“Han, icke jag, se där hemligheten!” : Elsa Borgs tro och sociala arbete i väckelserörelsens anda

Sammanfattning

This study examines how Elsa Borg (1826–1909), a central figure at Vita Bergen in Stockholm, expressed and translated her religious conviction into social work during the nineteenth century. Drawing on Max Weber’s theory of ideal types and social action, the study analyzes how her personal faith, sense of social responsibility, and practical piety interacted in her leadership and activities. The study demonstrates that Borg’s faith was not merely an inner conviction but functioned as an active driving force that shaped decisions, organizational priorities, and everyday routines. Her experience of divine guidance and moral responsibility formed the basis for the establishment of orphanages, shelters, and educational initiatives, as well as for her care for vulnerable individuals. At the same time, this religious conviction enabled extensive social engagement despite the limited formal scope of action available to women. Through strategic organization and practical action, faith was translated into concrete social practice, illustrating a combination of value-rational and instrumentally rational action. The analysis thus contributes to a deeper understanding of how religious conviction can function both as a moral driving force and an organizational principle in social work, and how Borg’s faith shaped her leadership and social engagement within a revivalist movement context.