Theologisk Oratorium (''Theological Oratory'') is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

, moderately

high church The term ''high church'' refers to beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize formality and resistance to modernisation. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term originate ...

, religious Brotherhood for men in the

Church of Denmark The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...

. It was founded in 1927. Dissolved in 2016.

Foundation

Thomas Lønborg-Jensen had been in England in 1926 and was influenced by the life of the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

ordinands of

Kelham Theological College Kelham is a small village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire about northwest of Newark on a bend in the A617 road near its crossing of the River Trent. The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 census was 207. Historical Kelham i ...

, operated by the

Society of the Sacred Mission The Society of the Sacred Mission (SSM), with the associated Company of the Sacred Mission, is an Anglican religious order founded in 1893 by Father Herbert Kelly, envisaged such that "members of the Society share a common life of prayer and fello ...

. In Copenhagen he founded Teologisk Oratorium as a religious society for theological students of the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

, which would combine a common liturgical life with mutual pastoral care and studying. The circle of founding brothers included Regin Prenter, Richard Fangel, and Dag Monrad Møller. In 1936 Viggo Lissner, a parish priest, formed the initial "priest group" of the Oratory, so that student members could continue in Theologisk Oratorium after their

graduation Graduation is the awarding of a diploma to a student by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day. The graduation ceremony is a ...

Organisation and leadership

The Oratory is divided into regional conventions, which meet twice a year. The General Convention is held annually in June. The organisation of the Theologisk Oratorium is simple; there is no corporate Chapter, but only a Leader of the Brotherhood, and local superiors of the regional conventions. Its Leader since 1999 has been

Steen Skovsgaard Steen Skovsgaard (born 30 September 1952 in Bolbro) is a Danish prelate of the Church of Denmark serving as the Bishop of Lolland–Falster from 2005 to 2017. He was replaced by Marianne Gaarden. Life After graduation in 1979, Skovsgaard became t ...

, formerly the Bishop of Lolland–Falster.

Common life

The

daily office In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark the divisions of the day in terms of fixed times of prayer at regular intervals. A book of hours, chiefly a breviary, normally contains a version of, or selection from, such prayers. In ...

, private

confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of persons – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information th ...

, the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

, and reading of theology are important parts of the common life of the members. The Oratorium has published many books, on subjects including the daily offices and

gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe durin ...

. Today the Oratorium has a student group in the

University of Aarhus Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...

, but is no longer active in the

. Teologisk Oratorium celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2002.

References

Et broderskab i bøn fylder 75
- Kristeligt Dagblad, 10 June 2002

by Reinhard Mumm. - Quatember 1976 (p. 112-113)
Bishop Steen Skovsgaard's website
Lutheran orders and societies Church of Denmark Christian organizations established in 1927 {{Lutheranism-stub

Foundation

Organisation and leadership

Common life

See also

References