THE QUICK GUIDE TO UNITARIANISM IN SWEDEN

How Unitarianism first arrived in Sweden:

Inspired by the writings of Theodore Parker the Swedish writer Klas Pontus Arnoldson founded in Gothenburg in 1871 the Unitarian association Sanningenssökarna (“The Truth Seekers”) – later also found in Stockholm. This association also published the periodical Sanningsökaren (“The Truth Seeker”). Two other Unitarian associations were founded in 1882 (one of them in Stockholm). In 1888 Unitarians asked the Swedish King for permission to establish yet another Unitarian association in Gothenburg but was turned down because Unitarianism was not regarded as a Christian religion. Later many Unitarians turned to theosophy.

The Unitarian Church in Sweden to day:

The church was founded under the name The Free Church of Sweden (Fria Kyrkan i Sverige) in Malmö in 1974 by members of The Religion and Culture Society as an outpost connected to the Danish Unitarian church (Det Fri Kirkesamfund). In order to indicate its heritage from the original Unitarianism [in Transylvania] the church in 1999 changed its name to The Unitarian Church in Sweden.

For first time in Scandinavia Ragnar Emilsen was ordaind according to the Transylvanian Unitarian tradition by Bishop Lajos Kovács (1909-1994) from the Unitarian Church in Romania. This ordination took place in Copenhagen during the meeting of International Association for Religious Freedom in 1987 – and Emilsen was appointed pastor for Sweden and Finland. To day the church is active mostly in Sweden. Two ministers are involved in a mission among the Romany people in Slovakia. >>

NOTE October 2008: After the sad death of bishop Ragnar Emilsen little or nothing is known about The Unitarian Church in Sweden.

History of Unitarian organizations:

1871-?: Sanningenssökarna (“The Truth Seekers”), Gothenburg. Ceased to exist.

1882-?: (An association aimed at introducing Unitarianism to Sweden, Stockholm, name unknown.Ceased to exist. Further information unknown.)

1882-?: Svenska protestantföreningen (“The Swedish Protestant Society), place unknown. Ceased to exist.

?-1958-?: Sveriges Religiöse Reformförbund (”The Religous Reform Association of Sweden”). Ceased to exist. Further information unknown.

1976-present: Fria Kyrkan i Sverige (”Free Church of Sweden”), Malmö.

1999-present: "Free Church of Sweden" renamed Unitariska Kyrkan i Sverige ("The Unitarian Church in Sweden"), homepage, headquarter in Malmö. (Information about location and existens is since August 2008 not possible to verify.)

Present Unitarian Universalist (UU) groups:

2005-present: One UU group in Stockholm organized by an American UU minister. Further information unknown.

2005-present: One UU Buddhist group, Töcksfors (also found in Stockholm). Members 3. Theravada Buddhism. (This group is probably inactive to day (2007).

Unitarian publications:

1877-1893: Sanningsökaren (“The Truth Seeker”)

Following persons are known as editor of this periodical:

Arnoldson and Åkerberg (biography in Swedish) (1877-1881)

V. Pfeiff (1882-1886)

B. Landén (1887-1893)

?-1958-?: Religion och Kultur (“Religion and Culture”). Ceased to exist.

Unitarian leaders in Sweden:

1871-?: Klas Pontus Arnoldson (died 1916)

?-?: Axel Frithiof Åkerberg’s biography only in Swedish. (died 1901)

1987-2008: Ragnar Emilsen. Ordained at the IARF World Conference 1987 in Copenhagen by bishop Lajos Kovács of Romania. Emilsen died February 5 2008.

It is 2008 not known if or who is elected new head of The Unitarian Church in Sweden.