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| {{Short description|Former religious sect leader}}{{Infobox person | |||
| {{More footnotes|date=November 2010}} | |||
| ⚫ | | name = Åsa Maria Waldau | ||
| {{Infobox person | |||
| | |
| image =Åsa Waldau.JPG | ||
| | |
| image_size = 230px | ||
| | |
| caption = | ||
| ⚫ | | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|10|26|mf=y}} | ||
| | caption = Waldau at the 2007 ] | |||
| ⚫ | | birth_place = ], ] | ||
| ⚫ | | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|10|26|mf=y}} | ||
| ⚫ | | death_date = | ||
| ⚫ | | birth_place = ], ] | ||
| | |
| death_place = | ||
| | education = highschool | |||
| ⚫ | | death_date = | ||
| ⚫ | | occupation = ], singer | ||
| | death_place = | |||
| | |
| title = | ||
| | spouse = Patrik Waldau (1994 - 2016) | |||
| ⚫ | | occupation = ], singer | ||
| | |
| parents = Matz Jacobsson and Lillemor Wikström | ||
| | |
| children = two | ||
| ⚫ | | nationality = Swedish | ||
| | parents = Matz Jacobsson and Lillemor Wikström | |||
| | |
| website = | ||
| ⚫ | | nationality = Swedish | ||
| | website = http://www.asamwaldau.com/ | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Åsa M. Waldau''' {{IPA |
'''Åsa M. Waldau''' ({{IPA|sv|ˈǒːsa maˈrǐːa ˈvǎldaʊ}}; born October 26, 1965) is the former leader of a ] in ], Sweden, that disbanded in 2016. She is one of four sisters, the youngest of whom was the victim of the ] on January 10, 2004.<ref> The Local Retrieved 14 December 2020</ref> | ||
| ==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
| In 1985 |
In 1985, Waldau had one month's theological training in a ] bible school in ]. In 1990, Waldau (then Björk) was hired by the ] church in ] as a children's pastor. However, because of her actions and because she divorced, she was forced to resign. She then moved to Knutby, where she lived with the Waldau family, whose young son Patrik (born 1975) she had befriended in Uppsala. They married in June 1994. | ||
| Waldau was hired part-time by the Pentecostal congregation of Knutby in March 1992. Kim Wincent, whom she had met in bible school in 1985, was a pastor there. Waldau's |
Waldau was hired part-time by the Pentecostal congregation of Knutby in March 1992. Kim Wincent, whom she had met in bible school in 1985, was a pastor there. Waldau's authority over the congregants rapidly increased after she declared herself to be the "]" personified.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 'Bride of Christ' Cult That Commanded a Woman to Kill|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/the-bride-of-christ-cult-that-commanded-a-woman-to-kill/ar-BB1fyMb1|access-date=2021-05-21|website=www.msn.com}}</ref> There were claims of prophecies about a "disrespected servant of the Lord" who would be the cause of a "fire from Knutby".{{cn|date=May 2021}} She traveled widely in Swedish Pentecostal communities, and induced many young people to move to Knutby. In 1997, she convinced ] and his wife Heléne to join the Knutby community as a pastor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/helges-mal-var-att-ha-ihjal-asa/|title="Helges mål var att ha ihjäl Åsa"|website=www.expressen.se|date=12 July 2007 |access-date=14 December 2020}}</ref> | ||
| In 2020, Waldau and two pastors from the Knutby congregation were convicted of assault towards members of their church.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/na7X0a|title=Slog och utnyttjade – pastorer i Knutby döms|website=Aftonbladet|date=13 March 2020 |access-date=14 December 2020}}</ref> Her sentence was conditional release, plus 120 hours of community service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.varldenidag.se/nyheter/asa-waldau-overklagar-fallande-dom/reptdg!LeeSL1Xt@1Cn4WAT0KUrA/|title=Åsa Waldau överklagar fällande dom|website=Världen idag|access-date=14 December 2020}}</ref> | |||
| ==Teachings== | ==Teachings== | ||
| The Philadelphia congregation in Knutby was established in 1921 during the Pentecostal revival in Sweden connected with ]. |
The Philadelphia congregation in Knutby was established in 1921 during the Pentecostal revival in Sweden connected with ]. Waldau was the granddaughter of Pethrus' successor Willis Säwe, but her mother did not raise her in the faith. She was ], and entered the Pentecostal tradition, but she also underwent influences from ] and his ] movement and from ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressen.se/debatt/maste-gud-satta-dig-i-rullstol/|title=Måste Gud sätta dig i rullstol?|website=www.expressen.se|date=18 May 2004 |access-date=14 December 2020}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | The ] is ]. As the self-proclaimed "Bride of Christ", Waldau expected that she would be taken away before the ], in a manner reminiscent of the ] or the ], to be united with her Bridegroom.<ref> The Local Retrieved 14 December 2020</ref> | ||
| In Waldau's preaching there is an emphasis on ] and on forgiveness of sins which is a base of Christian belief. She believes that believers can stop sinning in this life on earth. | |||
