The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is a successor to the Church of Sweden of which it was a part until 1809, when the Grand Duchy of Finland was established as a part of the Russian Empire, and consequently shared established status with the Finnish Orthodox Church.

In 1869, A new Church Act was passed by the Finnish Lantdag.
The Act separated church and the state, giving the church its own legislative body, known as the central Synod.

Changes in ecclesiastical form could be made only by the central Synod, which had the sole right to propose changes to the Church Act.
These changes could subsequently either be passed or vetoed by the Lantdag and the Russian Emperor.
A year earlier, Lutheran parishes had been differentiated from the secular municipalities, with both being given their own finances and administrative bodies.

The Church's general responsibility for comprehensive education and for the care of the poor was transferred to the secular municipalities.
The Church accepted separation from the state because, in view of the fact that the head of state was the Orthodox Russian Emperor, it regarded complete integration with the state as problematic.

In 1889, an act was passed allowing other Christian denominations to act freely in the country, and members of the Lutheran Church were given the right to leave the church to join other Christian communities.
Since 1923, it has been possible to leave the state church without having to join another religious congregation.

During the early 19th century, several revivalist movements were formed, four of which were particularly prominent.
These movements were:
Rukoilevaisuus (those who kneel to pray, or pray frequently), founded by peasant girl Liisa Erkintytär, and later, by the priest Abraham Achrenius.
The movement has been active mostly in Western Finland.

The Awakening (also called Pietists), founded by the peasant Paavo Ruotsalainen.

Evankelisuus (connected to Neo-Lutheranism), founded by the priest Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg.

Laestadianism, founded by Lars Levi Laestadius.

The revivalists met strong opposition from the bishops and the educated part of the population but drew large followings in the countryside.
In modern Finnish historiography, the revivalist movements have been considered to be a part of the social upheaval caused by the modernization of society.

In the late 19th century, the Church started to face opposition from liberalism, the position of the Church being particularly questioned by the emerging labor movement.
The Church was also challenged by the Baptist faith and the Methodist faith, which became the first two private religious communities in Finland.

The Church reacted by allowing its own revivalist movements more freedom and by starting new youth activities such as Sunday schools and Christian youth associations, but the main current of Finnish nationalism was affected by Lutheranism.
For example, the most important philosopher of Finnish nationalism, Johan Vilhelm Snellman, considered Lutheranism an important factor of the Finnish identity, although he was critical of the Church as an organization.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is a successor to the Church of Sweden of which it was a part until 1809, when the Grand Duchy of Finland was established as a part of the Russian Empire, and consequently shared established status with the Finnish Orthodox Church.
In 1869, A new Church Act was passed by the Finnish Lantdag. The Act separated church and the state, giving the church its own legislative body, known as the central Synod.
Changes in ecclesiastical form could be made only by the central Synod, which had the sole right to propose changes to the Church Act. These changes could subsequently either be passed or vetoed by the Lantdag and the Russian Emperor. A year earlier, Lutheran parishes had been differentiated from the secular municipalities, with both being given their own finances and administrative bodies.
The Church's general responsibility for comprehensive education and for the care of the poor was transferred to the secular municipalities.The Church accepted separation from the state because, in view of the fact that the head of state was the Orthodox Russian Emperor, it regarded complete integration with the state as problematic.
In 1889, an act was passed allowing other Christian denominations to act freely in the country, and members of the Lutheran Church were given the right to leave the church to join other Christian communities. Since 1923, it has been possible to leave the state church without having to join another religious congregation.
During the early 19th century, several revivalist movements were formed, four of which were particularly prominent. These movements were:
Rukoilevaisuus (those who kneel to pray, or pray frequently), founded by peasant girl Liisa Erkintytär, and later, by the priest Abraham Achrenius. The movement has been active mostly in Western Finland.
The Awakening (also called Pietists), founded by the peasant Paavo Ruotsalainen.
Evankelisuus (connected to Neo-Lutheranism), founded by the priest Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg.
Laestadianism, founded by Lars Levi Laestadius.
The revivalists met strong opposition from the bishops and the educated part of the population but drew large followings in the countryside. In modern Finnish historiography, the revivalist movements have been considered to be a part of the social upheaval caused by the modernization of society.
In the late 19th century, the Church started to face opposition from liberalism, the position of the Church being particularly questioned by the emerging labor movement. The Church was also challenged by the Baptist faith and the Methodist faith, which became the first two private religious communities in Finland.
The Church reacted by allowing its own revivalist movements more freedom and by starting new youth activities such as Sunday schools and Christian youth associations, but the main current of Finnish nationalism was affected by Lutheranism. For example, the most important philosopher of Finnish nationalism, Johan Vilhelm Snellman, considered Lutheranism an important factor of the Finnish identity, although he was critical of the Church as an organization.
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland