Johannes Smidt (19 November 1887 – 15 May 1973) was a Norwegian

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and priest in the

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

. He served as the

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the

Diocese of Agder The Diocese of Agder og Telemark ( no, Agder og Telemark bispedømme) is a diocese of the Church of Norway, covering all of Agder county and most of Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. The cathedral city is Kristiansand, Norway's fifth larges ...

from 1951 until 1957.

Personal life

Smidt was born on 19 November 1887 in

Herad Herad is a former municipality that was located in the old Vest-Agder county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1965. The municipality encompassed the area northeast of the lake Framvaren inside the present-d ...

municipality in the far southern part of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. He was the son of the priest, Edvard Dahl Smidt and his wife Valborg Hannestad. In 1914, Smidt married Jofrid Grimstvedt. He died on 15 May 1973 in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

and he was buried on 21 May 1973 at the

Ullern Church Ullern Church ( no, Ullern kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sør-Odal Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Ullern, Innlandet, Ullern. It is the church for the Ullern parish which is part of ...

where he worked for many years. His daughter is

Vibeke Engelstad Vibeke Engelstad (née Smidt; 27 April 1919 – 8 July 2004) was a Norwegian physician and specialist in psychiatry. Engelstad was born in Sandefjord Sandefjord () is a city and the most populous municipality in Vestfold og Telemark count ...

and his son is Kristian Smidt.

Education and career

Smidt graduated with a

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 1912. He was the secretary for the ''Norges kristelige studentforbund'' (Norwegian Christian Student Union) from 1912 until 1914. He then got a job as an assistant priest in

Sandefjord Sandefjord () is a city and the most populous municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838. The municipality of Sandar was merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 1969. On 1 ...

from 1914 until 1923. In 1923, he moved to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

to be a priest for the

Norwegian Seamen's Church The Norwegian Church Abroad or ''The Norwegian Seamen’s Church'' ( no, Sjømannskirken) is a religious organisation serving Norwegians and other Scandinavians travelling abroad. Founded in 1864, The Norwegian Seamen’s Mission – Sjømannsmisjo ...

. In 1934, he moved back to Norway to

Ullern Ullern is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. History The borough has its name from an old farm, Norse ''Ullarin''. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the Norse god Ullr. The last element is ''vin'', meaning pasture or mea ...

to be a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

(1934–1946) and then he was promoted to the parish priest (1946–1951). He worked there until 1951 when he was appointed to be the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the

after the retirement of Bishop

Johannes Smemo Johannes Smemo (31 July 1898–7 March 1973) was a Norwegian theologian, psalmist, and a long-time bishop in the Church of Norway. Theologically, he was a conservative, confessional Lutheran priest who lived during the time of great liberal- ...

. He retired in 1957 at the age of 70 and he was replaced by

Kaare Støylen Kaare Støylen (3 October 1909 – 22 August 1989) was a Norwegian theologian and priest. He served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Agder from 1957-1973. Personal life Kaare Støylen was born in Aker, Norway, Aker, Norway on 3 October 1909. ...

. He was made a commander of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

upon his retirement.

Works

*' (1919, new editions in 1937 and 1946) *' (1922, new edition in 1945) *' (1927) *' (1931, with Thorvald Kjerland) *' (1936) *' (1945) *' (1948, new edition in 1961) *' (1962) *' (1972)

References

External links

Photo of Johannes Smidt (c. 1935)

Photo of Johannes Smidt (c. 1950)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smidt, Johannes 1887 births 1973 deaths Bishops of Agder og Telemark 20th-century Lutheran bishops