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KIERKEGAARD, GRUNDTVIG, AND DANISH LITERATURE IN THE PLAINS (UNITED STATES)
Abstract
The dissertation follows the transmission to America of the philosophies of Soren Frederik Severin Grundtvig. The philosophies were carried by two nineteenth century spiritual trends within the Danish Lutheran Church in Denmark to the United States where the factions officially separated to form two distinct Lutheran synods. I show how the divergent thought patterns ultimately affected both the intellectual and folk membership of each Church. The philosophers and religious leaders whom I study are Soren Kierkegaard, Vilhelm Beck, and P. S. Vig in the pietistic tradition, and N. F. S. Grundtvig and F. L. Grundtvig in the "folk" tradition. These philosophical differences, in turn, were incorporated into the literature produced by four Danish-American fiction writers representing both factions. Rhetoric, theme, and content are analysed in the light of divergent Inner Mission and Grundtvigian concepts to demonstrate the overall effects of the diversity of Danish Lutheran dogma. Discussed are the dominant ideological differences with respect to religion, Nature, community building, educational enlightenment, evangelism, mission work, and perpetuation of the Danish heritage.
Subject Area
American literature
Recommended Citation
SORENSEN, JACQUELYNN, "KIERKEGAARD, GRUNDTVIG, AND DANISH LITERATURE IN THE PLAINS (UNITED STATES)" (1984). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8427912.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8427912