Quoted from Signum (Catholic, Swedish monthly) 2006, no. 5, Inger Selander.
"Anders Frostenson experienced several callings in his life. Rune Pär Olofsson's biography gives several examples of the "guidance" that Frostenson became aware of through the Oxford Group movement in the 1930s.
He came from a farmer's home in the small parish of Loshult on the border between Skåne and Småland. After quickly obtaining a bachelor's degree in Lund in English, philosophy and Slavic languages, he found himself in an existential crisis; he was looking for a philosophy of life that he could share with high and low and that would last a lifetime. The study of literary history offered no help. The answer came suddenly one day when he was cycling along a country road. He experienced a tangible presence of God and sensed an appeal: "Think of the Creator of your youth, before the evil days come." He returned to Lund, immediately acquired a Hebrew grammar and began studying theology the following semester. Instead of becoming a journalist, which he had previously focused on, he became a priest. It was his calling.
Writing hymns begins
He was called to write hymns by the veterinarian Gustaf Thorsell, who had brought him into contact with the Oxford Group movement. Thorsell, who was involved in the ongoing hymnbook revision, was of the firm opinion that Frostenson could contribute hymns. He had made his debut as a poet in 1931 with a collection of poems, Löftets båge ( The arch of promises), which reflects his experience of God on the road on his bicycle outside Lund. The following year he published another collection of religious poetry, Med lyfta händer. (With raised hands)
However, Frostenson believed that he could not write hymns; it was a special, very restricted genre. He finally gave in and went to the Sigtuna Foundation on New Year's Day 1935 to spend a few days in seclusion to test his ability as a hymn writer. There he wrote his first hymn, 'Jesus of Nazareth goes forth'. The starting point, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is near', became the refrain. This theme is consistent in his hymns, as is the presence of Jesus among the people of our time, in everyday life, here and now. The Kingdom of Heaven is near was also the title of a prayer book (1993). The hymn 'Jesus of Nazareth' is one of his most widely used and loved. In 1937, nine of his hymns were included in the Swedish hymn book, and some more were included songbooks of the free churches.
With his linguistically simple, direct hymns in close connection with the Bible, Frostenson contributed to the creation of a new style of hymnody together with Emil Liedgren, Natanael Beskow, K.G. Hildebrand and Nils Bolander."
