Ted Harris (pastor)
Encyclopedia
Edward "Ted" Harris is a Swedish-Barbadian
Doctor of Divinity
, writer and pastor
.
Dr. Harris also leads workshops in existential questions, arranges retreats and pilgrimages. He is the senior pastor
at downtown Stockholm
s Adolf Fredriks kyrka
, author and expert on Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard
.
Harris was born in Barbados
and the family emigrated to the United Kingdom
when he was 13 years old. He has described his time in London
as very hard. In his mid 20’s he came to Copenhagen
, met his soon to be Swedish wife and was introduced to writings of Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard
.
With his wife he moved to Sweden were he has remained ever since. In 1987 he became a pastor with the Swedish Lutheran church
. He has a theology degree and wrote his Ph.D. thesis on Kierkegaard. Dr. Harris has for many years been arranging Taizé music and worship
services and was the man who introduced this form of church service
in Sweden According to Swedens largest newspaper
, the introduction of Taizé worship service
by Pastor Harris, has attracted many young Swedish people who might not have been interested in organized religion.
Pastor Harris is a member of Franciskus Tredje Orden, FTO
in the Church of Sweden
(part of the European Province of the Third Order of the Anglican Society of St Francis
).
program Sommar
. Earlier this year he was featured on Jonas Gardell's
sometimes controversial television series on religion Hur uppstod Gud? He has also been featured main guest in other radio
and television
shows such as Mötet i P4
and Önskegästen.
with his wife. They have two children, Mariell and Christopher (a resesher in cognitive science
).
Co-written with Ann Lagerström
Barbadian people
Barbadians are people originating on the Caribbean island of Barbados whether they live there or in the Barbadian diaspora.Rihanna is by far the most popular Barbadian on the planet.-Diaspora:...
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, writer and pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
.
Dr. Harris also leads workshops in existential questions, arranges retreats and pilgrimages. He is the senior pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
at downtown Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
s Adolf Fredriks kyrka
Adolf Fredriks kyrka
Adolf Fredriks kyrka is a church in central Stockholm, Sweden. It was built in 1768-1774, replacing a wooden chapel from 1674, which was dedicated to Saint Olof....
, author and expert on Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
.
Harris was born in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and the family emigrated to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when he was 13 years old. He has described his time in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as very hard. In his mid 20’s he came to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, met his soon to be Swedish wife and was introduced to writings of Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
.
With his wife he moved to Sweden were he has remained ever since. In 1987 he became a pastor with the Swedish Lutheran church
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...
. He has a theology degree and wrote his Ph.D. thesis on Kierkegaard. Dr. Harris has for many years been arranging Taizé music and worship
Taizé Community
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of about 100 brothers who come from Protestant, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions. The brothers come from about 30 countries across the world. The monastic order has a strong...
services and was the man who introduced this form of church service
Church service
In Christianity, a church service is a term used to describe a formalized period of communal worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sabbatarianism. The church service is the gathering together of Christians to be...
in Sweden According to Swedens largest newspaper
Dagens Nyheter
is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It has the largest circulation of Swedish morning newspapers, followed by Göteborgs-Posten and Svenska Dagbladet, and is the only morning newspaper that is distributed to subscribers across the whole country. In 2009 DN had a circulation of 316,000, reaching 881...
, the introduction of Taizé worship service
Taizé Community
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of about 100 brothers who come from Protestant, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions. The brothers come from about 30 countries across the world. The monastic order has a strong...
by Pastor Harris, has attracted many young Swedish people who might not have been interested in organized religion.
Pastor Harris is a member of Franciskus Tredje Orden, FTO
Franciscan orders in Lutheranism
Franciscan spirituality was not favoured by Reformation, but later the 20th centuryHigh Church Movement has given birth to Franciscan orders among revival of religious orders and confraternities in Lutheran Churches.-Third orders:...
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...
(part of the European Province of the Third Order of the Anglican Society of St Francis
Society of Saint Francis
The Society of Saint Francis is a Franciscan religious order within the Anglican Communion.The Society of Saint Francis comprises: The Brothers of the First Order; The Sisters of the First Order; The Sisters of the Second Order; The Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order...
).
Radio & TV
During the summer of 2010, he will be one of several hosts of legendary radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
program Sommar
Sommar (radio program)
Sommar is one of the most popular Swedish radio programs ever. It has been broadcast every summer on P1 since 28 June 1959. Before 1993 it aired in P3...
. Earlier this year he was featured on Jonas Gardell's
Jonas Gardell
Jonas Gardell, born 2 November 1963 in Enebyberg, Stockholm County, is a Swedish novelist, playwright, screenwriter and comedian. He is the brother of religion scholar Mattias Gardell....
sometimes controversial television series on religion Hur uppstod Gud? He has also been featured main guest in other radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shows such as Mötet i P4
Sveriges Radio P4
SR P4 is one of the four main radio networks from Sveriges Radio. It targets the entire population and is the corporation's most popular radio channel. In the daytime on weekdays its is used by 25 different local stations, but in the evening and weekends it broadcasts national programming...
and Önskegästen.
Personal life
He lives in Stockholm City CentreStockholm City Centre
Stockholm City Centre is the city centre of Stockholm in Sweden. The entire city of Stockholm is also the centre of the Stockholm Metropolitan Area....
with his wife. They have two children, Mariell and Christopher (a resesher in cognitive science
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
).
Books
Konsten att leva innerligt – The Art of Living Sincerely (2008)Co-written with Ann Lagerström