| The cult of approximately 100 members has a very hierarchical internal organization. Reminiscent of a ], the members are organized in teams, with a team leader they are supposed to ask for spiritual guidance. At the top of the hierarchy are six ]s, but not all of them are employed full-time. | |||
| Waldau's ] may seem contradictory. Within a marriage it is the husband who should lead his wife and take decisions. The wife is to obey her husband, and should ask her husband's permission, even for mundane things like shopping trips. | |||
| Waldau's distinguishing doctrine is that she rejects the identification of the ] with the Church. She teaches publicly that the Bride of Christ is an actual person, whom Christ will wed, while the guests at this wedding are identified as the believers. In private, she claims that she is the Bride of Christ herself, defectors have told. | |||
| ⚫ | The ] is ]. Waldau expected that she would be taken away before the ], in a manner reminiscent of the ] or the ], to be united with her Bridegroom. | ||
| ==Connection with the Knutby murder== | ==Connection with the Knutby murder== | ||
| {{main|Knutby murder}} | {{main|Knutby murder}} | ||
| In January 2004, Waldau's sister Alexandra Fossmo was murdered, along with her neighbour and employer Daniel Linde. Later, Sara Svensson, nanny for the children of Alexandra's husband Helge Fossmo, confessed to the murders. She claiming she acted under the influence of Helge with whom she was having an affair (but who was also having an affair Linde's wife, Annette.) | |||
| In 2004 ]'s nanny Sara Svensson confessed to having killed Fossmo's second wife Alexandra (Åsa Waldau's sister), under the influence of Fossmo. Fossmo had claimed to get ] from God on his cellphone, which told him Svensson would not get mercy from God if she did not kill Alexandra and their neighbour ]. (Fossmo was having an affair with this neighbour's wife, Annette Linde, who was also Åsa Waldau's sister-in-law. At the same time Fossmo had an affair with Sara Svensson herself that he exploited to manipulate her into the deed.) | |||
| Helge Fossmo (allegedly with help from Waldau) exploited his extra-marital relationship with Svensson to manipulate her into going forward with the assassination.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Kranc|first=Lauren|date=2021-05-04|title='Pray, Obey, Kill' Finds Chilling Questions About the Murder in a Small Swedish Religious Community|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36319431/hbo-pray-obey-kill-true-story-helge-fossmo-asa-waldau-sara-svensson-today/|access-date=2021-08-08|website=Esquire|language=en-US}}</ref> He claimed to get ] from God on his cellphone, which told him Svensson would not get mercy from God if she did not kill Alexandra (his wife) and their neighbour, Daniel Linde. | |||
| In 2004 Fossmo was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to life in jail for conspiracy of murder and Svensson was sentenced to psychiatric care. Although Waldau was a close associate of Fossmo, there was no evidence that she had been involved in the murder plot and she was not prosecuted. | |||
| In 2004, Fossmo was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy of murder and Svensson was sentenced to psychiatric care. Although Waldau was a close associate of Fossmo, there was null investigation or evidence linking her involvement to the murder plot and was never prosecuted -- at trial, prosecutor Anne Sjöblom maintained this 'close association' (and Waldau's self-anointed title 'the Bride of Christ') be withheld from the official record.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pray, Obey, Kill|url=https://www.hbo.com/pray-obey-kill|access-date=2021-08-08|website=HBO|language=en}}</ref> | |||
| ==Celebrity== | ==Celebrity== | ||
| After the murders, Waldau continued to be very reclusive. She refused to be interviewed by newspapers and only appeared without speaking in the ] documentary ''A Fall from Grace''. Her first appearance was at the trial in May 2004, speaking in court as a relative of her sister who had been murdered. She admitted that she had 'tested' whether she might be the Bride of Christ, an idea she attributed to Helge Fossmo. | After the murders, Waldau continued to be very reclusive. She refused to be interviewed by newspapers and only appeared without speaking in the ] documentary ''A Fall from Grace''. Her first appearance was at the trial in May 2004, speaking in court as a relative of her sister who had been murdered. She admitted that she had 'tested' whether she might be the Bride of Christ, an idea she attributed to Helge Fossmo. | ||
| In September 2004 Waldau was in a one-hour interview program on ] by ]. The public's reaction was quite negative; Waldau came across as 'cold' and 'unfeeling'. | In September 2004, Waldau was featured in a one-hour interview program on ] by ]. The public's reaction was quite negative; Waldau came across as 'cold' and 'unfeeling'. | ||
