Reverend Fr. Serafim Smensgård is Deputy Dean, Lecturer and Teacher at Sankt Ignatios College in Södertälje, Sweden. Fr. Serafim Smensgård is interested in the intersection of academic study, artistic and cultural practice, and formational bildung. His work at Sankt Ignatios has focussed on learning design that coordinates higher education, bildung, general adult education, and leadership training.
He did his undergraduate studies at Stockholm University, majoring in English, as well as studying French, Portuguese and Creative Writing. At Dalarna University he studied a one-year masters program in African Literature and post-colonial studies, and subsequently also completed an MA in education. His BA thesis was on the significance of the physical environment in J.D. Salinger’s novella “Franny and Zooey”, and his MA thesis was on paternalism in Alan Paton’s short story collection “Debbie Go Home”. His (co-authored) MA thesis in education was on the implementation of a student information system at a Swedish charter school.
Fr. Serafim studied for the priesthood at Sankt Ignatios in Södertälje, when the vocational program was part of Botkyrka Folkhögskola (before the accredited Pastoral Pedagogical Program was launched) and has followed Sankt Ignatios Foundation’s development since its inception. He currently serves as parish priest in Heliga Anna of Novgorods Orthodox Parish in Stockholm, under the Georgian orthodox patriarchate.
Roles
Deputy Dean
serafim.smensgard@sanktignatios.org