Lutheranism as the main Christian denomination in the Nordic countries has defined the religious, ethical, and societal discourse in the area since the Reformation era. Rulers and societal norms drawn from Lutheranism have been recognized as an essential factor behind the development of Nordic societies. Lutheran hegemony is characteristic in ideals relating to gender roles in family, society, and church. Lutheran masculinity, however, has historical and theological roots expanding beyond hegemonic masculinity in different contexts.
This paper provides insight to the development of Lutheran masculinity ideals, beginning with Reformation era sources and contexts of early Lutheran theological teaching about ideal masculine attributes and behavior. The paper concludes with an example from contemporary politics where Nordic Lutheran masculinity ideals are taken into global context. Alexander Stubb, the President of Finland, has recently gained global attention in world politics and a seat next to major Western leaders.