| In March 2005 Waldau inspired the sect to open a spa. In November she released a music CD containing songs from the church of Knutby. In December she appeared on a discussion panel at the celebration of 175 year ], introduced there by ] as Sweden's most maligned person in modern times. | In March 2005, Waldau inspired the sect to open a spa. In November she released a music CD containing songs from the church of Knutby. In December she appeared on a discussion panel at the celebration of 175 year ], introduced there by ] as Sweden's most maligned person in modern times. | ||
| In June 2006 the talk-show host Lennart Persson invited Waldau to his last installment of ''Debatt'' on national television, where she got into exchanges with ] and with ]. Bert Karlsson later that year invited her to his own program on the cable channel ]. In October 2007 he published Waldau's autobiography, ''Kristi brud: vem kan man lita på?'' (]: ''Bride of Christ: whom can one trust?'').<ref>{{cite book | first = Bert | last = Karlsson | date= October 2007 | title = Kristi brud: vem kan man lita på? (Bride of Christ: whom can one trust?) | |
In June 2006, the talk-show host Lennart Persson invited Waldau to his last installment of ''Debatt'' on national television, where she got into exchanges with ] and with ]. Bert Karlsson later that year invited her to his own program on the cable channel ]. In October 2007 he published Waldau's autobiography, ''Kristi brud: vem kan man lita på?'' (]: ''Bride of Christ: whom can one trust?'').<ref>{{cite book | first = Bert | last = Karlsson | date= October 2007 | title = Kristi brud: vem kan man lita på? (Bride of Christ: whom can one trust?) | publisher = Heja Sverige |isbn= 978-91-85881-02-4}}</ref> | ||
| In April 2021, ] premiered Swedish-American docuseries, '']'', investigating the January 2004 ]. The series is primarily focused on ] and Åsa Waldau's involvement in the murder. Even though Waldau is featured in all six episodes, she declined to participate in the docuseries. Waldau remains a free woman and has changed her name.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 59: | Line 55: | ||
| ==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
| * |
*{{Cite journal |first=Eva |last=Lundgren |author-link=Eva Lundgren |title=Knutby: "Dödskulten på Dödskullen" |journal=] |volume=2007 |issue=3 |pages=219–246 |language=no}} | ||
| * |
*{{Cite journal|first=Jone |last=Salomonsen |title=Faith with a Licence to Kill? |journal=Tidsskrift for Kjønnsforskning |volume=2006 |issue=1–2 |url=http://kilden.forskningsradet.no/c40042/artikkel/vis.html?tid=40474&strukt_tid=40042 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061218142620/http://kilden.forskningsradet.no/c40042/artikkel/vis.html?tid=40474&strukt_tid=40042 |archive-date=December 18, 2006 }} | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| *{{official website|http://www.asamwaldau.com/}} | *{{official website|http://www.asamwaldau.com/}} | ||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. --> | |||
| ⚫ | | |
||
| | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | |||
| | SHORT DESCRIPTION = Swedish Christian minister | |||
| | DATE OF BIRTH = October 26, 1965 | |||
| | PLACE OF BIRTH = ], ] | |||
| | DATE OF DEATH = | |||
| | PLACE OF DEATH = | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Waldau, Asa}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Waldau, Asa}} | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 04:05, 1 September 2024
Former religious sect leader| Åsa Maria Waldau | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1965-10-26) October 26, 1965 (age 59) Örebro, Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Education | highschool |
| Occupation(s) | Pastor, singer |
| Spouse | Patrik Waldau (1994 - 2016) |
| Children | two |
| Parent(s) | Matz Jacobsson and Lillemor Wikström |
Åsa M. Waldau (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈǒːsa maˈrǐːa ˈvǎldaʊ]; born October 26, 1965) is the former leader of a Christian sect in Knutby, Sweden, that disbanded in 2016. She is one of four sisters, the youngest of whom was the victim of the Knutby murder on January 10, 2004.
Biography
In 1985, Waldau had one month's theological training in a Pentecostal bible school in Stockholm. In 1990, Waldau (then Björk) was hired by the Pentecostal church in Uppsala as a children's pastor. However, because of her actions and because she divorced, she was forced to resign. She then moved to Knutby, where she lived with the Waldau family, whose young son Patrik (born 1975) she had befriended in Uppsala. They married in June 1994.
Waldau was hired part-time by the Pentecostal congregation of Knutby in March 1992. Kim Wincent, whom she had met in bible school in 1985, was a pastor there. Waldau's authority over the congregants rapidly increased after she declared herself to be the "Bride of Christ" personified. There were claims of prophecies about a "disrespected servant of the Lord" who would be the cause of a "fire from Knutby". She traveled widely in Swedish Pentecostal communities, and induced many young people to move to Knutby. In 1997, she convinced Helge Fossmo and his wife Heléne to join the Knutby community as a pastor.
