Sårbarhet som pastoral praktik : En kvalitativ studie av sårbarhet som professionell resurs i prästämbetet

Sammanfattning

The role of the priest in the Church of Sweden has shifted from a formal office-bearer to a relational companion. While this shift emphasizes personal presence and renders vulnerability central to pastoral practice, traditional frameworks still view vulnerability as a risk factor for burnout rather than a professional competence. The aim of this study is to explore how priests understand and negotiate the balance between institutional professionalism and personal vulnerability within their professional role. Based on a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven priests in the Västerås diocese. The empirical material was analysed through a phenomenological-hermeneutical framework based on Paul Ricœur’s identity philosophy (idem, ipse, narrative identity, and solicitude) and complemented by theological perspectives on power, trauma, and meaning-making (Stålsett; Rambo; Gaarden). The study indicates that priests do not understand vulnerability as a private weakness, but instead use it as a pastoral practice and a relational bridge across the asymmetrical power gap. The findings suggest that priests construct their identity by balancing institutional stability (idem) with authentic presence (ipse). To maintain this balance, they use emotional regulation and narrative configuration to integrate personal crises into a coherent pastoral story. By consciously stepping down from a detached expert position (kenosis), priests transform vulnerability into a professional resource. This in turn enables deeper trust and strengthens professional authority in the pastoral encounter.