Livets Ord
Encyclopedia
Livets Ord, literally Word of the Life, is the largest parish within the Swedish
Word of Faith
movement. The parish was founded in Uppsala
by Ulf Ekman
on May 24, 1983, who also served as its leader until 2000. Ekman passed on the local pastorship in Uppsala
to Robert Ekh
that year and instead works on expanding the church's international work. The church is the foremost example of the Charismatic movement
in Sweden, closely related to Word of Faith
, and it may be viewed as a Swedish expression similar to Pentecostal elements in American Christianity.
According to its supporters, Livets Ord's primary goal is to help believers put into practice what the Bible says. Faith, healing, prayer and answers to prayer, together with a conviction that God is good, are central themes in the preaching at Livets Ord. The church focuses its messages on everyday life. From the beginning, the church's worship services have been distinguished by its freer format, strong adherence to what the Bible
says, focus on praise and worship, and plenty of space for preaching.
When it was founded the movement met with criticism from mass media
and other churches, due to what was perceived as an inhumane perspective against people who suffer from physical disabilities
and financial poverty
, coupled with its authoritarian leadership. Since then the movement has consolidated, and its views have emerged as somewhat more acceptable to Swedish free churches.
Aside from church, the movement also runs academic schools for all ages and Bible Schools. It sends missionaries to Russia
, Ukraine
, Armenia
, Azerbaijan
, Tajikistan
, Afghanistan
, Israel
and India
.
, the Livets Ord operate a fund to supply money to Russian Jews who want to move to Israel
. The fund, named "Operation Jabotinsky", is named after Russian Vladimir Jabotinsky.
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, the largest charismatic Christian university in the world, accredited by The Higher Learning Commission
of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
.http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp Livets Ord Theological Seminary offers American Bachelor's
and Master's degree
s in New Testament
Studies, History
, Education
, and other fields under the auspices of Oral Roberts University, but lacks accreditation from the Swedish Government to award Swedish academic degree
s.
because of its connection with, and usage of theology from within the Word of faith
movement, though its teachings now are broadened with other, more classical, theology. (See the article about Ulf Ekman
).
In an article published in Cultic Studies Journal
in 1992, forty-three former students of Livets Ord Bible School were interviewed. Nearly 50 percent of the forty-three students had experienced psychosis
-like symptoms, and 25 percent had attempted suicide
. Also common were anxiety
, feelings of guilt
, and emotional disorder
s.http://www.csj.org/pub_csj/csj_vol09_no1_92/abst_problems_ex.htm
There has also been criticism, published in the Swedish paper Dagens Nyheter
, against donations given to Israelis which have promoted settlements
in the Israeli-occupied territories
. Ekman countered the statement, saying that the donations never have been to occupied territories, but to settlements on Israeli ground, for example in the Negev
desert. The movement advocates Christian Zionism
.
The teaching methods and parts of the curriculum of schools run by Livets Ord have been under review by the Swedish National Agency for Education
on several occasions, but the schools have only been criticized on minor details.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Word of Faith
Word of Faith
Word of Faith is a family of Christian churches as well as a label applied by some observers to a teaching movement kindred to many Pentecostal and charismatic churches and individuals worldwide. The basic doctrine preached is that of salvation through Jesus Christ and what that salvation entails...
movement. The parish was founded in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
by Ulf Ekman
Ulf Ekman
Ulf Ekman is a Swedish charismatic pastor and founder of the charismatic church Livets Ord , which brought the Word of Faith movement to Sweden.-Ministry:...
on May 24, 1983, who also served as its leader until 2000. Ekman passed on the local pastorship in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
to Robert Ekh
Robert Ekh
Rev. Robert Ekh , born on October 19, 1953 in Sundsvall, is currently the Senior Pastor of Livets Ord church in Uppsala, Sweden and a member of the Word of Life management board...
that year and instead works on expanding the church's international work. The church is the foremost example of the Charismatic movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
in Sweden, closely related to Word of Faith
Word of Faith
Word of Faith is a family of Christian churches as well as a label applied by some observers to a teaching movement kindred to many Pentecostal and charismatic churches and individuals worldwide. The basic doctrine preached is that of salvation through Jesus Christ and what that salvation entails...
, and it may be viewed as a Swedish expression similar to Pentecostal elements in American Christianity.
