Eric Norelius, D.D., LL. D.
Norelius with Polar Star Medal
Born	Eric Norelius (1833-10-26)26 October 1833[1] Hassela, Helsingland, Sweden
Died	15 March 1916(1916-03-15) (aged 82)[2] Vasa, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupations	clergyman author historiographer church leader
Church	Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod
Ordained	1855

Part of a series on
Lutheranism
Background Christianity Start of the Reformation Reformation Protestantism
Doctrine and theology Bible Old Testament New Testament Creeds Apostles' Creed Nicene Creed Athanasian Creed Book of Concord Augsburg Confession Apology of the Augsburg Confession Luther's Small / Large Catechism Smalcald Articles Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope Formula of Concord Distinctive theological concepts Theology of Martin Luther Justification Law and Gospel Sola gratia Sola scriptura Christology Sanctification Two kingdoms catholicity Two states of the Church Priesthood of all believers Divine Providence Marian theology Theology of the Cross Sacramental Union Other relevant topics Homosexuality
Sacraments and worship Baptism Eucharist Confession Confirmation Matrimony Anointing of the Sick Holy Orders Divine Service Matins Vespers Liturgical calendar Calendar of saints Lutheran hymn Lutheran hymnwriters Normative principle Lutheran art
Organization Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference Global Confessional & Missional Lutheran Forum International Lutheran Council Lutheran World Federation Denominations Lutheranism by region
Movements History of Lutheranism Crypto-Lutherans Gnesio-Lutherans Lutheran orthodoxy Pietists Radical Pietism Haugeans Laestadians Finnish Awakening Old Lutherans Neo-Lutherans High church Lutherans Confessional Lutheranism
Key figures Missionaries John Campanius Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg Hans Egede Johann Heinrich Callenberg Johann Phillip Fabricius Paul Henkel John Christian Frederick Heyer Karl Graul Martti Rautanen Wilhelm Sihler F. C. D. Wyneken Hans Paludan Smith Schreuder Lars Olsen Skrefsrud Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen Onesimos Nesib Paul Olaf Bodding Johann Flierl Christian Keyser Jens Christensen Bible Translators Martin Luther Casiodoro de Reina Kjell Magne Yri Onesimos Nesib Aster Ganno Kristian Osvald Viderø Jákup Dahl Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg Johann Phillip Fabricius William Tyndale John Rogers George Constantine Jozef Roháček Johannes Avetaranian Guðbrandur Þorláksson Ludvig Olsen Fossum Hans Egede / Paul Egede Otto Fabricius Nils Vibe Stockfleth Olaus Petri / Laurentius Petri Martti Rautanen Primož Trubar Jurij Dalmatin Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen Sebastian Krelj Mikael Agricola Norwegian Bible Society Swedish Bible Society Samuel Ludwik Zasadius Stanislovas Rapolionis Laurentius Andreae Hans Tausen Olaf M. Norlie Jonas Bretkūnas Hans Paludan Smith Schreuder Antonio Brucioli Mikołaj Jakubica Matthias Bel Johann Ernst Glück William F. Beck Theologians Martin Luther / Katharina von Bora Philip Melanchthon Johannes Bugenhagen Johannes Brenz Justus Jonas Hans Tausen Laurentius Petri Olaus Petri Mikael Agricola Matthias Flacius Martin Chemnitz Johann Gerhard Abraham Calovius Johannes Andreas Quenstedt Johann Wilhelm Baier Philipp Spener David Hollaz August Hermann Francke Henry Muhlenberg Lars Levi Laestadius Charles Porterfield Krauth C. F. W. Walther Søren Kierkegaard Albrecht Ritschl Wilhelm Herrmann F. W. Stellhorn Rudolf Otto Ernst Troeltsch Rudolf Bultmann Paul Tillich Hermann Sasse Dietrich Bonhoeffer Wolfhart Pannenberg

Eric Norelius (26 October 1833 – 15 March 1916) was a Swedish-American Lutheran minister, church leader, and author.^[3]

Background

Eric Norelius was born on 26 October 1833 in Norrbäck, Hassela parish, Sweden. He received his early education at Hudiksvall's general school. In 1850, at the age of 17, Norelius emigrated to the United States. In May 1851, he accompanied Lars Paul Esbjörn on a visit to William Morton Reynolds, president of the newly renamed Capital University at Columbus, Ohio, and stayed on to become a student there,^[4] with assistance from Esbjörn. After four years of studying, Norelius was ordained in 1855.

