Chapel (Kapellet) - Carl Jonas Love Almqvist

Art. no. 216584047 24 Apr 2025

The Chapel is a short story by Carl Jonas Love Almqvist, published in 1838 as part of his work Törnrosens bok. The story depicts an assistant pastor's first sermon on a remote island in southern Sweden, where he is confronted with his own faith and the reality of the congregation.

In The Chapel, a young assistant pastor arrives on a lonely island off the coast of Södra Möre to deliver his first sermon. Expectant of the task, he soon finds himself in a congregation of simple fishermen and their families. His initial ambition to deliver a high-minded sermon is met with resistance from both his own doubts and the congregation's pragmatic view of faith. Through encounters with a fisherman's wife and her many children, he gains insight into a world far beyond his previous experiences, leading him to a deeper understanding of his faith and his role as a preacher. The story explores themes of faith, morality and the real meaning of religious rituals in people's lives.