Gustavus Adolphus College - Gustavian Yearbook (St Peter, MN)

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f' 1' GLISTAVLIS SPIRIT FLOWS F STIMLILATING INTEREST, AND ITS AC I 14

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In my grandfatlzeriv time was the pure word of God taught among us, ana' man-made precepts done away with ERMANY'S Reformation was touched off in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his famous ninety-five theses to the door of Wit- tenberg's castle church. Swedenis reform followed soon after. As in England a few years later, this upheaval came about more as a political expedient than as the result of a religious awakening. The turn of the sixteenth century found Sweden smarting under the self- imposed ties which bound her to the alliance of Scandinavian states known as the Union of Kalmar. When the king of Denmark sought to perpetuate this union and to establish his sovereignty over Sweden, a wave of revolt swept over the land. - Gustav Eriksson, a young noble of the influential Vasa family, was the flaming Hgure around whom the forces of freedom rallied. After victory had been won, he was offered the crown of Sweden. Gustav accepted but re- fused coronation until Sweden should become Lutheran. Although truly in- terested in the new teachings recently carried to Sweden from Luther's lecture hall in Wittenberg by Lars and Olav Petri, he saw the change to Lutheranism as an opportunity to gain for the crown the vast landhold- ings of the Church of Rome and to remove the antagonistic Roman clergy from his opposition. Many years after his death, Gustav I had a grandson - his name was Gustavus Adolphus. The faith which the grandfather had thrust upon Sweden would someday be defended by his grandson with his life! Ille faciet - This one will do it! 16