Kandidatuppsater / Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion

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Via Dolores. En katolsk teologisk läsning av Sara Stridsbergs "Darling River"
(2025-08-19) Larsson, Mira; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
Literature and religion share a common history that stretches back to the very origins of written language—and beyond. However, following the Enlightenment and Romantic movements, this position has become less evident. Has religion truly disappeared from literature? And what happens now that we are entering a post-secular era? These overarching questions form the point of departure for this thesis, which analyzes Sara Stridsberg’s "Darling River" (2010). Stridsberg has not professed adherence to any religion, and she operates within Sweden, the most secularized country in the world. Precisely for this reason, it is noteworthy that "Darling River" is filled with catholic allusions, all of which have the potential to actualize new ways of approaching the work. The purpose of this study is twofold. Firstly, it aims to contribute to research on the oeuvre of Stridsberg by applying a theological perspective to one of her novels, "Darling River" – something that has not previously been done. Secondly, it seeks to explore the potential of theological reading in relation to a literary work that does not explicitly express religiosity, thereby contributing to the broader research field of literature and religion. To achieve this, a Catholic theological system reference, inspired by Krzysztof Bak’s method, is applied. It reveals themes such as the imagined God, destiny, spiritual gravity, grace, as well as the spirituality of materiality in the novel. The analysis of these themes, viewed through the lens constituted by the system reference, contributes to and deepens the understanding of the novel and how it can function theologically – both literarily and materially.
En diskursreglerad värld: Makt, kunskap och agens i Mark Lawrence’ The Book That Wouldn’t Burn
(2025-06-26) Kärrman, Wilma; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
Historically the library has owned more than silent, book-filled halls; it has been a center for learning and ideas, a source of both freedom and oppression, in other words, a medium for knowledge, truth, and power. Cultures have been divided into powerful and powerless through access to the library's content; those who have - and those who do not have - access to information determine which voices are heard and which are ignored, thus determining the outcome of the future. This thesis investigates how The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence portrays the relationship between knowledge and power using Michel Foucault's discourse theory. More specifically, how this relationship is manifested through the structures and norms of society, and how the library as a place and institution serves as the means by which this relationship plays out. An established classic like Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is placed as a contrasting reference point to help deepen its thematic message of information control and cencurship. Furthermore, the agency of one of the main characters is also examined in the light of Anthony Giddens' stratification model, as an actor with the potential to move beyond the confines of the power structure. The analysis demonstrate how knowledge, truth, and power remain continuously thematically relevant within literature, and how the reality of our time may be better understood through literary contributions. Where fiction such as The Book That Wouldn’t Burn remains thematically relevant as it can contribute to a broader understanding of how knowledge and its truths are constructed to benefit and uphold structures within society.
Superfluous Women Identity, ideals and female imperialism in Victorian women’s emigration societies 1862-1919
(2025-06-09) Östenberg, Sigrid; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
This thesis examines the systematic mass-emigration of unmarried British women through what was known as women’s emigration societies in Great Britain between the years 1862-1919. These organizations were active for a number of decades under the supervision of a number of educated women, who came to be well regarded for their work. My aim is to analyze the ideological motivations that allowed for these women’s emigration societies to maintain their relevance and activities throughout the decades, as well as the manner in which these societies interacted with and strategically made use of existing Victorian discourses regarding gender, class and separate spheres for feminine and masculine work in order to maintain their reputations as respectable philanthropic women’s organizations. Applying the lens of postcolonial and feminist theories, such as Homi Bhabha’s theory of cultural mimicry and Trinh T. Minh-ha’s analyses of power regarding migration, this thesis will present the similarities between historically discursive representations of the so-called ‘superfluous women’ and the colonies they were exported to. I will also argue for a connection between the increasingly popular conception of separate sex spheres as a sign of the progress of civilization and the discourse surrounding women’s superfluity.
