Arbejderbevægelsens syn på kristendommen ca. 1870-1920

Resumé

The Danish Labour Movement and Christianity, c. 1870-1920

This article explores the Danish labour movement’s complex relationship with Christianity from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. While the movement rejected belief in God, salvation etc. it endorsed Christianity’s ethical core, particularly the principles of loving one’s neighbour, justice, and solidarity. Jesus was interpreted as a human exemplar rather than a divine figure, serving as a model for moral action and social responsibility. The movement also selectively drew on early Christian traditions (Urchristentum) to support its own rational and ethical framework for collective life. Rituals, symbols, and shared practices were adopted to cultivate solidarity, moral commitment, and social identity, effectively amounting to a form of civil religion in which socialism embodied the ethical aims of Christianity without its supernatural claims. Socialism was presented as both a scientifically grounded and ethically driven project, reconciling moral ideals with social practice. The article demonstrates how the labour movement transitioned from initial religious enthusiasm to a mature, rational, and socially engaged worldview, in which moral and social imperatives replaced dogmatic belief.