Paavo Ruotsalainen

Paavo Ruotsalainen, actually Pahl Henrik Ruotsalainen, ( born July 9, 1777 Tölvänniemi, today Lapinlahti; † January 27, 1852 on the island Aholansaari to Kuusamo belonging ) was a Finnish farmer and lay preacher.

Paavo Ruotsalainen was born as the eldest son of a farmer. He received his first Bible with six years. At the time of his confirmation he had read it three times already. His preoccupation with the words of the Bible brought him the nickname foolish Paavo. When he heard about the lay pastor Jakob Högman in Jyväskylä, he immediately went to the 200 km walk to Jyväskylä. This visit laid the foundation for his religious life.

Religious Views

Jacob Högman was an avid reader of a revival booklet called " Kallis Hunajan Pisara " (Original Title: The Choice Drop of Honey ) is known. He gave Paavo Ruotsalainen a copy of the book which should be life long remain significant for Paavo. Högman Paavo clarified that there was a very significant thing that would be missing him, the extreme spiritual poverty in which Christ alone can bring grace.

Ruotsalainen never received a formal theological training, but he managed to partition the central ideas of Lutheranism in the harsh northern environment against the accelerating changes in society and develop. The essence of his doctrine was that man in the spiritual life could only be the recipient of divine grace, never its producers. He had to just stick to it and yearn that God reveal himself. Paavo Ruotsalainens thought was an unusual mix of folk wisdom, theology and ancient Christian tradition. His thinking is perceived as both fresh and original as well as vehement and hard.

Ruotsalainen stressed truthfulness and deep introspection. In his opinion, it was better for a person in God's sight, to admit a lack or even the complete absence of faith than to force a religious conviction. However, his advice was for the seeking soul to turn to God, under what feelings whatsoever. In the midst of grief and despair, one should continue to cry out to God, and God would answer his own way. Paavo Ruotsalainen was directed to an old Christian, focused on God theological tradition, which revolves around the question of who God is and how God acts, and not to religious traditions that focus on the spiritual life of the believer. In Paavo Ruotsalainens view faith is something that the person impossible by itself can achieve. Faith, his belief is a gift from God.

He was a passionate opponent of the people he saw as narrow-minded sectarians who kept a strict code of conduct is essential for a simple Christian life. Became famous, that he drank a two-liter bottle of clear alcohol content in the marketplace of Mikkeli. This should be a powerful demonstration both against the dogma that one can be justified by good actions rather than by faith, and against the view that some Christians are better than others and not all sinful men, the saved only by divine grace alone would.

Revivalism

Paavo Ruotsalainen was the leader of the Finnish revivalist movement called Herännäisyys ( awakening ). He traveled through Finland, to meet with other members of the movement, to name especially the pastor Jonas Lagus and Nils Gustav Malmberg in Ostrobothnia. It is estimated that he traveled 40,000 km, mostly on foot. As word movement, started both ecclesiastical and state authorities to worry. 1838/39 he was tried and convicted, but what the movement could not be stopped in court.

Ruotsalainen died in Kuusamo.

A later known representative of the Finnish revival movement was the Schlafpredigerin Karolina Utriainen ( 1843-1929 ).

Cultural reception

Ruotsalainen 1975 became the subject of the opera The last temptation of Joonas Kokkonen. The libretto of the opera was written by Lauri Kokkonen, who had already written a play under the same title.

1977 a stamp dedicated to the 200th birthday Ruotsalainens was published in Finland.

In the television show Suuret Suomalaiset ( " Great Finns " ), he was elected in December 2004, at number 59 of the most important according to the survey Finns.

Remembrance

January 27th at the Protestant calendar name.