Lelba: "Latviešu", "Evaņģēliskā" Vai "Luteriskā" Baznīca Amerikā?: LELCA: ‘Latvian', ‘Evangelical' or ‘Lutheran' Church in America?
The article discusses issues related to Latvian, Lutheran, and universal or "evangelical" identity of LELCA. The author starts with an observation that Latvian identity is much stronger in the Latvian Lutheran Church in America than it is in the Latvian Lutheran Church in Latvia. The artic...
| Published in: | Cel̜š |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | Latvian |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
LU Akadēmiskais apgāds
2017
|
| In: |
Cel̜š
Year: 2017, Issue: 67, Pages: 219-241 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The article discusses issues related to Latvian, Lutheran, and universal or "evangelical" identity of LELCA. The author starts with an observation that Latvian identity is much stronger in the Latvian Lutheran Church in America than it is in the Latvian Lutheran Church in Latvia. The article suggests several reasons for the strong national identity of LELCA. LELCA is a church that was established by the refugees who fled the Soviet occupation of Latvia at the end of World War II. These refugees maintained the hope soon to return to an independent Latvia where they expected to re-establish the former state. Thus, the refugees preserved several social structures of the first independent Latvia, including a close relationship between the secular government and the Lutheran church. Also, the archbishop of Latvian Lutheran Church, who was deported from Latvia, sustained his authority over Lutheran clergy in exile. This helped to build a strong Latvian Lutheran Church in exile. After the experience of the Soviet regime in 1941, most refugees were convinced that the Latvians left in Latvia would not survive the forceful Russification of the occupying regime and that the Latvians who fled Latvia would be the only people remaining to speak Latvian language and practice Latvian culture. Latvian Lutheran parishes in the US became cultural and educational centers for the local Latvian communities. The concern for the preservation of Latvian identity unified religious and secular Latvians. They were also united in their hate of communism: in the church, it was often identified with the evil forces. Thus, in the theological discourse the situation of the refugees was often described in terms of the apocalypse, the cosmic battle of good and evil. Latvian Lutheran Church in America is certainly a ‘Latvian' church, as it has been a strong player in the preservation of the Latvian language and culture in exile. It is certainly a ‘Lutheran' church, as well. Throughout its history it has emphasized its Lutheran heritage: education of children, protestant liturgy, centrality of the Bible and congregational singing. Several leaders of LELCA have justified the centrality of Latvian language by Luther's advice to preach in the mother tongue of the congregation. However, lately this principle has become somewhat problematic, as the second generation of American Latvians are more comfortable using English than Latvian. Combined with the secularization of the society in general and the low religiosity of Latvian community in particular, it is likely that very soon LELCA will have to rethink its role as a universal church that preaches the gospel to everybody regardless of their nationality and ethnicity. So far, it has mostly neglected this part of its identity. |
|---|---|
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Cel̜š
|