Tor Julius Efraim Andræ (9 July 1885, Vena

Hultsfred Municipality

Hultsfred Municipality is a municipality in Kalmar County, in south-eastern Sweden. The seat is in the town of Hultsfred....

 – 24 February 1947) was a Swedish

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....

 scholar of comparative religion

Comparative religion

Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes, myths, rituals and concepts among the world's religions...

 and bishop of Linköping

Bishop of Linköping

-Before the reformation:* Herbert?* Rikard?* 1139-1160s Gisle* 1170-1171 Stenar* 1187-1195/96 Kol* Johannes* 1216-1220 Karl Magnusson* 1220-1236 Bengt Magnusson* 1236-1258 Lars* 1258-1283 Henrik* 1258-1286 Bo...

 from 1936.

Coming from a clerical family, Tor Andræ studied Theology at Uppsala University

Uppsala University

Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...

, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1917. He became professor of the History of Religions at the University College of Stockholm in 1927, and in Uppsala two years later. He was appointed bishop of Linköping

Linköping

Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...

 in 1936 and was the same year briefly Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs (an archaic title which in reality meant Minister of Education) in the short-lived cabinet of Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp

Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp

Axel Alarik Pehrsson-Bramstorp was a Swedish politician and was Prime Minister of Sweden for a few months during 1936. As a parliamentarian he was known as "Axel Pehrsson in Bramstorp" or just "Bramstorp" for short...

.

Andræ was a student of Nathan Söderblom

Nathan Söderblom

Lars Olof Jonathan Söderblom was a Swedish clergyman, Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden, and recipient of the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize...

, whom he succeeded as member of the Swedish Academy

Swedish Academy

The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...

 in 1932. As a historian of religion, his particular interest lay in the early history of Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

, particularly its Jewish and Christian origins, and in the psychology of religion

Psychology of religion

Psychology of religion consists of the application of psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to religious traditions, as well as to both religious and irreligious individuals. The science attempts to accurately describe the details, origins, and uses of religious beliefs and behaviours...

, but he also combined these interests in the study of early Islamic mysticism.