Maria Sandel och det klassmedvetna barnet. En komparativ motivstudie av barnet i "Hexdansen" och "Mannen som reste sig"
(2025-06-03) Nilsson, Camilla; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
This essay examines how the situation of the working-class child in early 20th century Stockholm is depicted in the authorship of Maria Sandel. The study uses Beata Agrell´s discussion about early working-class literature as “Gebrauchsliteratur” – a literature for use in the class struggle of the time that demanded a meditative reading. In a comparative motif study the essay focuses on children in "Hexdansen" (1919) and "Mannen som reste sig" (1927). The first is a story about a poor family of the lumpenproletariat with children brought up by the street. The second, contains a story about two brothers and their divorced father that are climbing the social ladder, while their mother ends up in the lumpenproletariat. The aim of this essay is to see how class-consciousness appears in the depiction of the child and to see how the child is used in these stories, in order to illuminate but also strengthen the position of the working-class in society. The essay also examines how “the conscientious worker”, a form of ideal type common amongst working-class people at that time, is shown in the children of these books. To conduct the analysis the study by Ronny Ambjörnsson, "Den skötsamme arbetaren, idéer och ideal i ett norrländskt sågverkssamhälle" 1880–1930 (1988), is used. Ambjörnsson presents this ideal type as a strategy in the social movement to strengthen the position of working-class people. A thesis by Stig-Lennart Godin about class-consciousness in early Swedish working-class literature, "Klassmedvetandet i tidig svensk arbetarlitteratur" (1994) is also used. The reading shows that children are used as vehicles and symbols of the working class in these books just as much as adults. But the social circumstances are even worse for them in many ways. They are class-conscious, conscientious as well as negligent, but most of all, small adults growing up way too fast.
The heartbeat under your necktie – fysiska föremål och den sociala miljön i Ted Koosers "Delights & Shadows"
(2025-04-03) Bajric, Amar; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
This essay examines through a sociological perspective how physical objects in Ted Kooser’s poetry collection "Delights & Shadows" can be used to depict the characters’ social environment. This is done by examining the physical objects found in 25 poems, the relationships between subjects and objects, and how this relationship can describe the social environment. The essay also examines how the relationship between subjects, objects, and the presence of the social environment within the text affects the reader experience. The physical objects are examined with Bill Brown’s Thing Theory as "things" that stop working for humans, when their flow within the circuits of production and distribution, consumption and exhibition is arrested, however momentarily. This makes the objects assert themselves as "things" and points to a changed relation to the subject, and thus exposes a subject-object relation through interaction, enabling an interpretation of the character’s social environment. The analysis of this essay uses research from the interdisciplinary field of material culture to examine the relationships between, and meaning of, subjects and physical objects. The field of material culture is centered around how material objects made or used by humans, and their properties, are central for understanding our culture and social relationships. The result shows that the frequent use of physical objects in the poems can disclose the social environment that the characters figure in. Through the text’s common theme of everyday life observations the reader is placed in different environments and observes as the characters interact with objects, both in direct physical ways and through indirect emotional interactions, memories and fetishization. The prominent use of metonyms over metaphors firmly establishes the text as realistically depicting events instead of relying on poetical imagery. The metonymic examples in the text rely on the associations between characters and physical objects in order for the reader to understand the context and the subject-object relationships. This in turn creates conditions for the interpretation of the social environment within the text, without sacrificing the poetic language.
”Varje egoism är ett brott mot enheten i Kristi hemlighetsfulla kropp”: Romersk-katolsk ecklesiologi i Hemmet och helgedomen perioden 1950 till 1952
(2025-02-17) Smith, Jonathan; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
The aim of this thesis is to investigate how the ecclesiological reflection within the parish magazine of the Roman-Catholic church in Sweden, Hemmet och helgedomen, is formulated in relation to how the same church describes its political-theological context between the period of 1950 to 1952. The main point of departure is the Religious Freedom Act of 1951, an act which raises the question on how the relationship between religious institutions, such as the Roman-Catholic church in Sweden, and society can be defined during this period. A thematic analysis of the material is conducted from two different ecclesiological positions: a model-based respectively contextualized ecclesiology. The theoretical position of postsecularity is formulated in relation to the notion of a diaspora-ecclesiology. The result shows that as institution, mystical body of Christ and as sacrament the Roman-Catholic church in Sweden defines itself in relation to its political-theological context as both counter-culture and diaspora-church: as such it formulates an ontological and ethical vision that are embodied as a contrast to the dechristianization of its contemporary industrial society and at the same time creates new preconditions of its inter-ecclesial relations. In conclusion, this contextualized ecclesiology shows how the intersection of theology and politics can be understood during the early postwar period in Sweden.
