Ulf Ekman

== Theology ==
[[File:Ульф Экман во время проповеди.jpg|thumb|Ekman in 2006]]
Like many new Christian movements, [[Livets Ord|Word of Life]] has been criticized by other Christians, but in particular by the media. Many critics claim that Word of Life's teachings about health and economic abundance created a survival of the fittest attitude, in opposition to the Christian [[asceticism|ascetic]] ideal of being poor and humble. Ekman and Word of Life always responded to this criticism by saying that they strongly believed in God's promises in the [[Bible]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2014}} Ekman claimed that a false image was created in the Swedish media on Word of Life as being against, for example, disabled persons, when the outspoken message was that God promises deliverance from sickness.{{Citation needed|date=March 2014}}

Ekman's theology, along with other representatives of the [[Word of Faith]] movement, was criticized for having [[gnosticism|gnostic]] elements. A thesis written by Kent Gunnarsson at [[Umeå University]], published in 2004, had this claim.<ref>Den kristna gnosticismens återkomst, Kent Gunnarsson. {{ISBN|91-7305-678-2}}. Full text available (as of 21 September 2019) at http://umu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:142960/FULLTEXT01.pdf</ref> The opponent at the dissertation, Professor Alexander Radler, criticized Gunnarsson for a too-wide definition of Gnosticism.{{Citation needed|date=March 2014}} Radler appreciated Gunnarsson's thesis for its rich information about modern Gnosticism, but thought that Ekman's teachings could not be seen as gnostic.{{Citation needed|date=March 2014}} Ekman's own attitude against Gnosticism is negative.

Later on, Ekman rarely preached the typical [[Word of Faith]] teachings. He partially criticized some of them (for example, the [[Word of Faith#Jesus died spiritually|Jesus Died Spiritually]] doctrine), but also wrote and said that the ground for his preaching was the revelation in the Bible he got from first listening to teachers like [[Kenneth Copeland]] and later studying at [[Kenneth Hagin]]'s school in Tulsa.

Ekman seems to have broadened his doctrinal horizons with studies in patristic and church history. He has now an ecumenical approach to other congregations. In 2006 the bishop of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockholm]], [[Anders Arborelius]], was invited to Word of Life church in Uppsala for a public discussion. Through the Livets Ord University, which is a branch of the [[Oral Roberts University]], Ekman published a theological magazine called Keryx, containing articles from a broad, classical Christian point of view. This magazine had articles from different Christian traditions and excerpts from patristic writings.<ref name="Keryx">[http://www.keryx.nu/] Keryx</ref> But a critical analysis of the [[Word of Faith]] movement's own teachings hasn't been published to this day.

In 2014, Ekman and his family converted to [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]].<ref name="catholic" /><ref name="catholic3" /> He claims that the ''[[Catechism of the Catholic Church]]'' is "the best book he has ever read".<ref name="catholic4">{{cite web|url=http://www.charismanews.com/world/43126-ulf-ekman-says-prophetic-word-confirmed-his-catholic-conversion |title=Ulf Ekman Says Prophetic Word Confirmed His Catholic Conversion |publisher=Charisma News |access-date=15 March 2014}}</ref>

In his 2015 book ''Den stora upptäckten. Vår väg till katolska kyrkan'', he claims that an important factor in his conversion to Catholicism was information about [[Međugorje]] in [[Herzegovina]] and subsequent visit to the place, where Ulf and Birgitta met with Franciscan [[Jozo Zovko]].<ref>Den stora upptäckten: Vår väg till katolska kyrkan
av Ulf och Birgitta Ekman, Catholica, pp. 59,66-67.</ref>