Ida Maria Åkerblom (September 14, 1898 – February 25, 1981) was the leader of the

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

Åkerblom Movement, an

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

movement sometimes called a "

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

". She had also served some time in

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

. Her movement deemed her a

prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...

and began in the 1920s. Maria Åkerblom is characterized by Aarni Voipio as a "

sleeping preacher A sleeping preacher, also called trance-preacher, is a Christian, most often Protestantism, Protestant person who preaches, Prophecy, prophesies or addresses a public audience while "sleeping," that is, in a state of trance. History The first rep ...

", that is, a person who preaches in a state of

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

. The 2019 Zaida Bergroth film ''

Maria's Paradise ''Maria's Paradise'' ( fi, Marian paratiisi) is a 2019 Finnish drama film directed by Zaida Bergroth. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Cast * Pihla Viitala as Maria Åkerb ...

'' is based on Åkerblom's life.

References

1898 births 1981 deaths People from Raseborg People from Uusimaa Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Swedish-speaking Finns Finnish Christians {{finland-bio-stub