The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

V. Theological Debate in Scandinavia Over “Hell” and “Heaven”

A much-publicized example of the extending ground swell of revolt against the traditional Eternal Torment concept occurred in 1953 and 1954, when controversy rocked the established Lutheran Church in Norway and Denmark over the question of Hell and Heaven. A series of editorials and news column reports in The Christian Century, of Chicago, epitomized this Scandinavian agitation. CFF2 873.2

1. BISHOP SCHJELDERUP CHALLENGES PROFESSOR HALLESBY

In Norway the well-known conservative theologian, Prof. OLE HALLESBY, of the Lutheran Inner Mission, in a broadcast over the state radio, warned unbelievers that “the minute you drop dead you drop right down to hell.” ²⁸ This was immediately denied by Bishop KRISTIAN SCH JELDERUP, of Hamar, who declared that such a “doctrine of eternal punishment” does not comport with the character of God; that it came, instead, from Persian teaching. CFF2 873.3

Then, appearing before the minister of church affairs, the backers of Hallesby charged the bishop with “unfaithfulness to his ordination vows.” Next, Bishop Eivind Berggrav tried to smooth things over by declaring, in Kirke og Kultur, that Lutheranism does not require a “legalistically literal interpretation of historic confessions.” ²⁹ CFF2 873.4

The incongruity of the situation, says The Christian Century—discussed under the heading “Hell Outlawed in Norway”—appears in the fact that the case was brought to the secular cabinet of the nation through the Minister of Church Affairs, Birger Bergersen. But Bergersen in turn asked the bishops and theological professors for their opinions. These were, however, divided.,The majority view was presented by the professor of constitutional law, Castberg, at the University of Oslo, who declared the state must define the doctrine. The cabinet then backed Bishop Schjelderup, who had “outlawed” Eternal Torment. This, in turn, led Bishop Eivind Berggrav, the former primate, to challenge the cabinet’s opinion.’ ³⁰ CFF2 874.1

So there was widespread division and conflict. The Norwegian press “reverberated with the controversy,” which involved both theologians and laymen. In fact, some of the strongest criticism of Bishop Schjelderup came from the Free Faculty at Oslo, where Dr. Hallesby was a professor.’ ³¹ CFF2 874.2

2. SIMILAR DEBATE PROJECTED BY LINDHARDT IN DENMARK

About the same time, Denmark was also torn by theological debate over the question of Eternal Life and Heaven. It began when Dr. Lindhardt, professor at the University of Aarhus, ridiculed the ideas of Heaven frequently expressed in funeral sermons. Protests in the press demanded that Dr. Lindhardt not be allowed to continue preaching in the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church. But when the complaint was carried to the nine bishops of Denmark, none of the nine would vote to keep him from preaching. ³² So this storm likewise subsided. CFF2 874.3