Erling Eidem (23 April 1880 – 14 April 1972) was a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
theologian who served as
archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala (spelled Upsala until the early 20th century) has been the primate (bishop), primate of Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward un ...
1931–1950.
Eidem was son of Anders Magnus Andersson, a merchant in Gothenburg, and his spouse Pauline Eidem, whose maiden name he took. He received his filosofie kandidat degree from the University College of Gothenburg in 1903, his theology degree from
Lund University
, motto = Ad utrumque
, mottoeng = Prepared for both
, established =
, type = Public research university
, budget = SEK 9 billion licentiate there in 1912 and completed his doctorate of theology in 1918. He was
docent
The title of docent is conferred by some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks at or below the full professor rank, similar to a British readership, a French " ''maître de conf ...
of
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chris ...
exegesis
Exegesis ( ; from the Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretation ...
in Lund 1913-1924, and was assistant at
Uppsala University
Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation.
The university rose to significance during ...
1918-1919. He was vicar of
Gårdstånga
Gårdstånga is a locality situated in Eslöv Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 343 inhabitants in 2010. Route E66 ran straight through the village until 1984 when the road routed was outside the community.
Gårdstånga is an ancient co ...
parish 1924-1928 and professor of Biblical studies in Uppsala 1926-1928, and in Lund from 1928 until 1931, when he was elected archbishop of Uppsala. He married Elisabeth Eklund, a daughter of the theologian
Pehr Eklund Pehr is a predominantly Swedish language masculine give name and may refer to:
*Pehr Adlerfelt (1680–1743), Swedish Army colonel
* Pehr von Afzelius (1760–1843), Swedish medical doctor and professor
* Pehr Victor Edman (1916—1977), Swedish b ...
,
dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
of the cathedral of Lund and professor of church history at the university.
During the 1930s, Eidem expressed nationalist views, but kept a clear distance from the German
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
regime and warned the
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 ...
church in Germany for the prevalent
anti-semitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
. After the war years, Eidem was one of the churchmen who donated money to the
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 ...
St. Ansgar Foundation in Uppsala.
Following the murder of
Kaj Munk
Kaj Harald Leininger Munk (commonly called Kaj Munk) (13 January 1898 – 4 January 1944) was a Danish playwright and Lutheran pastor, known for his cultural engagement and his martyrdom during the Occupation of Denmark of World War II. He i ...
on 4 January 1944 the Danish resistance newspaper De frie Danske brought condemning reactions from influential Scandinavians, including Eidem.
Eidem was the last archbishop to be ''ex officio''
Pro-Chancellor of Uppsala University
The Chancellor ( Swedish ''kansler'') of Uppsala University was from 1622 to 1893 the head of the University of Uppsala, although in most academic and practical day-to-day matters it was run by the consistory (''konsistorium'') or board, and its ...