Career

Norelius moved to the newly formed congregations in Red Wing, and Vasa, Minnesota in 1856. In 1858, he was called to serve the Swedish Lutheran congregation in Attica, Indiana. In 1863, he was called back to the Vasa and Red Wing congregations in Goodhue County.^[5]

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota traces its history to 1865 when Norelius and his congregation took in four orphaned immigrant children and later opened Vasa Lutheran Home for Children. The Vasa Children's Home was the first orphan home established by Swedish Lutherans in Minnesota.^[6]

Norelius was one of the founders of the Augustana Synod, and he served as its president between 1870–1881 and 1901–1910. Norelius was also the founder and often president of the Lutheran Minnesota Conference of Augustana Synod, and he initiated Minnesota Elementar Skola, a predecessor of Gustavus Adolphus College.

Norelius was also active in the publishing field and began the publishing of Minnesota Posten from 1857–1858, which merged with Hemlandet. Norelius jointly published and edited Svensk Luthersk Tidskrift, which became Skaffaren after the first year of existence. He edited Missionären from 1870–1871. Norelius was listed as editor-in-chief of Skaffaren until 1882. He was also the editor of Augustana for a brief period of time and the synod calendar Korsbaneret. From 1899 until 1909, he was editor or co-editor of Tidskrift för svensk evangelisk luthersk kyrkohistoria i Amerika, later called The Augustana Theological Quarterly.^[7]

The last years of his life were spent researching and writing the history of the synod and the Swedish migration to and settlement in America. He published Vasa illustrata (1905) on the history of his congregation in Vasa, The history of the Swedish Lutheran congregations and the Swedish-Americans (1890) (Swedish: De svenska lutherska församlingarnas och svensk-amerikanernas historia). He also wrote a biography of Tuve Hasselquist (1900). Eric Norelius' papers are contained in the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center located on the campus of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, and in the College and Lutheran Church Archives at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota.^[8]

Legacy

Gustavus Adolphus College honors the role of Norelius in the foundation of the college. The four narthexes of Christ Chapel honor the first four college presidents, including Norelius, founder of the college.^[9] Norelius Hall is named for him. The Eric Norelius Award for the Outstanding Administrative Employee is awarded annually by Gustavus Adolphus College.^[10] A commemorative bronze statue of Norelius was erected in 2015 in Lindström, Minnesota, alongside two additional statues of influential Swedish immigrants Joris-Pelle Per Anderson and Daniel Lindström. All three Swedes immigrated between 1851 and 1853 and are honored for their significant contributions to the city of Lindström and the state of Minnesota.

References

Further reading

• Norelius, Eric (1934). Early life of Eric Norelius (1833–1862) journal of a Swedish immigrant in the middle West. Translated by Johnson, Emeroy. Rock Island, Ill.: Augustana Book Concern. OCLC 3922859.
• Ravenhill, Leonard (1954). Eric Norelius, Pioneer Midwest Pastor and Churchman. Augustana Book Concern.
• Peterson, Florence M. Turner (1958). Erik Norelius letters in the Gustavus Adolphus College Archives: Arranged chronologically. Gustavus Adolphus College. OCLC 23936437.
• Norelius, Eric (1967). The Journals of Eric Norelius, a Swedish missionary on the American frontier. Translated by Arden, G. Everett. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. OCLC 2855756.

This article contains content from the Owl Edition of Nordisk familjebok, a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904 and 1926, now in the public domain.