Krister Stendahl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Right Reverend Krister Stendahl D.D. |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop of Stockholm | |
| Church | Church of Sweden |
| Diocese | Stockholm |
| Appointed | 7 June 1984 |
| In Office | 1984–1988 |
| Predecessor | Lars Carlzon |
| Successor | Henrik Svenungsson |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 17 December 1944 |
| Consecration | 7 October 1984 by Bertil Werkström |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 April 1921 Sennan, Halmstad, Sweden |
| Died | 15 April 2008 (aged 86) Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Denomination | Lutheranism |
| Spouse | Brita Johnsson |
| Children | 3 |
Krister Olofson Stendahl (born April 21, 1921 – died April 15, 2008) was an important Swedish theologian. He was a expert on the New Testament in the Bible. Stendahl also served as a bishop in the Church of Sweden for the Stockholm area. He spent many years as a professor and dean at Harvard Divinity School in the United States.
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Krister Stendahl's Life and Work
Krister Stendahl earned his doctorate degree from Uppsala University in Sweden. His studies focused on the New Testament. Later, he became a professor at Harvard University's Divinity School. He even served as the dean there.
In 1984, Stendahl was chosen to be the Bishop of Stockholm. After he retired in 1989, he returned to the United States. He continued teaching at Harvard and Brandeis University. He also worked at the Center for Religious Pluralism in Jerusalem. In 1971, he received an honorary degree from Whittier College.
Understanding the Apostle Paul
Stendahl is well-known for his ideas about the Apostle Paul. He wrote an important article called "The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West." He also wrote a book, Paul Among Jews and Gentiles.
Stendahl suggested a new way to understand Paul's writings. He believed that Paul's main concern was how non-Jewish people (called Gentiles) could become part of God's family. Stendahl thought that later scholars had misunderstood Paul. They focused too much on Paul's inner feelings and struggles. Stendahl argued that Paul was more interested in how different groups of people could join together in faith.
Promoting Religious Understanding
Stendahl was very interested in the Jewish background of the New Testament. This led him to study Jewish Studies. He also worked hard to improve understanding between Christians and Jews. This effort is known as Jewish–Christian dialogue.
Stendahl is famous for creating "Stendahl's three rules of religious understanding." He shared these rules in 1985 in Stockholm. They help people learn about and respect other religions.
Stendahl's Three Rules
- Rule 1: Ask the believers. When you want to understand another religion, you should ask people who follow that religion. Don't ask people who are against it.
- Rule 2: Don't compare your best to their worst. It's not fair to compare the best parts of your own faith to the worst parts of another faith.
- Rule 3: Leave room for "holy envy." This means you should be open to admiring good things in other religions. You might even wish some of those good things were part of your own faith.
Krister Stendahl passed away just six days before his 87th birthday.
