About The Book
In 1880s Minnesota a remarkable lawsuit posed questions about cultural practices in an immigrant community and the rights of its members as Americans—inspiring a wide-reaching debate about faith and family.
Copublished with the Norwegian-American Historical Association on the occasion of St. Olaf College’s sesquicentennial, Muus vs. Muus is the American edition of a volume originally published in Norway. Newly translated, this gripping narrative details a prominent nineteenth-century Lutheran couple’s separation, which signaled a cultural shift.
Oline Muus was many things: a Norwegian immigrant, a pastor’s wife, a mother, and a valued member of her rural Minnesota congregation. But when she sued her husband to recoup her inheritance, she gained notoriety throughout Norwegian America and beyond.
In the eyes of the Norwegian Synod she had erred by not bringing her complaint to the congregation first, and by refusing to defer completely to her husband. In her new home of America, the law regarding inheritance was on her side and the campaign of rights for women was gaining ground. Yet in her own congregation Oline Muus was literally not allowed to speak.
The other half of the story, Pastor Bernt Muus, was acclaimed for his fiery sermons and his tireless recruitment efforts among the faithful, yet also known for his abrasiveness and overweening confidence.
This riveting story looks beyond the case of Muus v. Muus to contextualize the arrival of Norwegians in Minnesota, conflicts among various Lutheran conferences, and questions of Americanization— introducing readers to compelling characters and the challenges that come from intertwined lives and conflicting worldviews.
MNHS Fall catalog (see page 8 and 9)
NAHA Fall 2024 Currents (see page 8 and 9)
Order through your favorite independent bookstore, or through the MNHS site here.
Learn More!
(Click the picture to go to the page)
Podcasts
Reading Guide
Story Maps
Listen to the research podcasts researched and created by Kari’s undergraduate students connected to Muus vs. Muus
This is the official reading guide for Muus vs. Muus. It offers some starting points that can help guide book club discussions.
ArcGIS StoryMaps is a story authoring web-based application that allows users to share their maps in the context of narrative text and other multimedia content. Here are some guided virtual tours surrounding the charactes from Muus vs Muus!
Reviews
“While Bernt Julius Muus, founder of St. Olaf College and influential Lutheran minister among Norwegian immigrants in southern Minnesota, has had biographies written about his life and accomplishments, the story of his wife, Oline Muus, including the lawsuit and allegations of abuse she leveled against her husband, has been largely forgotten—until now. In Muus vs. Muus, Oline Muus emerges as a woman worthy of her own biography. And the scandal at the heart of this book reveals layers of contested claims around what it meant to be Lutheran, American, and male or female in nineteenth-century Minnesota.”
Deanna A. Thompson
Director, Lutheran Center for Faith, Values, and Community, St. Olaf College
“This well-researched and comprehensive look at the tumultuous relationship between Oline and Bernt Muus deftly paints their story against a broader backdrop of Norwegian American immigration, assimilation, church politics, and gender dynamics in the United States and Norway. The result is a captivating and informative page-turner.”
Ingrid Urberg
Professor of Scandinavian Studies, University of Alberta, Augustana Campus
“This refreshing, well-translated new historical interpretation includes an inspired focus on how Norwegian immigrants to America adjusted to a new social and religious environment.”
Odd Lovoll
Author of Norwegians on the Prairie: Ethnicity and the Development of the Country Town
“Muus vs. Muus explores an 1879 court case that became major news in both Norwegian America and Norway, involving a woman who stood up to her husband and the religious community he led. By relating experiences revealed in the press, church records, and legal documents, this book encourages new understandings of Norwegian immigrant life and the role of religion within it.”
Joy Lintelman
Author of “I Go To America”: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson
Kari Lie Dorer 