A History of the Finnish Church by Markku Heikkilä and Simo Heininen (review)

Reviewed by: A History of the Finnish Church by Markku Heikkilä and Simo Heininen Mary Jane Haemig A History of the Finnish Church. By Markku Heikkilä and Simo Heininen. Trans. by John Jamieson. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 2016. 276 pp. This richly illustrated readable compact history provides an attractive introduction to the Finnish church. Its nine chapters move from Christianity's arrival in Finland in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries up to the start of the twenty-first century. After four chapters on the Medieval church, the Reformation, and Enlightenment and Pietism, the book devotes its final five chapters (and more than half its pages) to developments during the last 200 years. The book discusses a wide range of matters, including the composition of the clergy and the training of pastors; Bible translation; catechesis and the church's role in education generally; hymn books; [End Page 75] church architecture; church organization, finance, and administrative structures; relations with Swedish, Russian, and Finnish governing authorities; reform movements; revivalism; religious liberty; the church's role in society; university faculties of theology; missionary movements; and the ecumenical movement, to name a few. Short biographies of several major figures, from Bishop Henry (d. 1156), to Michael Agricola (c. 1507–57), Gustaf Johansson (1844–1930), and John Vikström (1931–), are provided. While the book focuses primarily on the Finnish Lutheran church, it also provides information on the Orthodox church and other Christian groups in Finland. It also makes clear that the Finnish church faces the same challenges that other European and North American churches face. While the percentage of Finns claiming Lutheran affiliation dropped from 85.1 percent in 2000 to 73 percent in 2015, the number of those not affiliated with any religious community rose from 12.7 percent to 24.3 percent over the same period. This and other statistics from the last 100 years help paint a picture of how Christianity is faring in Finland today. As the authors say in their preface,"The work is based on recent research, but is written in a clear and engaging style, without the use of footnotes and specialist terminology" (9). A one-page bibliography listing works in English, German, and French, is included. This book will prove helpful not only to those interested in Finnish Christianity but also for those seeking background on the religious forces that shaped Finnish immigrants to North America. Mary Jane Haemig Luther Seminary Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2024 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.