Joshua and Judges

5. The Finns’ Holy War against the Soviet Union: The Use of War Rhetoric in Finnish History during the Second World War

5 The Finns’ Holy War against the Soviet Union The Use of War Rhetoric in Finnish History during the Second World War Kari Latvus Introduction The Second World War was a traumatic experience for Finland. The nation had achieved national independence in 1917, after having been colonized by Sweden (from the twelfth century to the War of Finland, 1808–1809) and then part of the Russian Empire, although autonomous. The 1918 Civil War remained fresh in the Finns’ memory. When the Soviet Union attacked Finland in 1939, its national independence was seriously threatened. Finland was poorly prepared and equipped, only a minor player compared to the imperial military power of its eastern neighbor. For Finns, the Soviet Union represented imperial power, imperialistic aims, and atheistic and Communistic ideologies, while Finns understood themselves as representatives of the western and Christian world (Lavery 2006: 106–9, 113). The aim of this article is to analyze the reception of the Old Testament (OT)1 in Finland during the Second World War. The specific period of this study is the latter part of 1941, and the data analyzed is the newspaper Kotimaa and the Finnish theological journal Teologinen Aikakauskirja (Finnish Journal of Theology). In 1941, Kotimaa was a church-oriented newspaper published twice a week, each issue having four pages. Teologinen Aikakauskirja contained altogether 513 pages in 1941, consisting of scholarly and professionally oriented articles, reviews, and short notices. 91 My research question is this: how were the Hebrew Bible texts about the land, conquest, and re-conquest used in the context of the Finnish war? The presupposition before the analysis was that there are similarities and connections between Finnish texts and the OT conquest stories in Joshua and Judges. These OT stories were part of my academic biography and part of my doctoral dissertation (Latvus 1993; English version Latvus 1998). The presumed common theme was God’s guidance in the conquest of the land, with the land being taken from the enemies and given to the Israelites/Finns. This was a central theme in the Deuteronomistic History (DH) and a burning issue in the context of the Finnish war. A well-known metaphor used about the Winter War (1939–1940) between Finland and the Soviet Union was the fight between “white” David and “red” Goliath (1 Samuel 17). The reception of biblical texts in Finland during the Second World War has not actually been analyzed earlier. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that Janne Helin (2006) studied the religious and ideological concepts used during the Winter War, and concludes that religious and mythological metaphors were widely used and an important element in national rhetoric. METHOD The primary method of this study is reception analysis. In the European context, this approach is based on the philosophy of Hans Georg Gadamer (Truth and Method, ET 1982). Gadamer discusses the history of effects (Wirkungsgeschichte) and emphasizes that events and texts have an affect on history. Interpreters are affected by earlier (and current) events; and when texts are read in a new situation, interaction between several elements always occurs. According to Gadamer, interpretation always leads to a fusion between past and present interpretative horizons. This approach acknowledges that texts have always been read and reinterpreted throughout history as connected to the readers’ context. A well-known example of this hermeneutical approach is the commentary on Matthew written by Ulrich Luz (1989; 2007). Luz illustrates how the text of Matthew has been read and perceived in various ways throughout the centuries. Each reading creates a new dimension for the text and enhances its meaning. Sometimes the ensuing interpretations can even contradict the (probable) original intention. For instance, in Matt. 25:31-46, “Least brothers” was originally—most probably—a reference to other Christians; however, this expression was at times understood simply as a reference to unknown human beings. 92 | Joshua and Judges Based on Gadamer, reception analysis not only considers the history of effects, Wirkungsgeschichte, but also points out that the reader and the reading context deserve special attention too. As an offshoot of reader response literary theory, reception analysis focuses on the role, meaning, and value of the reader. Texts have their meaning, but the understanding process always happens through someone and in a certain context (Rhoads 2005: 9–14). Reception analysis aims to find and confirm a connection between a biblical text and its usage in a later document. It then focuses on the contents...