Purnu, ‘Now we are leaving this entire government and office with you, for you are the one we have found faithful to take care of and show concern for all the congregations so that the Lord's flock would remain united, as I have done together with the congregation of the firstborn’” (translation into English by Hepokoski (2000: 36)). This letter has most probably been omitted from later editions of the letter books because of its highly controversial content. Other Laestadian preachers at the time strongly denied that Raattamaa had ever done this, and accused the Firstborns of lying. Correspondence by the East Laestadians about this incident is available in archives such as the Kungliga Bibliotek (Royal Library) in Stockholm, in the archives of August Lundberg's missionary school in Lannavaara (labelled “Svenska missionssällskapet”, deposition 169, Handlingar till LMV 1880–1934). See also Edquist (1916: 42ff) and Brännström (1990: 124ff) for descriptions of the schism between West and East Laestadians.
12. Erkki Samuel Vättasjärvi (1860–1928) from Gällivare. Father of William Eriksson (1894–1955), who wrote this section of the booklet in 1950. The name Vättasjärvi derives from a small place in an administrative area of Gällivare.
13. Viktor Appelkvist (1871–1938) was also from the Gällivare area. Appelkvist (also written as Appelqvist in some sources) became the leader of the Firstborn after Jonas Purnu died in 1902. In 1915, he was removed as the leader because of poor leadership and accusations of bad moral behaviour. Such an incident is very rare in the Laestadian tradition. In the case of Appelkvist, his work as a leader and preacher is seldom mentioned. He was replaced as leader by Victor Björkman (1871–1938), and the Firstborn expanded their area under his leadership and several local congregations were established, especially in the 1920s and 1930s in Finnmark in northern Norway.
14. Since these texts were published, the Swedish State Church was abolished in the year 2000. As a result, the Firstborn in both Sweden and Norway started to perform their own baptisms and confirmations, which could be a first step by the Firstborns to fully leave the Nordic national churches.
15. Pietiläinen (1983) is printed at Malmfältens Grafiska in Gällivare. Karlsen (1986) is printed at Trondsen Trykk AS, Leknes in northern Norway. No information in regard to printing is given in Pedersen [Ballstad] (1976).