- Bo Giertz
and Christian novelist.
Giertz' characteristic combination of the
pietistic type of care of souls with hisHigh Church Lutheran theology, which can also be noticed in his novels, made him listened beyond boundaries. It also made his novels as well as non-fictional books about Christian faith popular in all Scandinavia.Most famous of his novels is "The Hammer of God" ("Stengrunden", 1941). (Translated by Clifford Ansgar Nelson and Hans O. Andrae. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2005. Also appeared in 1960 and 1973).
After the
Swedish parliament 's and the Church Assembly's decision on theordination of women in theChurch of Sweden , Giertz became a leader of the opposition and took the initiative to form an organization called theChurch Coalition for the Bible and Confession .Giertz was a pioneer on advocating regular celebration of the Mass on Sundays, something that was not usual in the
Church of Sweden at that time. He also strongly recommended ministers to regular prayer according to theDivine office ; something he unerringly applied in his own devotional life.Bibliography
Die Kirche Jesu Christ. Erlangen: Martin-Luther Verlag, c1985.
The Hammer of God: A Novel about the Cure of Souls. Translated by Clifford Ansgar Nelson. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing, 2005. ISBN 0-8066-5130-X. Revised edition.External links
* [http://www.ctsfw.edu/events/giertz/biography.php Life of Bo Giertz] by The Rev. Hans O. Andrae
* [http://kyrkligsamling.se/indexuk.htm Church Coalition for the Bible and Confression]
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