Lars Levi Laestadius

The history of Lutheranism is filled with colorful characters. There is Andreas Carlstadt who began a near-revolt in Wittenberg. There is Johannes Bugenhagen, or "Doctor Pomer" who assisted in the Reformation in the Scandinavian countries and was Luther’s pastor. C. F. W. Walther and Ulrick Koren led the fledgling American Lutheran church to stability in confessionalism.

In the Swedish Lapland was another colorful Lutheran pastor. Lars Levi Laestadius was a Lutheran pastor who served in northern Sweden from 1825 to 1861. It appears that in 1844, after nineteen years in the ministry, Laestadius had a "conversion" from the confessional stance of most orthodox Lutherans to a Pietistic viewpoint. And it is this era of Lars Levi Laestadius ministry that gave him prominence and led to a following named after him, The Laestadian Lutheran Church. As a revivalist preacher and clergyman, Laestadius spoke out very strongly against the evils of drinking, theft and fornication. His colorful personality also comes through in his study of botany.

Lars, of Sami ancestry, was born on a poor, new-settler farm in Arjeploug in northern Sweden and had an extremely tough childhood. His father was an alcoholic who tried his hands at making a living in the silver mines in the Nasa mountains as well as by hunting, fishing, and tar-making. The family also had a farm and a few reindeer.

In 1808, after his father lost his job, the family moved in to Lars Levi's half-brother, Carl Erik, who was a pastor at Qvickjock. Carl was a keen amateur botanist and stimulated Lars's interests in plants. Because of Carl, Lars Levi was able to enter the university at Uppsala in 1820, where he proved to be a brilliant student.

In 1819 Lars Levi Laestadius entered university examinations. He began a botanical study tour which took him to the coast of Helgoland in Norway. A report of this tour was printed in book form. This report won Laestadius such recognition and status that the Swedish Academy of Science and Letters decided to finance his later field trips.

Because of his interest in botany Laestadius was made assistant in the Botany Department while he pursued studies in theology. Laestadius discovered two of Norway's most remarkable plants: The lifelong saxifrage (saxifraga paniculata) and Laestadius' poppy (papaver laestadianum). His other important botanical heritage was a herbarium, containing 6,500 plants. The Swedish Academy of Science and Letters purchased this herbarium after Lars’ death in 1861.

Go To Page: 1 2 3

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic