This article discusses Michel Foucault’s analysis of Edouard Manet in relation to contemporary theology and sacramentality. The article argues that Foucault’s work on Manet instigates a move away not only from earlier forms of art or earlier forms of thought but also away from an overarching idea of Christian thinking, and towards a materialist and immanent approach to art and thought as spiritual practices. It is an approach that highlights invisibilities, or what the article names ‘non-places’, in the tangible and material processes of artistic representation in Manet’s work. By doing so, the article suggests, Foucault’s thoughts on Manet not only precede ideas in what goes under the name of new materialism in contemporary theology but even opens for a purely material understanding of sacramentality.

This essay is a try to present the Trikāya doctrine in Māhāyāna Buddhism as a model for a transcending theology that can help those who are living with a “dual Buddhist-Christian religious identity” to overcome conflicts between Buddhism and Christianity. By the Trikāya doctrine we can reach a deeper understanding of the mystical awakening to “Buddha beyond Buddha” (or “God beyond God” as some of the mystics tried to explain); i.e. the transpersonal Dharma and the transpersonal Logos beyond the limited individuals of Gautama and Jesus who both fully realized God as spiritual qualities in body, speech, actions and mind. The point is that we do not need to choose between the Buddha or Christ; instead we can look at them both as living examples of the realization of what Paul Tillich called the “Ultimate Concern” and “Being”.  And probably we can use this model for most religions. 

Sweden is often described as being one of the more secular nations in the world by various surveys and sources, but how true is this statement? In this paper I examine what has been said on the topic of secularization in Sweden by leading sociologists in the field and then in turn analyze this information in order to finally reach a conclusion of my own. My intention with this bachelor’s thesis is to shine a light on the relationship between what has come to be described as the ”post-christian” population by sociologist David Thurfjell and the process of secularization on an individual level.The two questions that form the basis for this paper are: ” Is the swedish population as secular/non-believing as it’s claimed to be?” and “Has there been a shift in the form the Christian religion takes on an individual level and if so what can this new shape then possibly look like?”.The result of the analysis indicates that the swedish population might not be as secular as it is often put forward as being. While the church-oriented religion that the Church of Sweden represents might be losing traction amongst the post-Christian population, this does not necessarily mean religion as a whole is in a gradual decline in swedish society. The information presented herein points towards a possible shift in swedish society from a mainly church-oriented form of religion to a more privatized version sometimes described as the invisible religion.

The objective of this study is to investigate if the historical Jesus was a tax resister and what the motives may have been for that. The study presents a survey of the ancient Galilean economy, with a focus on the taxes paid by the general population, and looks at ancient tax resistance movements in the Galilean community and nearby. Three gospel texts containing accusations of Jesus for tax resistance are analyzed in detail. The study shows that it is reasonable to suggest that the historical Jesus resisted the payment of taxes to the Roman (and possibly Herodian) authorities, based on that Jesus sympathized with the same agendas as the fourth philosophy did, and that Jesus had a compassion for the peasants who lived under an exploiting taxation.

