Clash of Cultures

Herewith the definitive study of Norwegian Mormonism including the story of «Sloopers» who converted in Fox River, Illinois; Mormon beginnings in Copenhagen; and - from there - the head-on clash of cultures in Norway between American religionists and Norwegian traditionalists - bishops, priests, justices, police authorities. The author draws heavily on documents in Norwegian archives (in- cluding Lutheran and Justice Department dossiers) and holograph Mormon journals to resurrect colorful characters such as district governor Christian Birch-Reichenwald; and describes Mormon-Thranite connections, the Supreme Court decision on «non-Christians» (1853), parliamentary debates through 1920, Church Department-Justice Department disagreement over the Mormon question, and Mormonism as instrument of social change. Here also the only comprehensive bibliography of Norwegian Mormonism and hundreds of translations from Norwegian documents (including complete Norwegian texts of all citations).