Toivo Harjunpää

Kalle Toivo Immanuel Harjunpää (b. 1910 Rauma, Finland) was Finnish-American Lutheran priest and professor.

Harjunpää was ordained to priesthood February 18, 1936 in Turku Cathedral. His background was in Finnish "Evangelical Revivalist Movement", originating from activity of neo-Lutheran priest Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg. As a young priest while learning New testament he was convinced of the importance of Christian ecumenism which was unpopular at that time in Finland. Soon after that Yngve Brilioth's book "Eucharistic Faith and Practise. Evangelical and Catholic" and Hans Liezmann's "Messe und Herrenmal" gave him more direction towards Ecumenical Movement and Liturgical Movement.

After short curacy in Vehmaa and a job in the student union of his revivalist movement, Harjunpää became pastor of Finnish Seamen's Mission in London 1938-45, and the secretary of archbishop Aleksi Lehtonen 1945-48. Together with Martti Parvio he founded a High Church circle which was informally referred to as "Liturgical Brethren".

In May 1948 Harjunpää immigrated to the United States being pastor in Lutheran Church. He became teacher in Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1953 and was professor of church history of the Graduate Theological Union 1963-1977 until his retirement. He was member in many Lutheran commissions on hymnology and liturgy. He was also member of Societas Sanctae Birgittae.

References

*Harjunpää, Toivo: "Muistelmia pappisurani alkutaipaleelta". Kotimatkalla 1990 (annual of Lutheran Evangelical Association in Finland)
*"Suomen teologit 1990". Suomen kirkon pappisliitto 1990, Lahti ISBN 952902052X
*Parvio, Martti: "The Liturgical Brethren". - article in Ecclesia, Leiturgia, Ministerium: Studia in Honorem Toivo Harjunpää. 1977

External links

* [http://www.jstor.org/view/00096407/sp040137/04x1390l/0 Liturgical Developments in Sweden and Finland in the Era of Lutheran Orthodoxy (1593-1700)] , by Toivo Harjunpää (JSTOR)