Social transformation

Hauge was born into a particular culture: Farmers at that time were bound to the farm in the area where they were born. Sons took over their father's farm, and people remained where they had always lived. There was no tradition of leaving ones' birthplace, and neither was their any tradition of being established elsewhere or doing anything else. The forefathers of Norwegians were Vikings, but by this time, they were all settled in their land. Hauge's ideas stimulated individuals to make independent choices in spiritual and practical matters. He challenged farmers' sons to move away from their farms to become tradesmen in the towns and to live and work in other parts of the country. After sometime, there were businesses run by Haugians all over the country, and many of them moved to other areas to start or run businesses.  Some established shops, others started with handicrafts, while yet others founded factories and other industrial projects.  A social transformation was blooming across the nation. 

In a newspaper article in 1802, Hauge said, "My calling is to love God and my fellowmen."  This was the vision for all his work in a nutshell: preaching, working, farming and producing are all parts of serving men, the community and God's kingdom on earth. It has a vision of wholeness that includes everything in life or existence in general. His view of riches and other excess funds was that they are simple gifts from God, which one should use to serve one's fellowmen and the community. 

Christians should engage in business with enthusiasm when opportunity presented itself because in this manner, he could set a good example for his fellowmen.  Anything one owned (both capital and other material goods) should be kept in stewardship for the good of one's fellowmen, especially the poor.  One was not supposed to use profit for personal gain, luxuries and excesses, but to reinvest in promising projects to create work for others and to contribute to remunerative work, so others can improve their lives. 

Hauge showed from Scriptures that God had called shepherds, fishermen and others of low status to do His work.  He established new businesses and industries wherever he can. He knitted as he traveled on foot, and the gloves and socks which he made were given away to the poor who needed them. It was his incredible working capacity combined with his pioneering spirit that made him such a successful businessman. He was at the height of his activity during the years 1800 to 1804. In these five years, he established many industries all over the country from Lista in the south to Trons in the north. Fishing industries, brick yards, spinning wheels, shipping yards, salt and mineral mines, harnessing a waterfall, paper mills and printing plants were some of the industries he established. 

The profits were invested in new activities.  Neither did he hesitate to ask his friends for loans and investments if he thought they were in a position to assist.  Once he had established these ventures, he delegated the daily management to those who he thought were the most capable.  But he was always the strategist who planned and motivated them to action. Later when he was in the area, he would visit the works and he would contribute and help wherever necessary. He became an inspiration and an example to those who knew him. Many found the courage to break away from the traditional pattern especially in the outlying districts, and to establish their own enterprises, as they saw what Hauge did and saw that enterprise development was possible. 

Even the civic authorities recognized his business acumen. They released him from jail for six months after having imprisoned him for five years, for defying the “Konventikkel Ordinance,” a law that forbade gathering and preaching independent of the state church at that time. During those six months, he established a salt mine for the government when the country was threatened by famine at that time!