En varmare ekumenik : En kvalitativ studie av Pilgrimsprocessen

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the reception of receptive ecumenism in a Swedish ecumenical context. This is done through interviews with participants involved in the Pilgrimage Project 2016- 17, when the method was used for the first time in Sweden. The thesis focuses on how the participants relate to the ecumenism of wounded hands, a central theme in receptive ecumenism, and how they have received and currently perceive it. Furthermore, it investigates whether receptive ecumenism can be a way out of the “ecumenical winter”, as the method claims. The methodology is a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews, complemented by alethic hemenutic analysis of the interviews. The thesis applies Hartmut Rosa's theory of resonance and alienation to the results, based on the premise that resonance provides real quality of life. The results show that the Pilgrimage Project has made the participants more humble in their encounters with each other, leading to deeper relationships between different church traditions. The analysis indicates that the mutual influence enabled by the Pilgrimage Project has created resonance-rich relationships. The meeting in diversity during the process highlights a resonance-rich image of God that becomes evident in the practice itself, which can be seen as an embodiment of John 17:21. The conclusion is that the ecumenical winter, often described as an expression of alienation, does not correspond with the experience of the Swedish participants. The thesis shows that receptive ecumenism has further warmed relationships and reduced the feeling of alienation, both between churches and on a local level.