Gustaf Aulén
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The Right Reverend Gustaf Aulén |
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|---|---|
| Bishop of Strängnäs | |
 |
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| Church | Church of Sweden |
| Diocese | Strängnäs |
| In office | 1933-1952 |
| Predecessor | Sam Stadener |
| Successor | Dick Helander |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
15 May 1879 Ljungby, Sweden |
| Died | 16 December 1977 (aged 98) |
| Buried | Norra Kyrkogården, Lund |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Parents | FJ Aulén & Maria Hildebrand |
| Spouse | Kristine Bjørnstad |
Gustaf Emanuel Hildebrand Aulén (15 May 1879 – 16 December 1977) was the Bishop of Strängnäs in the Church of Sweden, a Lutheran theologian, and the author of Christus Victor, a work which still exerts considerable influence on contemporary theological thinking on the atonement.
Aulén was born in 1879 in Ljungby parish, Kalmar County, Sweden to Rev. F.J. Aulén and Maria Hildebrand. He married Kristine Björnstad in 1907. After studying at Uppsala University, Aulén became professor of dogmatics at Lund University in 1913, then Bishop of Strängnäs in 1933.
Aulén's first major theological work was 'The Faith of the Christian Church', published in Swedish in 1923. His most famous work - Christus Victor - followed in 1930, with an English translation in 1931. 'The Faith of the Christian Church' was translated into English in 1948. Aulén's work gained international recognition and most of his later works were quickly followed by English translations.
Aulén was also an avid composer, contributing profusely to the Swedish hymnbook. He was the president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music 1944–1950.
Aulén retired his bishopric in 1952, returning to Lund to devote himself to his academic work. He published an autobiography - "My ninety-six years: happenings and thoughts" - in 1975 and died two years later on 16 December 1977 at the age of 98.
Aulén was a prominent member of the 'Lundensian' school of theology, along with Anders Nygren and Ragnar Bring. The Lundensian school perhaps resembles most closely that of neo-orthodoxy in the German-speaking and English-speaking theological scenes of the mid-20th century, with an emphasis on divine transcendence.
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