Hans Nielsen Hauge (1771-1824): Revivalist and Father of Modern Norway
E.J. A.1. - Anniversaries - Bredtvet, Norway
“Follow Jesus! O, You are the eternal loving God!” These were the last words Hans Nielsen Hauge said on his deathbed on the 29th of March 1824, 200 years ago. Hans Nielsen Hauge is not well known outside Scandinavia. Even in Norway, his country of origin, his memory is slowly fading in spite of the deep impact his work had there.
It was in Bredtvet that Hauge breathed his last. Hauge had purchased some land in the countryside. Today though, Bredtvet is a suburb of the Greater Oslo. An obelisk next to the St. John the Apostle and Evangelist church is one of the best memorials in honour of Hauge in this area. There a plaque exhibits one of his famous quotes: “I have sworn obedience to God and he has helped me to remain faithful.”
Today Norway is one of the richest nations in the world. Its GDP per capita is among the highest in the world. Norway also ranks 7th in the 2024 World Happiness Report and first with regard to the freedom of the press. Such results are not necessarily surprising. Yet, Norway was one of the poorest countries in Europe two centuries ago. How could such a dramatic transformation happen in such a short time?
The discovery of oil and gas cannot explain the country’s greatness. Its origin lies in the impact of Christianity, and in particular in the life and work of Hans Nielsen Hauge. The 200th anniversary of his death is thus an excellent opportunity to rediscover Hauge.
Hauge was born in the small village of Tune (today part of Rolvsøy) in Southern Norway on the 3rd of April 1771. There on the wall of the village prayer house, another of Hauge’s quotes is found on a plaque, which says : “Myself and what is mine, will I gladly surrender, if you alone will dwell in my soul.” He pronounced these words on the site of the prayer house two days after his 25th birthday. There he experienced what he later described as “a spiritual breakthrough”. While he was ploughing one of his father’s fields, his “soul felt something supernatural, divine and blessed”. He felt “a glory that no tongue can describe”. This experience led Hauge to receive a renewed mind and a heart “filled with a passionate desire to read the Bible and Jesus’ own teaching”.
The supernatural encounter that Hans Nielsen Hauge experienced turned his life around. He consecrated the rest of his life to call his people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. On the same day of his encounter, he spoke to his family and two of his siblings were converted as a result. Soon Hauge began to travel across the country. In fact, he preached to nearly every district of the country. Within eight years, Hauge is believed to have covered over 15 000 kilometres, mainly on foot.
Hauge’s preaching was not free from opposition, though. At the time, lay preaching and unofficial Christian gatherings were illegal, but he ignored these laws and was thus confronted by the bishops. God gave him wisdom to respond appropriately, but the bishops proceeded to require his arrest nonetheless. Within eighteen years, Hauge was arrested eleven times. His longest imprisonment lasted ten years, and the conditions of his seclusion were sometimes dire. But in spite of such opposition, Hauge did not stop preaching. He once said: “If I had 100 lives, they would all be willing to welcome chains.”
So, how did Hauge’s revival have an impact on Norwegian society?
Hauge’s preaching was not limited to offering an entry to heaven. Hauge believed that the renewal of the mind should lead to changes in everyday life. The believer should be, in his own words, “God’s child in all necessary tasks”. Therefore, the Haugian revival had a transformative effect in the economic, political and educational spheres. This could be seen, for example, in the reduction of drunkenness wherever the revival spread.
Hauge is probably best known for the impact he had on Norwegian economy. He often shared practical advice about farming or even business ideas among the people he preached to. Hauge himself started many businesses, including a shipping company, two paper factories, a brick company, a printing company and several mills. The Haugian movement became known for innovation in farming and businesses. Several members of the movement even drafted the constitution of the country in 1814. Hans Nielsen Hauge also contributed to the growth of literacy. He wrote 17 books which were widely read. Some accounts estimate that at least one Norwegian out of nine read his work. His writings inspired many to want to read and study. Hauge was also concerned with education and contributed financially to the founding of the first Norwegian university (Christiania, which is modern-day Oslo).
The years of opposition and imprisonment that Hauge experienced took a toll on his health. Nonetheless, he continued to preach the Gospel whenever he could. Toward the end of his life, when he was seriously ill, a group of people came to visit him here in Bredtvet. In spite of spending much of his time in bed, Hauge still found the strength to preach to them. A few weeks later, just five days before his 53rd birthday, Hans Nielsen Hauge passed away.
The impact that Hans Nielsen Hauge had in Norway has been recognised by all the historians of the country. The prosperity that the Norwegians enjoy can be traced back to the work God did through Hauge. His last words were summarise his thoughts. His call to follow Jesus, the eternal loving God, transformed an entire nation.
Source picture: I, Chell Hill, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons