The International Dimension of Estonian Lutheranism in the 20 th Century by Priit Rohtmets Introduction Estonian Lutheranism, with its institutions, forms of religious identity and theological re- search, has its own specific character. This singularity, however, comprises a combination of theological, social, political and historical aspects. One of the factors that has shaped and is characteristic of Estonian Lutheranism is its international dimension. It is, however, impossible to analyze one specific moment without understanding and describing Estonian Lutheranism in its full complexity, since all the various aspects are interconnected. The aim of this article, then, is to analyze the international dimension of Estonian Lutheranism and its development through the 20 th century in a wider context, taking various domestic and international actors into account. Having established the interconnection between the specific and the general context, a more detailed definition of the international dimension of Estonian Lutheranism is needed. I distinguish two major motives, one being ecclesiastical, the other theological. The eccle- siastical motive involves formal and informal relations, i.e. international relations between churches, participation in the ecumenical movement and in various religious communions. The second motive is less formal, and although it includes institutional cooperation be- tween theologians, the primary focus here is on the impact of the international dimension of Lutheranism on Estonian theological thought and church life. The structure of the anal- ysis makes it possible to follow the changes in these motives over the 20 th century. After a general introduction to the social and political context in which Estonian Lutheranism operated in the early 20 th century, the article provides an analytical overview of local the- ological thought in the 19 th century, thus portraying the main features of Lutheranism in Estonia. The third section covers the first period of Estonian independence from 1918 to 1940 in more detail, in order to better understand the changes in theological and eccle- siastical thinking in Estonian Lutheranism in connection with its international dimension. How this new orientation became a source of conflict is the topic of the following section, which deals primarily with the relationship between German and Estonian elements in the church. Radical changes took place after the Second World War when the Baltic States were occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union. The four sections which follow describe and analyze the development of the new, state-orchestrated internationalism. After a brief look at developments within Soviet Estonia, the fraught relationship with the Estonian Lutheran Church in exile is analyzed. The next section deals with the role of Jaan Kiivit in toning down the conflict across the Iron Curtain, and is followed by a section investigating the new generations of religious leaders that grew up in Soviet isolation. The central question in the development of the international dimension of Estonian Lutheranism throughout the 20 th century is its influence on local religious identity. The history of foreign influence and how it relates to religious identity is the key to understanding the identity of the Estonian Lutheran Church in the 21 st century.