Tore Forslund (26 February 1927–15 March 2000), also known as Spökprästen ("the ghostpriest"), was a writer, poet,

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

priest, street musician, and editor of the magazine ''A Voice Crying in the Wilderness'', that he founded 1957.

Biography

Tore Forslund was born 26 February 1927 in

Krylbo Krylbo () is a part of the Sweden, Swedish town Avesta (locality), Avesta in Avesta Municipality, Dalarna County. It was a market town until it merged with the city of Avesta in 1966. Krylbo is mostly known for being an important railway hub cal ...

, Sweden. His mother was an officer in the

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

, and his father was a post office employee. Forslund was

ordain Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform vari ...

ed as a Lutheran priest in

Luleå Luleå ( , , locally ; ; ) is a Cities in Sweden, city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the County Administrative Boards of Sweden, capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban ...

Cathedral on 19 December 1956, after a few years of studies at

Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola Johannelunds teologiska högskola or Johannelund School of Theology is a university college in Sweden''.''Lund University Lund University () is a Public university, public research university in Sweden and one of Northern Europe's oldest universities. The university is located in the city of Lund in the Swedish province of Scania. The university was officially foun ...

. He held his first

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present context ...

at age 18, on New Year's Day 1946, and his last public sermon was held in

Alvesta Alvesta () is a locality and the seat of Alvesta Municipality in Kronoberg County, Sweden, with 8,017 inhabitants in the urban area in 2010. Alvesta is an important railway junction, joining the Stockholm–Malmö–Copenhagen railway wi ...

in 1999. Forslund could often be seen on the streets of Sweden playing his favorite instrument, a

concertina A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front. The ...

. He called Sergelgatan in Stockholm his "central sanctuary". His nickname, "the ghostpriest", came to be during a period when he worked as a priest in Borgvattnet,

Jämtland Jämtland () is a historical provinces of Sweden, province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland, Sweden, Lapland to the north and Trøndelag and Norw ...

, in 1981. He offered to relieve the village of the ghosts that were said to reside in the old parsonage. He was strongly against the

occult The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...

phenomena that existed in the district. They sold miniature angels and devils in the village shop, and if a person dared to sleep overnight in the old parsonage, now a converted hotel, a diploma was handed out. Disappointed at not being able to meet the accusations of the cathedral chapter, he decided to leave the Swedish church in 1981 and started to work independently with a full-time street mission. Forslund's controversial preaching methods often made him an object of discussion. He was liked by many and hated by others. He raised debate and anger among many who only saw him as a stubborn and provocative prophet of doom. Forslund was always very open, and often started conversations with strangers. Migrants and marginalized people often became his best friends. Tore Forslund died 15 March 2000, at

Växjö Växjö () is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 71,282 inhabitants (2020) out of a Municipalities of Sweden, municipal population of 97,349 (2024). It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial ce ...

hospital, age 73.

References

External links

Tore Forslund WebsiteHaunted Vicarage of Borgvattnet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forslund, Tore 20th-century Swedish Lutheran priests 1927 births 2000 deaths People from Avesta (locality)