Nikolai Fredrik Severin Grundtvig (1783-1872)
Today, September 2, in the Lutheran saints calendar, marks the commemoration of the Danish bishop, pastor, theologian, philosopher, poet, politician, historian, teacher, and renewer of the church, Nikolai F.S. Grundtvig.
He was born the son of a Lutheran pastor,, Johan Ottosen Grundtvig, in Udby. Educated at the University of Copenhagen during the period of rationalism—Nikolai was quite non-conformist. Indeed, his ordination sermon harshly criticized rationalism to the extent that his ordination was postponed to a later date. Moreover, the church authorities refused to give him a parish to serve for several years. In the meantime he wrote poetry and tutored a wealthy family and then taught at a boys’ school. Eventually however, the church did offer him a parish, where he served right up to the time of his death—his last sermon was preached only a few days prior to his death. He died a week before his 89thbirthday.
Nikolai, in addition to being a church renewer, was influenced by Danish nationalism and Norse mythology. For example, he was one of the authors of the Danish constitution.
Nikolai also wrote or translated about 1500 hymns—sung in Lutheran churches today around the globe.
Throughout Scandinavia, Nikolai became known as the “Father of the Scandinavian school system,” founding folk high schools in Denmark, which also became popular in Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
[According to wikipedia: “The common denominator of all Grundtvig's pedagogical efforts was to promote a spirit of freedom, poetry and disciplined creativity, within all branches of educational life. He promoted values such as wisdom, compassion, identification and equality. He opposed all compulsion, including exams, as deadening to the human soul. Instead Grundtvig advocated unleashing human creativity according to the universally creative order of life. Only willing hands make light work. Therefore, a spirit of freedom, cooperation and discovery was to be kindled in individuals, in science, and in the civil society as a whole.”
Nikolai was honoured by the Danish church and government with the title of bishop, even though he never headed a diocese.
