Pain in the Belly: The Haugean Witness in American Lutheranism

Who were the Haugeans, and what happened to them? Contemporary American Lutheranism is an amalgamation of various influences and ethnic traditions, yet the contributions and enduring identity of the Haugeans, a Norwegian sub-tradition known for their variety of pietistic expression, have received little attention from historians in the process of American Lutheran merger of the previous decades. This book takes a closer look at the Haugean tradition within American Lutheranism and its distinct emphases. Most importantly, it demonstrates how this group of Lutherans carried forward their tradition within larger organizations. Seeking to serve as positive spiritual leaven within the larger batch of dough of the Lutheran tradition, the leaven of Haugeanism was not universally appreciated, causing for some pain in the belly upon consumption of this dough.