Toivo Harjunpää

Harjunpää was born in Rauma, Finland. Harjunpää was ordained to priesthood 18 February 1936 in Turku Cathedral. His background was in the Finnish "Evangelical Revivalist Movement", originating from the activity of neo-Lutheran priest Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg. As a young priest while learning the New Testament, he was convinced of the importance of Christian ecumenism which was unpopular at that time in Finland. Soon after that Yngve Brilioth's book Eucharistic Faith and Practise. Evangelical and Catholic and Hans Liezmann's Messe und Herrenmal gave him more direction towards the Ecumenical Movement and Liturgical Movement.

After short curacy in Vehmaa and a job in the student union of his revivalist movement, Harjunpää became pastor of Finnish Seamen's Mission in London 1938–45, and the secretary of archbishop Aleksi Lehtonen from 1945 - 1948. Together with Martti Parvio he founded a High Church circle which was informally referred to as "Liturgical Brethren".

In May 1948, Harjunpää immigrated to the United States. He became a teacher in Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1953 and was professor of church history of the Graduate Theological Union from 1963 until 1977 until his retirement. He was member in many Lutheran commissions on Hymnology and liturgy. He was also member of Societas Sanctae Birgittae.

• Harjunpää, Toivo: Muistelmia pappisurani alkutaipaleelta. Kotimatkalla 1990 (annual of Lutheran Evangelical Association in Finland)
• Suomen teologit 1990. Suomen kirkon pappisliitto 1990, Lahti ISBN 952-90-2052-X
• Parvio, Martti: The Liturgical Brethren. a page in history of the post-war liturgical movement in Finland. - article in Ecclesia, Leiturgia, Ministerium: Studia in Honorem Toivo Harjunpää. Helsinki 1977. ISBN 951-9047-02-6

• Harjunpaa, Toivo (1968). "Liturgical Developments in Sweden and Finland in the Era of Lutheran Orthodoxy (1593-1700)". Church History. 37 (1): 14–35. doi:10.2307/3163183. ISSN 1755-2613. JSTOR 3163183 – via JSTOR.