My first contact with the Armenians of Jerusalem was during a four day Minor Field Study in February 2015.1 Before that I hardly knew anything about the community that has such a long history in the region. Despite their lengthy presence in what is commonly known as the Holy Land, the fact that they are joint custodians of the Christian Holy places and even have a whole quarter named after them in the Old City, they seem to be somewhat of a mystery to most people that visit. They are a minority that hold on to many of their distinct features regarding religion and culture from their homeland, something that is the trademarks of what is commonly known as a diaspora. The importance of culture and faith for the Armenian people seemed to be stressed time after another during my research. Pride was expressed to have endured as a people through many hardships. The Armenian Genocide stands out as the most significant of the many sufferings. Alongside with the traumatic consequences of the genocide is the ongoing struggle fought on many fronts for global recognition of the atrocities committed against their people.The largest group of Armenians in Jerusalem are situated in the Armenian Quarter. At the center of both the territorial and the structural composition of this community lies the convent of Saint James. Not only does the brotherhood of Saint James, consisting of about 30 brothers, and other clergy reside inside the convents premises. The majority consists of lay people. The lay community though has been decreasing for a number of years.2 If the current trend continues it may, according to some predictions, even vanish in the future.3 A gloomy outcome that would radically change the makeup of the Old City of Jerusalem.Therefore, after my first Minor Field Study, I went back four times during the coming year to learn more. I was also granted a scholarship through Stockholm School of Theology to conduct a Minor Field Study among Armenian youth. When first voicing my interest to interview youth and learn more about their identity I was told by a local contact that it would be futile. Because of the pressures of everyday life in Jerusalem few youth would have something relevant to share. They are forced to live day by day due to the ongoing conflicts. A strong statement that cannot be taken as true without evidence. This confirms the importance of conducting a more in depth study concerning how Armenian youth reflect on identity and belonging. The very existence of a future Armenian community in Jerusalem depends on their youths desire and ability to remain in the City.

The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is a canonical text for many including its portrayals of illness. This article explores the narrative representation of illness in three longer narratives in the Hebrew Bible by means of a close reading. The narratives are all legends of some sort and involve terminal or impossible illnesses and the prophet. In 2 Kings 4 the story revolves around illness as an enigma and involves the motifs of hospitality, responsibility, and empowerment in an ever expanding plot. In 2 Kings 5 leprosy as an incurable disease stands at the center and the story develops through several contrasting motifs including greatness, simplicity, and humility. In 2 Kings 20/Isaiah 38 illness is a death warrant leading to bitterness, and the story probes the necessity and honesty of prayer. Two common traits in the narratives are prayer and argument as a response to illness, and the status of the prophet as a health care consultant.

Suggests that narrative features bring some coherence to the book of Numbers, but not total. The narrative features are here here sorted into four rough groups, which both contribute to and disrupt the coherence of the work. The article is a prequel to my doctoral thesis.

The argument of this chapter is that the evangelical ideals of simplicity and spontaneity are rooted in a univocal understanding of being. If there is only one kind of being, which God and creation are imagined toshare, then God cannot be thought of as present in and through created matter but rather instead of it. Thus the tendency in the Free churches and Evangelicalism in general to perceive complex practices and materiality as competing with God’s presence, as well as to favor simplicity and spontaneity.But the reluctance towards practices has resulted in an inability to withstand the cultural pressures of modernity. As a consequence Evangelicalism has turned into a mirror image of secular modernity. Furthermore, skepticism towards the material and a preference for authenticity is theologically problematic since it is, as this chapter will demonstrate, akin to a Gnostic worldview.

In this chapter, I discuss autobiography in the Evangelical tradition, and how thisgenre can help us understand Evangelical identity. Conversion – the experience of“new birth”, or being born again – was the center of these stories. The emphasis on personalstorytelling (witnessing) united Evangelicals, but the way they told their storiesdivided them. As the movement grew more fragmented over the centuries, this patternbecomes more evident. Personal storytelling was part of what made this a modernmovement, but the way they told their stories set it apart as a distinct modernity.

Denna uppsats undersöker exegetikens roll i John Howard Yoders, Walter Winks och Stanley Hauerwas tolkning av Matt 5:38-48. Uppsatsens syfte nås genom att dels göra en exegetisk analys av Matt 5:38-48 i dess litterära och historiska kontext och att sedan studera utvald litteratur av de tre författarna och sedan jämföra deras material. Uppsatsen visar att alla tre författare menar att texten manar till en pacifistisk livshållning. Skillnaden mellan de tre ligger i att Hauerwas och Yoder väljer att förankra denna etik genom att läsa Matteusevangeliet som helhet medan Wink väljer att göra en ingående analys av vår aktuella text och istället söka efter textens ursprungliga historiska kontext. Genom att Yoder och Hauerwas väljer