Våldsskildringar i litteraturen. En diskursanalys om hur våld gestaltas i Anna Burns roman "Milkman" (2018)
(2025-02-14) Jidekrans, Isabelle; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
This thesis examines depictions of violence in the novel "Milkman" (2018) by Anna Burns. This connects to the conflict ”The Troubles” in Northern Ireland from 1960 to 1998. The purpose of this essay is to examine how violence is shaped and contributes to social problems. Furthermore, how structures and ascendancy are maintained during the conflict, ”The Troubles”. Under these conditions, changes occurred in the survival strategies of the authority and the population. This relates to the social norms the society created for the population to follow. Therefore, this study shows that the environment affects the authorities control and monitoring strategies. This essay is comparative, which is displayed in an analysis. The analysis is based on Laclau and Mouffe's discourse theory and discourse analysis. However, I concluded in the analysis that the violence depicted in "Milkman" does not live up to the definitions used by known authorities. The portrayal of violence is therefore in need of improvement. The analysis also showed that the portrayal of violence has a direct impact on ascendancy and social structures, in conjunction with influencing the conflict ”The Troubles”.
Idyllens värnplikt under första världskriget En retorisk undersökning av Anders Österlings diktsamling "Idyllernas bok" och den politiska diktarrollen
(2025-02-03) Weilöv, Isac; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
During the First World War and the period preceding the outbreak of war, Swedish society was marked by mental militarisation and increasing polarisation. Many Swedish poets took on the role of opinion leaders, using poetry in various ways as a platform for political communication. The authors' positions on the war varied heavily, ranging from war-positivism and patriotic enthusiasm, to pacifism and anti-militarism. During the war, Anders Österling published the poetry collection "Idyllernas bok" (1917), in which he depicted the peaceful life close to nature in the Swedish countryside. For this he received some criticism for having turned away from the burning social issues of the time. This study tries that criticism by examining "Idyllernas bok" from a rhetorical perspective. The aim of the essay is to study how a literary idyll can be used as a medium for political communication. Based on Österling's previous political statements, the analysis shows that "Idyllernas Bok" is a direct response to the threat of war and the accompanied risks of human destruction and the eradication of cultural heritage. By studying "Idyllernas bok" in its entirety and two selected poems, focusing on the rhetorical and stylistic design, the analysis is able to showcase how Österling utilises his role as a poet and writes idylls for the purpose of rallying the nation. The collection of poems is linked to the common national values, the cultural heritage, and paints a glorifying picture of the simple way of life that was threatened by external forces at the time. Consequently, the main political message is to strengthen the national spirit and highten the will to defend.
