Kaj Munk Seminar 2025

True to tradition, Ribe Stift is holding a seminar on Kaj Munk, and this year's theme is Kaj Munk's relationship with the churches.

Kaj Munk is difficult to place in the ecclesiastical landscape. He had similarities with many different church movements: He came out of a revivalist Christianity with strict moral ideals and a clear action-oriented theology. He was a great admirer of Grundtvig, an advocate of women priests and critical of the state church. He was polemical, criticized pious conversion stories and used the church in the resistance struggle.

Kaj Munk's relationship with the churches was generally ambiguous. This makes him all the more interesting to bring in as a discussion partner in today's debate. After all, do religious movements even exist today, and if so, where are the dividing lines? Perhaps Kaj Munk was ahead of his time, as he united many different church movements in his work. Perhaps Kaj Munk can even be used as a role model in today's ecclesiastical landscape, which seems to have approached Kaj Munk's ideal of unity.

Program for the day

9:00-9:30 am
Coffee and possibility to pay
9:30-10:00 am
Welcome presentation by Morten Thaysen, Dean of Ribe
10:00-11:00 am
Kaj Munk and the church movements
Lecture by Ida Gammelmark, cand.theol. and affiliated with the Kaj Munk Research Center, AAU.
11:00-11:15 am
Break time
11:15-12:00 pm
Joint discussion
12:00-13:00
Lunch (with the opportunity to see Kaj Munks præstegård)
13:00-14:00
Do the churches still exist?
Panel debate by Kirsten M. Andersen, Chairman of Grundtvig Forum and Hans-Ole Bækgaard, Chairman of Indre Mission.
Moderator: Niels Hvelplund, parish priest.
14:00-14:15
Break time
14:15-15:00
Joint discussion
15:15-16:00
Storytelling and devotion in Vedersø Church by Elise Balslev, parish priest.
16:00 pm
Thank you for today!

Practical info

Location: Kaj Munks Præstegård, Vesterhavsvej 7, 6990 Ulfborg
Price: DKK 200 (incl. catering)
Payment: MobilePay on the day
Registration: To Morten Thaysen at mth@km.dk no later than Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Organizer: Ribe Diocese in collaboration with the independent institution Kaj Munks Præstegård in Vedersø and Ringkøbing Fjord Museums.