Det salvationistiska manifestet : Modernitetskritik och alternativa modernitetsföreställningar i William Booths sociala räddningsplan

Sammanfattning

The aim of this study is to analyse which political ideas are expressed in terms of criticism of modernity and notions of alternative modernity in In Darkest England and the Way Out (1890) by William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army. These ideas are compared to other contemporary critical perspectives on modernity expressed by movements in Western Europe during the latter half of the 19th century. The study is based on the Swedish translation of the book, published a couple of weeks after the English original. It has been guiding for the movement ever since. The theoretical framework is based on two analytical concepts: criticism of modernity and alternative modernity. The method is based on a textual analysis that aims to identify, describe and contextualize criticism of modernity and notions of alternative modernity. This study examines an influential religiopolitical text, and by doing this, it is shedding light on the political relevance of religious texts, which often has been neglected in previous research in the field of history of political thought. Previous research about the evangelical movement in Sweden during the 19th century has shown that criticism of modern society was expressed, not in a reactionary way, but in a way that can rather be described as notions of an alternative modernity. This study shows that William Booth’s criticism of modernity had similarities with contemporary movements, such as the land reform movement, for example in the thoughts about counterurbanisation and cooperative farming. But also, that there are differences. The text proposes comprehensible societal changes, but primarily they aim to change man through nurture, salvation and sanctification.