Fortress Press

Poet, historian, and hymn writer Gracia Grindal weaves personal memoir and the history of Norwegian Lutheranism in the United States into a lively and insightful account of the Lutheran Free Church and its seminary. Grindal's family immigrated from Norway to the Minnesota prairie in the late 1800s and quickly became involved in ongoing discussions--and often, arguments--about the future of Lutheran worship and ecclesial practice in this new country. Would the Lutheran faithful organize themselves as the state church had practiced, or would local communities of faith retain practices aligned with pietist movements? Who would speak for the church in America?

Augsburg Seminary--now Augsburg University--was founded amid these strident debates about congregations and schools, higher loyalties, and God's intentions for Norwegians of faith in North America. Grindal traces the interwoven threads of her family's experiences and the history of Augsburg, demonstrating how individuals and communities experienced what might seem at first glance like institutional questions. Readers will come away from What a Fellowship with a stronger understanding not only of American Lutheran history, but of ongoing conversations in the contemporary church.