The aim of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between evangelicalism and modernity with the Swedish holiness preacher Emil Gustafson (1862–1900) as a case. This is achieved by comparing Gustafson’s spirituality with Charles Taylor’s characterization of modernity. The investigation identifies five central themes in Gustafson’s spirituality: conversion, calling, suffering, sanctification, and spiritual experience. With regard to these themes paral-lels with modernity are noted. For example, the analysis shows that modern individualism influenced Gustafson’s view of conversion, and that instrumental rationality informed his evaluations of his own work as a preacher. But there are also instances where he distanced himself from modernity. He did not embrace a modern optimistic anthropology, or the view of suffering as purely negative. It is concluded that Gustafson is neither anti-modern, nor identical to Taylor’s depiction of modernity. He represents one kind of modernity. One that is theocentric rather than anthropo-centric. In order to uphold this theocentric character Gustafson’s opposition to the basic struc-ture of modernity had to be grounded in social practices. For instance, his negative anthropol-ogy was grounded in the revival-meeting where outsiders were called to repent and rely on God rather than themselves. Based on the results from this study it is suggested that evangelicalism should be inter-preted as neither in conflict with modernity, nor in continuity with it, but rather as a kind of modernity. There are multiple modernities, and evangelicalism is one of them.

Att läsa, snabbt och långsamt, har varit vägen till kultur och bildning i Europa. Men det har aldrig bara handlat om vad som stått i böckerna, utan också om hur vi har läst dem.  

Djupläsning och skumläsning har lagt grund för en hel civilisation: ett rikt inre liv, offentlighetens stora samtal och vetenskapliga framsteg. Men tryckkonsten har också skuggsidor: förtryck, folkmord och fake news. I den här boken möter vi nunnor och nazister, revolutionärer och recensenter, poeter och predikanter, arbetare och algoritmer, bibelläsare och byråkrater, tech-entusiaster och tidningsredaktörer. Alla med sina böcker och sina alldeles särskilda sätt att läsa.

Bokens folk är en kulturhistorisk exposé om läsandets, skrivandets och böckernas betydelse. Den hjälper oss att förstå vilka vi är, och vad den digitala revolution som vi just nu genomlever egentligen betyder.

In this book, Halldorf analyzes the life and leadership of the Swedish Pentecostal leader Lewi Pethrus (1884–1974), a monumental figure in modern Scandinavian religious history, while focusing on the politics of the Swedish Pentecostal movement. In this, he engages the work of Max Weber and draws particularly on Luke Bretherton’s understanding of the concept politics as wider than merely party politics. Here, politics is determined by the understanding of the nature of the common life; the structures that sustain this common life; and the relational and communicative practices that enable a common life that includes friends, strangers, and enemies. Pentecostalism is often understood as an apolitical movement that turned to politics in the 1970s and then partnered with right-wing parties. If that account holds true for US Pentecostalism, it does not for the Swedish Pentecostal movement. Halldorf illustrates how Pethrus, the father of the movement, became politically involved as early as the 1940s and started a political party in 1964. Unlike his later American counterparts, though Pethrus was culturally conservative, he favored a progressive economic politics. The strength and vitality of Swedish Pentecostalism challenges the image of Sweden as the world’s most secular country.

Evangelicals in the United States and Sweden are similar in terms of theology and spirituality, but differ widely in political preferences. US evangelicals have supported Donald J. Trump while Swedish evangelicals have rejected the right-wing populism of the Sweden Democrats.This article explains the development among US evangelics by comparing them to their Swedish counterparts. In the 19th century, Swedish evangelicals associated them-selves with the Liberal party, and cooperated with the Social Democrats, in a struggle for democracy against the conservative establishment. In the United States, no such alliance took place. Instead the movement was shaped by the idea that the state is an obstacle to freedom, the anti-socialist propaganda of the Cold war and eventually the culture wars. This moved evanglical voters deep into the Republican ranks.Three factors have shaped the development of these movements: The view of the state, identification as minority or majority, and political alliances and conflicts.

Rightwing populism is characterized by critique of immigration, but populist parties also address existential anxieties of late or liquid modernity. I argue that regular churchgoers reject the Sweden Democrats not only because they hold different opinions on immigration, but also due to their strong social capital. The latter helps them cope with modern anxieties, and this makes them less inclined to accept the message of the populists.

Berättelsen om hur det moderna Sverige växte fram har länge varit förenklad. Övergången från ett förmodernt, patriarkalt samhälle till ett modernt och demokratiskt beskrivs gärna som medelklassens och centralmaktens förtjänst. Men något som ofta har utelämnats är de religiösa väckelsernas bidrag särskilt de extatiska och mer provocerande rörelserna.

I denna antologi ger fjorton forskare från olika discipliner exempel på hur gränsöverskridande väckelser har bidragit till den svenska moderniseringsprocessen. Här möter vi kvinnliga frälsningsofficerare, trosvissa missionärer, kyrkolojala hoofianer, entreprenöriella baptister, självreflekterande herrnhutare, extatiska pingstvänner och visionära Nås-bönder på väg till Jerusalem. Vi får bekanta oss med en rad andliga rörelser som utmanade de gamla samhällsformerna och banade väg för nya sätt att leva och ta sig an tidens frågor.

Ostädade väckelser breddar och fördjupar förståelsen av den svenska historien och vårt moderna samhälle.