Theology
In the 19th century, the Lutherans in Denmark were divided into three different camps. Many in the church followed the ideas of the theologian and hymn writer N.F.S. Grundvig. Another group, known as Inner Mission, was strongly influenced by European Pietism. This group was so opposed to the ideas of Grundtvig that they were often referred to as the "Anti-Grundtvigians." Finally, a third group known as the Centerists attempted to keep the church together by incorporating ideas from both groups.
The United Church fell firmly in the Inner Mission or Anti-Grundvigian camp. There was a strong emphasis on personal holiness in the United Church, and not much talk about the sacraments. This emphasis led to the United Church being known as the "sad Danes" or "holy Danes." While other Danish Lutherans in America tended to prefer pastors and leaders trained in Copenhagen, the United Church more quickly moved toward pastors trained in America in order to avoid the influence of Grundtvigian theology.
Read more about this topic: United Evangelical Lutheran Church
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