With NetVUE grant support, Luther College and Augustana College have each produced an anthology of essays (Sagas of Luther College and Called to Reckon) exploring how their Lutheran roots and ethnic identities have contributed to their institutional vocations.. Luther College, founded by Norwegian immigrants in a small town that still largely reflects that heritage, and Augustana College, founded by Swedes in a diverse metropolitan area, share a common Lutheran tradition that challenges them to “serve the neighbor, so that all may flourish”—though in very different ways. This session explores how each institution approached its institutional saga in light of those differences, and traces the publications’ impact on “town-gown” relations.
Bradley M. Chamberlain, President, Luther College (IA)
Maren Johnson, Director of the Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies, Luther College (IA)
Mark Safstrom, Associate Professor of Scandinavian Studies, Augustana College (IL)
Jane Simonsen, Professor of History and Gender Studies, Augustana College (IL)