In 2020, Waldau and two pastors from the Knutby congregation were convicted of assault towards members of their church. Her sentence was conditional release, plus 120 hours of community service.
Teachings
The Philadelphia congregation in Knutby was established in 1921 during the Pentecostal revival in Sweden connected with Lewi Pethrus. Waldau was the granddaughter of Pethrus' successor Willis Säwe, but her mother did not raise her in the faith. She was born again, and entered the Pentecostal tradition, but she also underwent influences from Ulf Ekman and his Livets Ord movement and from Word of Faith.
The eschatology is pretribulationist. As the self-proclaimed "Bride of Christ", Waldau expected that she would be taken away before the Rapture, in a manner reminiscent of the dormition of the Virgin or the assumption of Mary, to be united with her Bridegroom.
Connection with the Knutby murder
Main article: Knutby murderIn January 2004, Waldau's sister Alexandra Fossmo was murdered, along with her neighbour and employer Daniel Linde. Later, Sara Svensson, nanny for the children of Alexandra's husband Helge Fossmo, confessed to the murders. She claiming she acted under the influence of Helge with whom she was having an affair (but who was also having an affair Linde's wife, Annette.)
Helge Fossmo (allegedly with help from Waldau) exploited his extra-marital relationship with Svensson to manipulate her into going forward with the assassination. He claimed to get text messages from God on his cellphone, which told him Svensson would not get mercy from God if she did not kill Alexandra (his wife) and their neighbour, Daniel Linde.
In 2004, Fossmo was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy of murder and Svensson was sentenced to psychiatric care. Although Waldau was a close associate of Fossmo, there was null investigation or evidence linking her involvement to the murder plot and was never prosecuted -- at trial, prosecutor Anne Sjöblom maintained this 'close association' (and Waldau's self-anointed title 'the Bride of Christ') be withheld from the official record.
Celebrity
After the murders, Waldau continued to be very reclusive. She refused to be interviewed by newspapers and only appeared without speaking in the TV4 documentary A Fall from Grace. Her first appearance was at the trial in May 2004, speaking in court as a relative of her sister who had been murdered. She admitted that she had 'tested' whether she might be the Bride of Christ, an idea she attributed to Helge Fossmo.
In September 2004, Waldau was featured in a one-hour interview program on Sveriges Television by Stina Lundberg Dabrowski. The public's reaction was quite negative; Waldau came across as 'cold' and 'unfeeling'.
In March 2005, Waldau inspired the sect to open a spa. In November she released a music CD containing songs from the church of Knutby. In December she appeared on a discussion panel at the celebration of 175 year Aftonbladet, introduced there by Jan Guillou as Sweden's most maligned person in modern times.
In June 2006, the talk-show host Lennart Persson invited Waldau to his last installment of Debatt on national television, where she got into exchanges with Janne Josefsson and with Bert Karlsson. Bert Karlsson later that year invited her to his own program on the cable channel TV8. In October 2007 he published Waldau's autobiography, Kristi brud: vem kan man lita på? (English: Bride of Christ: whom can one trust?).
In April 2021, HBO Europe premiered Swedish-American docuseries, Pray, Obey, Kill, investigating the January 2004 Knutby murder. The series is primarily focused on Helge Fossmo and Åsa Waldau's involvement in the murder. Even though Waldau is featured in all six episodes, she declined to participate in the docuseries. Waldau remains a free woman and has changed her name.
References
- I was a sex slave The Local Retrieved 14 December 2020
- "The 'Bride of Christ' Cult That Commanded a Woman to Kill". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ""Helges mål var att ha ihjäl Åsa"". www.expressen.se. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Slog och utnyttjade – pastorer i Knutby döms". Aftonbladet. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Åsa Waldau överklagar fällande dom". Världen idag. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Måste Gud sätta dig i rullstol?". www.expressen.se. 18 May 2004. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- Three members of Knutby sect face charges 15 years after trial that shook a nation The Local Retrieved 14 December 2020
- ^ Kranc, Lauren (2021-05-04). "'Pray, Obey, Kill' Finds Chilling Questions About the Murder in a Small Swedish Religious Community". Esquire. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
- "Pray, Obey, Kill". HBO. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
- Karlsson, Bert (October 2007). Kristi brud: vem kan man lita på? (Bride of Christ: whom can one trust?). Heja Sverige. ISBN 978-91-85881-02-4.
Further reading
- Lundgren, Eva. "Knutby: "Dödskulten på Dödskullen"". Kirke og Kultur (in Norwegian). 2007 (3): 219–246.
- Salomonsen, Jone. "Faith with a Licence to Kill?". Tidsskrift for Kjønnsforskning. 2006 (1–2). Archived from the original on December 18, 2006.