Henrik Nicolai Clausen

Henrik Nicolai Clausen was born on the island of Lolland, the son of resident chaplin and later provost H. G. Clausen (1759–1840) and Sophia M. Schiern (1769–1817). He was the elder brother of theologian Emil Theodor Clausen (1802–1851). The family moved to Copenhagen when he was four years old. He graduated from the Metropolitan School in 1809.^[2]

Clausen became a student in 1809 and a candidate in theology in 1813. He won the university's gold medal for Fremstilling og Bedømmelse af Apologeternes Beviser for Kristendommen imod hedenske og jødiske Modstandere in 1815. and became a doctor of philosophy in 1817.

From 1820 he held a professorial chair in theology at the University of Copenhagen where his theological rationalism influenced Magnús Eiríksson and was one of the instructors of Søren Kierkegaard .^[3]

He wrote, besides other works, Romanism and Protestantism (1825); Popular Discourses on the Reformation (1836); a commentary on the synoptical Gospels, and Christian Dogmatics (1867).

In 1840 he was chosen a deputy to the States, and near the end of 1848 was appointed a member of the Moltke II Cabinet.^[4] He was a member of the National Constitutional Assembly from 1848 to 1849, of the Folketing from 1849 to 1853 and of the Landsting from 1853 to 1863.^[5]

Clausen married on 8 December 1821 in the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen Birgitte Francisca Swane (1797-1875), daughter of brewer and timber merchant Hans Swane (1753–1803) and Johanne Marie Gad (1767–1842). They were the parents of the theologian Johannes Clausen (1830-1905).

He died on 27 March 1877 and is buried in Copenhagen's Assistens Cemetery.