Bo Giertz

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Bo Giertz in regalia with a choir cloak and crosier

Bo Harald Giertz (born August 31, 1905 in Räpplinge , Öland , † July 12, 1998 in Gothenburg ) was a Swedish Lutheran bishop of Gothenburg and Christian writer.

Life

His parents were the surgeon Knut Harald Giertz and Anna Ericsson, daughter of Lars Magnus Ericsson , founder of the Ericsson Group. In his youth, Giertz was an atheist . After graduating from high school in Stockholm, where his father had accepted a position as chief physician in 1921, Giertz began studying medicine at Uppsala University in 1924 , but soon switched to classical philology. Converted to a pietistic Christianity in 1925 through a sermon by Natanael Beskow , he also began studying theology, with Anton Fridrichsen becoming his most important teacher. Study visits took him to Rome and Palestine. He completed his philology studies in 1928 and his theology studies in 1931 with the candidate exams.

From 1932 he worked as a travel secretary for a Christian high school student movement ( Sveriges Kristliga Gymnasiströrelse ). After ordination in the Diocese of Linköping in 1934 and the first parish offices in Östra Husby and Ekeby near Boxholm , he took over a parish office in Torpa in 1938. It was here that he began to write novels that made him widely known. In 1943 he was appointed as extraordinary court chaplain. From 1949 (introduced on May 22nd) until his retirement in 1970 he was Bishop of the Diocese of Gothenburg . After the decision of the Swedish parliament and the Swedish Church to admit women to ordination , Giertz became a leader of the opposition and founded a community against it ( Kyrklig samling kring bibeln och bekännelsen , dt. "Church collection of the Bible and confession"). Giertz worked closely with the organization of the same name in Germany .

After retiring in 1970, Giertz returned to literary work that he had put on hold while he was bishop. So he created a new translation of the New Testament into Swedish, accompanied by a twelve-volume series of commentaries. He also wrote other novels and devotional books, which have been translated into many languages.

He was buried in Torpa in Östergötland.

Work and meaning

Bo Giertz is known to many as the Swedish CS Lewis . Giertz combined Pietist and high church Lutheran theology. This connection can also be clearly seen in his novels. His books on the Christian faith became popular across Scandinavia. His devotional book (1973/74) is one of the most widely read devotional books in Sweden.

In his first novel Stengrunden (1941) (German: And some fell on the rock , first in 1952) he describes a section of the Swedish theology and revival history of the 19th and 20th centuries. In three parts he describes the outer and inner life of young vicarious chaplains who, one after the other in the same parish Ödesee in central Sweden, want to lead the congregation to a revival with idealism and honest efforts.

Giertz was in close personal and correspondence with the German writer Edzard Schaper , whom he offered help and encouragement in a variety of ways during his flight and emigration to Sweden between 1944 and 1946. The friendship that developed from this had a lasting influence on the work of the two writers, who were intensely interested in theological issues.

Giertz was also a pioneer in the introduction of the liturgical mass celebrated on Sundays, which was previously no longer common in the Swedish church.

Awards

Giertz was accepted into the North Star Order in 1949 and received the Grand Cross as commander in 1961 .

Fonts (selection)

  • Kristi Kyrka. 1939 (latest edition Verbum, 1991, ISBN 978-91-526-1899-8 ).
    • The Church of Jesus Christ. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1952 (and other editions).
  • Kyrkofromhet. 1939 (latest edition Artos, 2001, ISBN 978-91-7580-208-4 ).
    • Live with the Church. Christian Faith in Practice. Martin Luther Verlag, Erlangen 1988, ISBN 978-3-87513-062-1 .
  • Stengrunden. En själavårdsbok. 1941 (novel, also made into a film, several editions)
    • And some fell on the rock. Deuerlich, Göttingen 1952 (and other editions and issues).
  • Establish. 1941 (latest edition Verbum, 1975 (confirmation textbook)).
  • Tron allena. 1943 (latest edition Församlingsförlaget, 1998, ISBN 978-91-972635-7-3 ) (novel).
    • The heart of all things. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1952 (and other editions).
  • Lögnen den stora och sanningen stora. 1945.
    • The great lie and the great truth. 15 chapters on basic Christian truths. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1946 (and other editions).
  • Kampen omomanniskan. 1947.
    • Fight for man. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1955 (and other editions).
  • Med egna ögon. 1948.
    • With your own eyes. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1949 (and other editions).
  • Herdabrev till prästerskapet och församlingarna i Göteborgs stift. 1949.
    • Epistles to Protestant Christianity. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1951 (and other editions).
  • Trons ABC. 1971.
    • Evangelical faith. Aids to understanding . Martin Luther Verlag, Erlangen 1981.
  • Riddarna på Rhodos. 1972 (novel).
  • Att kunna läsa sin Bible. Verbum, Stockholm 1973.
  • Att tro pa Kristus and Att leva med Kristus . 1973/74
    • Live near God. Devotions for the church year , in 2 volumes from SCM R. Brockhaus: Witten 1985, 1991, 2006; Complete edition by Verlag der Lutherischen Buchhandlung: Groß Oesingen 2014.
  • New translation of the New Testament with commentary. 1976–1982 (12 volumes)
  • Då föll Herrens eld - nytt liv i tjänsten. 1996.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ About Bo Giertz. In: Pittsburgh Lutheran Student Fellowship. September 24, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2019 (American English).
  2. ↑ Uwe Wolff : The fourth king is alive! Edzard Schaper - poet of the 20th century. Reinhardt, Basel 2012, ISBN 978-3-7245-1777-1 , pp. 249-258.
predecessor Office successor
Carl Block Bishop of Gothenburg
1949–1970 		Bertil Gardener
personal data
SURNAME Giertz, Bo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Giertz, Bo Harald (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish Lutheran bishop and Christian writer
DATE OF BIRTH August 31, 1905
PLACE OF BIRTH Räpplinge in Öland
DATE OF DEATH July 12, 1998
Place of death Gothenburg