Baptistic Theologies, 2009

them as different in their life and living, and in their serious search and practice of the Scriptures. I talked numerous times with an older person with the name of Cristen 0degaarden, who showed more and more respect towards me.’ This Cristen 0degaarden was one of the Zionittene. Diesen, Norges Vekkelseshistorie gjennom 1000 dr, ET from Norwegian, p. 37. 110 Baptistic Theologies a spiritual revelation. The result of this way of thinking was evident. A religious apathy spread more and more throughout the land, especially amongst the upper classes, and influenced some of the pastors within the Lutheran Church. Godlessness became more and more prevalent amongst the people. Before Hans Nilsen Hauge, one could divide the Norwegian people into three groups as far as religious thinking was concerned. First there were the Rationalists, mostly from the upper class. Secondly, there were large groups of church members who were spiritually apathetic. Thirdly, there were individuals and small groups influenced by Pietism/Moravians. Bishop Bang added a fourth group: those that represented Lutheran orthodox or the so called ‘dead’ orthodoxy. They were more interested in the correctness of their teachings. This external correctness led to the forgetting and de-emphasising of the personal spiritual revelation which guided their Christian life. It was at such a time that Hans Nilsen Hauge and his movement began. He was born in 1771 in Tune, 0stfold, into a farmer’s family. From his early life he was very aware of God and his own relationship to Him. He was baptised as an infant and confirmed in the Lutheran Church where he remained a member until his death. When he was 25 years old, something happened that would lead Hauge into his prophetic service to the Norwegian people. On 5 th April 1796 Hauge was ploughing the fields. Suddenly he experienced what some would call the ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’, others would maybe call it ‘infilling of the Holy Spirit’. It was an experience which filled his heart with an awesome unexplainable love for his fellow men and women. This gave him a strong call to preach about the need for conversion for everyone. This experience became so important for Norwegian Christian life that all historical researchers should see 5 th April 1796 as the big turning point in the history of the Norwegian Lutheran Church. 34 What is more important in my opinion was the statement by Dr Philos Sverre Nyrborg about this experience and its meaning for Hauge. ‘His spiritual experience from 1796 was his beginning of his service, which was renewed several times in his inner man. This call to renewal repeated itself in November 1812 and fall of 1823. ,35 From 1797 to 1804 Hauge travelled practically over the whole of Norway. Meetings were held and in every place; revival broke out. Places where he was not able to visit were reached with his books and pamphlets. There were also fellow workers who had