title: Sven Oftedal
text: # Sven Oftedal
  
  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 :
  
  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 :
  
  vte :
  
  Sven Oftedal (March 22, 1844 – March 30, 1911) was a Norwegian American Lutheran minister. He served as the 3rd president of Augsburg University and helped found the Lutheran Free Church.
  
  ## Background
  
  Sven Svensen Oftedal was born in Stavanger, Norway. He was the son of Sven Larsen Oftedal (1812-1883) and Gunhild Omundsdatter Stokka (1809-1881). His father was a teacher at the Stavanger Cathedral School. His elder brother Lars Svendsen Oftedal (1838 –1900) was a Norwegian priest and social reformer. He was also the founding editor of Stavanger Aftenblad and served as a Member of the Storting.
  
  He graduated from Stavanger Cathedral School in 1862. He studied at the University of Oslo and earned his theology degree in 1871. He also studied languages, philosophy, and theology at several other European universities.
  
  ## Career
  
  He came to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1873 to serve as a professor of the New Testament at Augsburg Seminary, predecessor to Augsburg University. Augsburg was the first seminary founded by Norwegian Lutherans in America. August Weenaas, Augsburg's first president, had recruited both Sven Oftedal and Georg Sverdrup from Norway to join the faculty. Sven Oftedal and Georg Sverdrup were scholars from prominent Haugean families in Norway who came to Augsburg, bringing with them a genuinely radical view of Christian education, centered on Scripture and the simple doctrines of Christianity. In time, both Oftedal and Sverdrup would serve as presidents of Augsburg. Additionally, Oftedal was chairman of the board of regents at Augsburg for 36 years.
  
  It was at Augsburg that Oftedal, along with Georg Sverdrup, founded the Lutheran Free Church. Sverdrup, Oftedal and others felt their beliefs were being compromised and broke away from the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, forming the Lutheran Free Church in 1897. The denomination would exist as a separate synod until 1963.
  
  In 1877, Sven Oftedal organized the Folkebladet Publishing Company which would merge in 1922 with the Free Church Book Concern. That company would in turn merge with Augsburg Publishing in 1963. Oftedal was also elected to the Minneapolis School Board and was appointed to the Minneapolis Library Board. Additionally, Oftedal served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis for five years. Trinity Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1868, was originally a Norwegian immigrant Lutheran church, which would have roots in the Lutheran Free Church.
  
  ## Personal life
  
  He was married to Marie Gjertsen (1845-1926). They were the parents of four children. In 1908 he was appointed a Knight 1st Class in the Order of St. Olav. Oftedal died in 1911 and his widow in 1926; both were laid to rest at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  
  