ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hans Nielsen Hauge

So imagine you have a friend named Hans Nielsen Hauge, and he was born a long time ago in Norway, before cars and electricity were invented.

Now, when Hans was young, he had a very strong belief in God and wanted to spread the word of Christianity to everyone. However, in those days, only the official church was allowed to do that and people couldn't just go around talking about God on their own.

But Hans didn't let that stop him. He started to hold secret meetings with other people who shared his beliefs. At these meetings, he would teach them about God and how to live a good Christian life.

Word started to spread about these meetings and soon, the authorities found out. Hans and the people he was teaching were arrested and many of them were thrown in jail.

But even in jail, Hans didn't give up. He would talk to the other prisoners about God and even converted some of them to his beliefs.

Eventually, Hans was released from jail, but he couldn't stop sharing his message. He traveled all around Norway, holding more meetings and teaching more people about God.

He even started to write books and pamphlets about his beliefs and how to live a good Christian life. These books became very popular and helped spread his message even further.

Hans became known as a leader in the religious community and his message of spreading God's word through personal experiences and actions, rather than just through the official church, influenced many people and started a movement known as "Haugeanism."

So, in summary, Hans Nielsen Hauge was a man who strongly believed in God and wanted to share his beliefs with others. He faced many challenges and even went to jail for his beliefs, but he didn't let that stop him. He continued to spread his message through secret meetings, books, and personal experiences, and influenced many people in Norway, starting a new religious movement.