According to its supporters, Livets Ord's primary goal is to help believers put into practice what the Bible says. Faith, healing, prayer and answers to prayer, together with a conviction that God is good, are central themes in the preaching at Livets Ord. The church focuses its messages on everyday life. From the beginning, the church's worship services have been distinguished by its freer format, strong adherence to what the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
says, focus on praise and worship, and plenty of space for preaching.
When it was founded the movement met with criticism from mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and other churches, due to what was perceived as an inhumane perspective against people who suffer from physical disabilities
Physical disability
A physical disability is any impairment which limits the physical function of one or more limbs or fine or gross motor ability. Other physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders and epilepsy....
and financial poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, coupled with its authoritarian leadership. Since then the movement has consolidated, and its views have emerged as somewhat more acceptable to Swedish free churches.
Aside from church, the movement also runs academic schools for all ages and Bible Schools. It sends missionaries to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Operation Jabotinsky
In conjunction with the Christian Zionists in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Livets Ord operate a fund to supply money to Russian Jews who want to move to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The fund, named "Operation Jabotinsky", is named after Russian Vladimir Jabotinsky.
Livets Ord Theological Seminary
The congregation has started its own institution of tertiary education, Livets Ord Theological Seminary. It is affiliated with an American institution, Oral Roberts UniversityOral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, the largest charismatic Christian university in the world, accredited by The Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Higher Learning Commission oversees the accreditation of degree-granting colleges and universities in nineteen Midwestern and South-Central states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa,...
of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
.http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp Livets Ord Theological Seminary offers American Bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s in New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
Studies, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, and other fields under the auspices of Oral Roberts University, but lacks accreditation from the Swedish Government to award Swedish academic degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
s.
Criticism
Some of its critics consider it a cultCult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
because of its connection with, and usage of theology from within the Word of faith
Word of Faith
Word of Faith is a family of Christian churches as well as a label applied by some observers to a teaching movement kindred to many Pentecostal and charismatic churches and individuals worldwide. The basic doctrine preached is that of salvation through Jesus Christ and what that salvation entails...
movement, though its teachings now are broadened with other, more classical, theology. (See the article about Ulf Ekman
Ulf Ekman
Ulf Ekman is a Swedish charismatic pastor and founder of the charismatic church Livets Ord , which brought the Word of Faith movement to Sweden.-Ministry:...
).
In an article published in Cultic Studies Journal
Cultic Studies Review
International Journal of Cultic Studies is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the International Cultic Studies Association.- External links :* , Don Lattin, San Francisco Chronicle, Religion Writer, February 13, 2001...
in 1992, forty-three former students of Livets Ord Bible School were interviewed. Nearly 50 percent of the forty-three students had experienced psychosis
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
-like symptoms, and 25 percent had attempted suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Also common were anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
, feelings of guilt
Guilt
Guilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. It is also a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that...
, and emotional disorder
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
s.http://www.csj.org/pub_csj/csj_vol09_no1_92/abst_problems_ex.htm
There has also been criticism, published in the Swedish paper Dagens Nyheter
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...
, against donations given to Israelis which have promoted settlements
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
in the Israeli-occupied territories
Israeli-occupied territories
The Israeli-occupied territories are the territories which have been designated as occupied territory by the United Nations and other international organizations, governments and others to refer to the territory seized by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967 from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria...
. Ekman countered the statement, saying that the donations never have been to occupied territories, but to settlements on Israeli ground, for example in the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
desert. The movement advocates Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism is a belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical prophecy. It overlaps with, but is distinct from, the nineteenth century movement for the Restoration of the Jews...
.
The teaching methods and parts of the curriculum of schools run by Livets Ord have been under review by the Swedish National Agency for Education
Swedish National Agency for Education
The Swedish National Agency for Education is a government agency in Sweden that oversees the Swedish public school system for children and adults.- External links :*, official website...
on several occasions, but the schools have only been criticized on minor details.
Official sites
Livets Ord - Official site- Ulf Ekman - Site of the founder (In English)
- Livets Ord Theological Seminary (In English)
- Livets Ord Bibleschool (In English)
Other sites
Dagens Nyheter: Ulf Ekman helps Jewish settlersUlf Ekmans response to the above article- Psychiatric Problems in Ex-Members of Word of Life Livets Ord och dess ledare Ulf Ekman: Is Word of Life a cult? - Critical website by an ex-member. Last retrieved in 15 June 2007.