”I sommar tar skogen tillbaka vad han försökte stjäla av den” Noveller av Erik Kuoksu och Lars Landgren genom ekogotisk analys
(2025-01-28) Andersson, Nicolina; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
The environmental crisis, climate change and a growing awareness towards man’s relationship with nature and his own role in it has inspired a dark theoretical approach to dark depictions of nature. Simultaneously, a trend has emerged among Swedish and Nordic authors and filmmakers which has drawn attention around the world. This trend draws back on pre-industrial and pagan myths and folklore, as well as a dark depiction of the nature-culture dichotomy. The thesis presented here examines the relationship between nature and horror in contemporary Swedish short prose by authors Erik Kuoksu and Lars Landgren. The short stories analysed are “Karsikko” and “Tallarna på Supasvaara” from Kuoksu’s Autio (2011), and “Ravnevall” and “Avholmsberget” from Landgren’s Ljusnan du mörka (2021). By analysing the short stories’ use of Swedish folklore and folktales, and analysing the fictional characters’ attitudes towards and experiences of nature, this thesis aims to apply the EcoGothic and Swedish and Nordic Gothic theories on material previously never scholarly analysed. The thesis also investigates the way the depiction of nature is used to express horror and gothic ambience in the short stories. The results show a strong relationship between the analysed material and the contemporary Swedish and Nordic Gothic trend as well as the EcoGothic field. Finally, the results respond to the thesis purpose by exposing and making visible connections between horror and nature in the selected material.
Gudinneanspråk i en monoteistisk kontext En ideologikritisk undersökning av Gen 4:1 och 4:25
(2025-01-27) Kuivalainen-Rödström, Emma; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
This study focuses on a finding of a resemblance between the name giving speech that Eve gives to her firstborn son in Genesis 4:1 and the title of a mother goddess who, according to the polytheistic texts, takes part in the creation of the world. In the monotheistic context of the Hebrew Bible, Eve thereby claims to have creative powers equally with the one and only God. This study issues from the premises that a goddess claim of Eve is made in Gen 4, that this claim is deliberately written into the narrative text, and that Gen 4 is part of the monotheistic context of the Hebrew Bible. The purpose of this study is to investigate how we can interpret this occurrence of a goddess claim within the monotheistic context of the Hebrew Bible. The study is conducted in the light of ideological criticism. Through literary analysis and comparison between Eve’s speech in Gen 4:1 with a similarly speech, also uttered by Eve, in Gen 4:25 against the background of history this study opens a door to countertradition between mother goddesses and the Hebrew Bible monotheistic context. The goddess claim of Eve places Gen 4 in relation to the Yahwistic stories of crime, punishment and reconciliation where the goddess claim function as the crime. This crime happens within the theme of the Creation story, with special focus on motherhood. When Eve, in her second speech, gives praise to God as the one and only Creator, she thus renders to him what she tried to claim and reconcile with God. This study shows that since the goddess claim constitutes the crime, the goddess claim of Eve in Gen 4 seems to reflect the monotheistic ideology where God as the one and only Creator is not to be threatened by motherhood.
Blod, skratt och tårar. Skildringen av diabetes typ 1 i två svenska barnböcker
Lundén, Edith; Lundén, Edith; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
This thesis examines the depiction of characters with type 1 diabetes in Helena Eriksson’s "Sweet dreams, Elina" and Pernilla Gesén’s "Alvas kompis blir sjuk", two Swedish chapter books for children between the ages of 6 and 9. "Sweet dreams, Elina" is told from the perspective of Elina, who is diagnosed with diabetes, and "Alvas kompis blir sjuk" is told from the perspective of Alva, whose friend Hilda is diagnosed with diabetes. The thesis aims to analyse the portrayal of the illness experience, using a comparative method. With the help of Howard Brody’s definition of illness, as well as his term self respect, the social dimensions of diabetes are examined. Arthur Frank’s illness narratives highlight the results. The characters in "Alvas kompis blir sjuk" describe diabetes in terms of health and normality. Hilda resists this view of illness. Elina’s bodily experience shapes the whole narrative of "Sweet dreams, Elina". A clear sign is the portrayal of silence. Hilda’s internal feelings are not depicted. She can, however, control both her illness and her narrative about it. Elina meets other characters with diabetes, but Hilda does not. This leads Elina to express more acceptance of her illness than Hilda does. Elina’s self respect is mainly challenged by her own doubt. Hilda’s challenges are created by her social relationships. Both characters use humour in vulnerable situations. Therefore, complex emotions are portrayed as opportunities to connect, rather than as signs of tragedy.
