Allas vår gudstjänst : En analys av samtida feministteologers syn på liturgiska uttryck

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this thesis is to broaden the understanding of how liturgy within the Church of Sweden can be understood from a feminist perspective, and to investigate what a feminist-influenced liturgy in this context could be today. To achieve this, Sarah Coakley, theologian and priest in the Church of England, and Ninna Edgardh, theologian and priest in the Church of Sweden, have been selected as two contemporary feminist theologians. Both the Church of England and the Church of Sweden have been part of the ecumenical Porvoo communion (Borgågemenskapen) since 1992, thereby sharing fundamental beliefs and practices. Despite the authors' different denominational affiliations, they can be compared and related to the context of Church of Sweden. Consequently, the texts of Coakley and Edgardh constitute the material of the thesis. The thesis is based on a framework of feminist theology and liturgical perspectives, which influences how I approach the material. The approach of the analysis consists of a hermeneutical method and a comparative approach, structured by analytical questions. The first two analytical questions are author-centered and focus on Coakley and Edgardh respective feminist critiques and proposed solutions. The following four analytical questions are thematically structured based on the parts of the worship service: the gathering, the word, the meal, and the sending. I then discuss and evaluate the consequences of the analysis. Coakley advocates for a liturgy that expresses the human surrender of oneself to God. By directing human desire towards God, one is freed from the oppression by other people. This is expressed liturgically through an ad orientem-liturgy, where the priest faces east with the altar placed in front of them and the congregation behind. Edgardh advocates for a liturgy that provides space for women and women's perspectives, and which embodies a fellowship that prevents the male from being deified and valued higher than the female. This fellowship is most clearly expressed in the meal, which Edgardh recommend should be celebrated in a circle formation. Furthermore, Edgardh advocates for a liturgy where the division between ideals and reality, and between the worship service and everyday life, is reduced. This is made visible in the liturgical element of the sending, where the congregation is urged to active social engagement and the practice of diakonia, acting in the world as co-workers with God. The conclusion of this thesis particularly highlights a long-term perspective and an openness to new interpretations as factors to elaborate from. Furthermore, I conclude that both Coakley and Edgardh are needed to enrich the meaning of a renewed understanding of what feminist liturgy in the context of Church of Sweden could be today.