Gunnar Rosendal
Encyclopedia
Gunnar Rosendal was a Swedish
Lutheran priest, Doctor of Theology
, and parish priest of Osby
. Through his books promoting High Church Lutheran theology and spirituality, especially Kyrklig förnyelse
(1935), he became a leading and disputed figure of the Catholic movement in the Church of Sweden
.
so he and his sister were raised by an aunt. After graduating from Lunds Privata Elementarskola he began his theological studies at Lund University
in 1918. He was ordained on 25 May 1922 by bishop Gottfrid Billing and moved to Väsby to begin his work as a priest.
in the Roman Catholic church
, especially in Benedictine
monasteries, and knew personally many theologians of the liturgical and ecumenical movement, such as Pius Parsch
and Paul Couturier
. He also had plenty of contacts with Anglo-Catholicism
in the Church of England
, e.g. to Dom Gregory Dix
, and was member of Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius
. Rosendal often liked to show himself as catholic as possible, but he was also rooted in the theology of 17th century Lutheran orthodoxy
, which he knew well. By the recommendation of Bo Giertz
he started to read books of Carl Olof Rosenius
, which made a lasting impression. Rosendal himself used the neo-thomistic paradigm
and resisted all kinds of liberal theology
as well as the dialectical theology of Karl Barth
. Rosendal was one of the theologians that worked for the foundation of the International League for Apostolic Faith and Order (ILAFO).
(aKF), which was inspired by his book, Kyrklig förnyelse
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Lutheran priest, Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology is a terminal academic degree in theology. It is a research degree that is considered by the U.S. National Science Foundation to be the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy....
, and parish priest of Osby
Osby
Osby is a locality and the seat of Osby Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 6,947 inhabitants in 2005.Well known people born in Osby include Swedish ice hockey goalkeeper Magnus Åkerlund and their famous goalkeeper, the tremendous Awet Fesshaie....
. Through his books promoting High Church Lutheran theology and spirituality, especially Kyrklig förnyelse
Kyrklig förnyelse
Kyrklig förnyelse is a manifesto of the Scandinavian Lutheran High Church movement, written by Swedish priest Gunnar Rosendal....
(1935), he became a leading and disputed figure of the Catholic movement in the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
.
Early life
Rosendal was born in Grevie, Skåne, the son of Andreas and Teolinda Rosendal. His mother died early and his father moved to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
so he and his sister were raised by an aunt. After graduating from Lunds Privata Elementarskola he began his theological studies at Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
in 1918. He was ordained on 25 May 1922 by bishop Gottfrid Billing and moved to Väsby to begin his work as a priest.
Books
Rosendal's publications came to be of great importance to the high church movement in Sweden. Examples of his books include "Den apostoliska tron" 1-2, (1948-51), which is a complete work of high church doctrine in the form of a devotional book, and "Vårt katolska arv" (1956) (Our Catholic Inheritance). Rosendal received much publicity by his good sense of humour and his exciting and eccentric personality—he was commonly called "Father Gunnar of Osby". Thus he managed to popularize high church theology by his own example in Osby parish, which became a model for liturgical piety and the practice of High Mass and the daily office.International contacts
Rosendal had many contacts to the liturgical movementLiturgical Movement
The Liturgical Movement began as a movement of scholarship for the reform of worship within the Roman Catholic Church. It has grown over the last century and a half and has affected many other Christian Churches, including the Church of England and other Churches of the Anglican Communion, and some...
in the Roman Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, especially in Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monasteries, and knew personally many theologians of the liturgical and ecumenical movement, such as Pius Parsch
Pius Parsch
Pius Parsch, born John Bruno Parsch on May 18, 1884 in Neustift near Olmutz, Moravia, in what is now the Czech Republic. He died on March 11, 1954 in Klosterneuburg. He was a priest of the Roman Catholic Church. He was given the name Pius when he entered the community of Canons Regular in...
and Paul Couturier
Paul Couturier
Paul Irénée Couturier was a French priest and a promoter of the concept of Christian unity. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.-Early life and career:...
. He also had plenty of contacts with Anglo-Catholicism
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, e.g. to Dom Gregory Dix
Gregory Dix
George Eglinton Alston Dix was an English monk and priest of Nashdom Abbey, an Anglican Benedictine community. He was a noted liturgical scholar whose work had particular influence on the reform of Anglican liturgy in the mid-20th century.-Life:Dix was born in Woolwich...
, and was member of Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius
Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius
The Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius is a religious organization founded in 1928 to facilitate contact between Eastern and Western Christians, specifically Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Christians. It is named for Saint Alban, the protomartyr of England, and Saint Sergius of Radonezh, an...
. Rosendal often liked to show himself as catholic as possible, but he was also rooted in the theology of 17th century Lutheran orthodoxy
Lutheran Orthodoxy
Lutheran orthodoxy was an era in the history of Lutheranism, which began in 1580 from the writing of the Book of Concord and ended at the Age of Enlightenment. Lutheran orthodoxy was paralleled by similar eras in Calvinism and tridentine Roman Catholicism after the...
, which he knew well. By the recommendation of Bo Giertz
Bo Giertz
Bo Harald Giertz , was a Swedish Confessional Lutheran bishop and Christian novelist....
he started to read books of Carl Olof Rosenius
Carl Olof Rosenius
Carl Olof Rosenius was a Swedish revivalist preacher, author and editor of the newspaper Pietisten from 1842-1868.-Biography:...
, which made a lasting impression. Rosendal himself used the neo-thomistic paradigm
Paradigm
The word paradigm has been used in science to describe distinct concepts. It comes from Greek "παράδειγμα" , "pattern, example, sample" from the verb "παραδείκνυμι" , "exhibit, represent, expose" and that from "παρά" , "beside, beyond" + "δείκνυμι" , "to show, to point out".The original Greek...
and resisted all kinds of liberal theology
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
as well as the dialectical theology of Karl Barth
Karl Barth
Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas...
. Rosendal was one of the theologians that worked for the foundation of the International League for Apostolic Faith and Order (ILAFO).
Legacy
In Sweden his influence can be seen in the foundation of the high church organization arbetsgemenskapen Kyrklig FörnyelseArbetsgemenskapen Kyrklig Förnyelse
Arbetsgemenskapen Kyrklig Förnyelse , the Swedish Church Union, is the umbrella organisation for the Lutheran High Church movement in the Church of Sweden....
(aKF), which was inspired by his book, Kyrklig förnyelse
Kyrklig förnyelse
Kyrklig förnyelse is a manifesto of the Scandinavian Lutheran High Church movement, written by Swedish priest Gunnar Rosendal....
.
External links
- "The Catholic Movement in the Swedish Church" by Gunnar Rosendal, 1950