Tore Forslund
Encyclopedia
Tore Forslund also known as Spökprästen ("the ghostpriest"), was a writer
, poet
, Lutheran
priest, street musician, and editor of the magazine A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, that he founded 1957.
, Sweden
. His mother was an officer in the Salvation Army
, and his father was a post office
employee.
Forslund was ordained as a Lutheran priest
in Luleå
Cathedral on 19 December 1956, after a few years of studies at Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola
and Lund University
. He held his first sermon
at age 18, on New Year's Day
1946, and his last public sermon was held in Alvesta
in 1999.
Forslund could often be seen on the streets of Sweden playing his favorite instrument, a concertina
. He called Sergelgatan in Stockholm
his "central sanctuary".
His nickname, "the ghostpriest", came to be during a period when he worked as a priest in Borgvattnet
, Jämtland
, in 1981. He offered to relieve the village of the ghosts that were said to reside in the old parsonage. He was strongly against the occult
phenomena that existed in the district. They sold miniature angels and devils in the village shop, and if you dared to sleep overnight in the old parsonage, now a converted hotel, a diploma was handed out. Disappointed at not being able to meet the accusations of the cathedral chapter, he decided to leave the Swedish church in 1981 and started to work independently with a full-time street mission.
Forslund's controversial preaching methods often made him an object of discussion. He was liked by many and hated by others. He raised debate and anger among many who only saw him as a stubborn and provocative prophet of doom.
Forslund was always very open, and often started conversations with strangers. Migrants and marginalized people often became his best friends.
Tore Forslund died March 15, 2000, at Växjö
hospital, age 73.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
priest, street musician, and editor of the magazine A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, that he founded 1957.
Biography
Tore Forslund was born 26 February 1927 in KrylboKrylbo
Krylbo is a part of the town Avesta in Avesta Municipality, Dalarna County. It was a market town until it merged with the city of Avesta in 1966....
, Sweden
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....
. His mother was an officer in the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, and his father was a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
employee.
Forslund was ordained as a Lutheran priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in Luleå
Luleå
- Transportation :Local buses are run by .A passenger train service is available from Luleå Centralstation on Sweden's national SJ railway service northbound to Narvik on the Norwegian coast, or southbound to Stockholm. See Rail transport in Sweden....
Cathedral on 19 December 1956, after a few years of studies at Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola
Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola
Johannelunds teologiska högskola or Johannelund Theological Seminary is an independent theological seminary, founded in 1862 and located in Uppsala, Sweden. In addition to offering a three-year bachelor degree in theology, the seminary offers graduate-level courses in cooperation with Uppsala...
and Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
. He held his first sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
at age 18, on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
1946, and his last public sermon was held in Alvesta
Alvesta
Alvesta is a locality and the seat of Alvesta Municipality in Kronoberg County, Sweden, with 7,647 inhabitants in 2005.Alvesta is an important railway junction, joining the Stockholm–Malmö–Copenhagen railway with the Gothenburg–Kalmar/Karlskrona railway.- References :...
in 1999.
Forslund could often be seen on the streets of Sweden playing his favorite instrument, a concertina
Concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
. He called Sergelgatan in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
his "central sanctuary".
His nickname, "the ghostpriest", came to be during a period when he worked as a priest in Borgvattnet
Borgvattnet
-The Haunted Vicarage:Borgvattnet is most renowned for its old vicarage which was built in 1876, and is reputed to be a haunted house. The first documented mentioning of ghosts in the vicarage is in a letter dated 1927 which was written by chaplain Nils Hedlund who lived in the house at the time...
, Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
, in 1981. He offered to relieve the village of the ghosts that were said to reside in the old parsonage. He was strongly against the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
phenomena that existed in the district. They sold miniature angels and devils in the village shop, and if you dared to sleep overnight in the old parsonage, now a converted hotel, a diploma was handed out. Disappointed at not being able to meet the accusations of the cathedral chapter, he decided to leave the Swedish church in 1981 and started to work independently with a full-time street mission.
Forslund's controversial preaching methods often made him an object of discussion. He was liked by many and hated by others. He raised debate and anger among many who only saw him as a stubborn and provocative prophet of doom.
Forslund was always very open, and often started conversations with strangers. Migrants and marginalized people often became his best friends.
Tore Forslund died March 15, 2000, at Växjö
Växjö
Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County. Furthermore it is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a...
hospital, age 73.