Christian Cyclopedia

(1871–1939). Son of Gottfrid Billing. Taught systematic theol. Uppsala 1900–20; bp. Västeraas 1920–39; outstanding Swed. theol.; one of the most original, creative thinkers of his time. Probably influenced Aulén and through him the so-called Lundensian school. His theol. research was chiefly directed toward the Bible and Luther. He originated the idea of the Swed. folk ch. ( folkkyrkotanken), widely accepted among clergy and laity. Most important theol. works: De etiska tankarna i urkristendomen (“The Ethical Thoughts of the Primitive Church”); Försoningen (“The Atonement”); Den svenska folkkyrkan (“The Swedish Folk Church”). See also Sweden, Lutheranism in, 6.

G. Wingren, “Om Einar Billings teologi,” in Svensk teologisk kvartalskrift, XX (1944), 271–301, and “Swedish Theology Since 1900,” in Scottish Journal of Theology, IX (June 1956), 113–134; Einar Billing in Memoriam, by several authors (Stockholm, 1940). GH