Johannes Ording (19 January 1869 – 25 January 1929) was a Norwegian theologian. He served as a professor of systematic theology at the Royal Frederick University from 1906 to 1926, and his appointment caused a stir because some saw him as too liberal.

Personal life

He was born in Drammen as a son of rector Jørgen Fredrik Ording (1832–1888) and his wife Marie Benedicte Wildhagen (1845–1913). He was a brother of educator and politician

Fredrik Ording Fredrik Christian Wildhagen Ording (6 April 1870 – 2 February 1929) was a Norwegian educator, writer and politician for the Conservative Party. Personal life He was born in Drammen as a son of rector Jørgen Frederik Ording (1832–1888) and Mar ...

, and an uncle of actor

Jørn Ording Jørn Ording (21 February 1916 – 11 March 2001) was a Norwegian actor, theatre instructor and screenwriter. He was born in Kristiania as a son of Jørgen Fredrik Ording (1880–1930). He was also a nephew of Fredrik and Johannes Ording, a firs ...

. In June 1896 he married Fredrikke Ording (1874–1966). Fredrikke Ording was Johannes' first cousin, and also a sister of

Hans Nielsen Hauge Ording Hans Nielsen Hauge Ording (17 August 1884 – 18 February 1952) was a Norwegian theologian. Biography He was born in Solum as a son of dean Theodor Ording (1837–1908) and Johanne Gabrielle Gustava Andrea Hauge (1851–90). He was a grandson of ...

, niece of

Hans Nilsen Hauge Hans Nilsen Hauge (3 November 1853 – 17 December 1931) was a Norwegian priest and politician for Norway's Conservative Party. He was Minister of Education and Church Affairs from 1903 to 1905. Knudsen was born in Nord-Audnedal, and was the g ...

, granddaughter of

Andreas Hauge Andreas Hauge (12 December 1815 – 13 January 1892) was a Norwegian priest, educator, editor and hymn writer. He also served as a representative in the Norwegian Parliament. Biography He was born in Aker in Akershus, Norway. He was the sole surv ...

and great-granddaughter of Hans Nielsen Hauge. Fredrikke and Johannes had the son

Arne Ording Arne Ording (7 May 1898 – 26 July 1967) was a Norwegian historian and politician for ''Mot Dag'' and the Labour Party. Pre-war life and career Ording was born in Kristiania as a son of theology professor Johannes Ording (1869–1929) and Fredr ...

, who became a notable historian and politician.

Career

He took the examen artium in 1886, and the

cand.theol. Candidatus theologiæ (male), Candidata theologiæ (female), abbreviated cand. theol. is an academic degree with a long tradition, awarded after a six-year higher education in theology in Iceland, Denmark, and Norway. In Norway, the title has re ...

degree in 1893. From 1894 to 1900 he was a curate at St. John's Church in Kristiania (in Norwegian the church was called ''Johanneskirken'', sharing Ording's given name). He also worked as a teacher. In 1900 he left his church job to study, first three years with funding from a legatee, then from 1903 as research fellow at the Royal Frederick University. In the same year he took the dr.theol. degree with the thesis ''Den religiøse Erkjendelse, dens Art og Vished''. In 1903 professor of theology died

Fredrik Petersen Fredrik Raahauge Petersen (born 27 August 1983) is a Swedish handballer for IFK Ystad. He was part of the Swedish team that won the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. With HSV Hamburg he won the EHF Champions League 2013. In 2021 he ...

, and there were problems with appointing a successor. In 1904 Ording was deemed to be the only qualified candidate, but he was not appointed. Certain people saw him as too liberal, as he was inspired by Albrecht Ritschl. In 1905, there was another attempt to appoint a successor for Petersen, and this time six foreign academics had been summoned to judge the candidates. Five of them supported Ording, and the Faculty of Theology asked that Ording be appointed, except for professor Sigurd Odland, who dissented. The collegium (board) of the university agreed, and in January 1906 the Council of State made the final decision to appoint Ording.

Christoffer Knudsen Christopher Knudsen (4 October 1843 – 28 July 1915) was a Norwegian priest and politician for the Conservative Party. He was Minister of Education and Church Affairs from 1905 to 1906. Knudsen was born in Drammen as a son of railroad worker K ...

resigned as Minister of Church Affairs, Sigurd Odland resigned as professor, and the more conservative MF Norwegian School of Theology was founded as a response. Ording's most notable release after this was ''Den kristelige tro'' ("The Christian Faith"), released in two volumes in 1915. Other releases include ''Gammel og moderne kristendomsopfatning'' ("Old and Modern Perception of Christianity", 1906) and ''Kristelig etik'' ("Christian Ethics", 1927). Ording did not write the latter book himself, but dictated it as he lay ill. He had suffered from a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

in 1921, and spent much of his time on sick leave until finally resigning as a professor in 1926. His last notable publication was an essay in ''

Samtiden ''Samtiden'' is a Norwegian political and literary magazine. History and profile ''Samtiden'' was founded by Jørgen Brunchorst and Gerhard Gran in 1890. The magazine's first publisher was ''John Griegs forlag'' (Bergen), and from 1900 Aschehoug ...

'' in 1929. He died in January 1929 in Bærum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ording, Johannes 1869 births 1929 deaths 19th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy Norwegian theologians Academic staff of the University of Oslo Norwegian expatriates in Germany People from Skien 20th-century Protestant theologians People from Drammen