Review and Reflection on “Nathan Söderblom: Called to Serve” by Jonas Jonson

This is another book that has been on my to read list for some time and I was so excited to read it. This book was translated into English (from Swedish) and published for English readers in 2016. For those not familiar with Söderblom, here’s the one sentence summary — he would end up becoming the archbishop of the Church of Sweden and he is considered by many to be the main reason why ecumenism exists in our era.

But of course there is more to his life than just that. This is a traditional biography in the sense that it follows his life from birth to death. The author though makes it clear that his focus is on Söderblom’s theology and work, not getting into his personal life beyond anything that would shape his life’s work.

Söderblom was a unique individual in many ways. He was often ill throughout his life, sometimes near death. This probably had an influence on him in a way that shaped his drive and life’s work. “Nathan Söderblom was convinced that uniquely chosen people determine the choice of paths for humanity. Now the responsibility was laid upon him.” (Pg. 2). This is quite the statement in so many ways, but it gives us a window into the expectations he had for himself.

If you want to understand Nathan Söderblom, it is helpful to understand the theology that drove him. “His theological presuppositions remained largely constant. The first was that God is a living God. who reveals himself through prophets, historical events…