Einar Billing

Einar Billing ( born October 6, 1871 in Lund, † December 17, 1939 in Västerås) was a Swedish theologian, university professor and Lutheran bishop.

Einar Billing was born the son of the theologian and bishop gottfrid Billing and his wife. After attending school in Västerås and Lund Einar Billing undertook studies at Uppsala. In 1898 he completed his studies of Protestant theology and was ordained a priest in 1900 in Lund. Billing was a student of Wilhelm Herrmann and Martin Kähler.

In 1900, he joined with the Scriptures " Luther's doctrine of the state " to the public, which heralded a new orientation in the Swedish Luther research. He pleaded - in contrast to most former theologians - to a historical science critical biblical scholarship.

Important for the development of the Church of Sweden was also his idea of ​​a religiously motivated people's church, which was taken up by the young church movement. He became the theological leader of this renewal movement.

From 1909 to 1920 he was professor of dogmatic and moral theology at Uppsala University and from 1920 until his death bishop of Västerås.