Exploring Luther’s Norwegian Roots
Last fall saw the culmination of a yearslong project with the publication of Sagas of Luther College: Norwegian and Lutheran Identities Past, Present, and Future.
As the first college in the United States founded by Norwegian immigrants, Luther has been broadly and deeply shaped by Norwegian Lutheran traditions, education, and culture. The anthology—edited by Maren Anderson Johnson, associate professor of Nordic studies, and Rachel (Andersen) Faldet ’78, assistant professor emerita of English—explores this using a 21st-century lens, through 13 personal essays and one intergenerational interview. The book’s authors include alumni, current and emeritus professors, and Lutheran pastors who consider “how a Luther education shapes you, helps you navigate the challenges of the world, and invites you to serve others and the Earth,” its editors say.
The range of voices and experiences portrayed in the book is diverse. Andrew Ellingsen ’03 reflects on how learning a traditional Norwegian folk craft led to a career change. David Faldet ’79, professor emeritus of English, writes about how the Norwegian spiritual sense of place has left its mark on the college and on those who have filtered through it. Wanda Deifelt, professor of religion, considers how the hallmarks of a Luther education have roots in traditional Norwegian Lutheran education. Edis Pajic ’22 reflects on her identity as a Norwegian “on paper,” born to refugee parents who lived in Norway temporarily.
In addition, Rebecca (Mehl) Gamble ’08, Jim Martin-Schramm, John Robert Christianson, Chris Johnson ’87, Hans Brattskar ’79, Berit Skogen ’23, Melissa Bills, Scott Meyer ’05, and Maren Anderson Johnson wrote chapters. Marilyn (Haugen) Roverud ’66, Kirsten (Roverud) Heine ’92, Suzanne (Roverud) Mineck ’96, and Mari Mineck ’26 contributed an intergenerational interview.
The book was published by Luther’s Richard L. and Judith A. Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies and funded by a Reframing the Institutional Saga grant of nearly $40,000 from the Council of Independent Colleges’ Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. The leadership team for the grant project included Johnson; Jeanie Lovell, senior director of foundation and government relations; and Brad Chamberlain, provost and professor of chemistry.
“It’s been a joy to work on this project,” Johnson says. “Through learning the authors’ stories, I’ve grown in my appreciation of how Luther’s history can and does shape the education our students receive today.”
The book was published just ahead of the 200th anniversary of the first organized emigration of Norwegians to the U.S., which will be celebrated in 2025. Copies of Sagas are available for purchase through the Luther Book Shop.