Guds ord och konungens bud Teologi och politik i predikan i det svenska riket 1611–1648
(2024-11-26) Sahlberg, Tea; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
This B achelor's thesis explores sermons in E arly M odern Sweden from 1611 to 1648 as an educational tool, a channel for news, and a propaganda instrument for the state. It studies how sermons legitimised sovereign action and modified political and social realities during Gustav II Adolf's rule to the end o f the Thirty Years' War. The method followed is a socio cultural historical analysis of the content of the sermons and how the sermon legitimises or supports Lutheran doctrines and societal structures. The main results show that the sermons constituted an influential factor in the process of national consolidation, using Lutheran doctrine as a coalescing factor, restating collective moral responsibilities to be a loyal Swedish subject and supporting the ambitions of political power. This contributes to unde rstanding the religion politics society interface in the Swedish Realm in this period.
Vad fikar de efter? En studie i hur kyrkfikat påverkar upplevelsen av gemenskap i Svenska kyrkan
(2024-09-12) Martinsson, Elinda; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
In most churches in Church of Sweden there is fika after the Sunday service. The word fika is part of the Swedish culture. It is a gathering that gives people a break and a common fika includes coffee, tea and a cookie or cake. I will use the Swedish world kyrkfika when I’m describing the practice. Kyrkfika signify fika after worship service. The aim of this study is to explore ministers’ perception of the relationship between kyrkfika in the Church after Sunday service and the perception of community in the congregation. To answer the question a qualitative semi-structured interview study was conducted with four different ministers employed in two different congregations of the Church of Sweden that offers kyrkfika inside the church building. The interview material was analyzed through two methods. The first was open coding with the titles “worship community,” “theology and ecclesiology” and “the church as a holy building.” The second was axial coding where kyrkfika was the causal condition. The titles in the open coding came from the theories that I used. The study result is that kyrkfika has an influence on the perception of the community in relation to the ministers. The ministers have an aim to make the congregation more of a whole congregation instead of many worshipers. My conclusion is that kyrkfika is important and when it is served inside of the holy building the congregation seems to make the church their second home.
Hur börjar man leva när man är redo att dö? En kvalitativ studie om människor som lämnat Jehovas vittnen
(2024-07-01) Jingnert Sundberg, Therese; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
The aim of this study was to create a greater understanding of apostates, by analyzing narratives of five ex-members regarding their exit from Jehovah´s Witnesses. I conducted interviews to gather descriptions from specific individuals in relation to their experiences, mainly focusing on the role of an ex-member of a specific group. The informants in the study were 38-73 years old, three women and two men. The empirical data I collected was later coded through qualitative content analysis, where central topics and themes formed the basis for the analysis of the results. The analysis was further based on Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh's theory about the exit process, as well as Erwing Goffman's various role theories, with a focus on role formation. The results showed that ex-members of Jehovah's Witnesses were affected in a various way by the process of leaving – that is to say before, during and after the apostasy. The informants explicitly made it known that leaving the church led to great consequences for them, not least because of the psychological and mental suffering it entailed when close relatives broke contact with them through the practice of shunning. For all interviewees it had also been a long process to leaving religion (both the church and the belief system, which does not necessarily have to happen in close connection). The results further showed that the membership of Jehovah's Witnesses - with an implemented "Truth" in response to existential questions - led to practical and emotional difficulties for the informants. This, likewise, affected the re-creation of identity in connection to the exit process and resulted in an altered view of the world and themselves. In conclusion the study showed that an "us-and-them" mentality was produced between the ex-member and former group. It is, however, important to realize that apostates in support groups, e.g. on various Internet forums, can constitute a homogeneous clientele. This is why a more polarized narrative can be brought forward from the ex-member in a construction of "the other".
“Whaddaya Mean Biblical?” Apocalypticism and Apocalypse in Ghostbusters (1984)
(2024-03-06) Roempke Andersson, Jack; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the sci-fi horror comedy film Ghostbusters (1984) from an exegetical perspective of reception history with a focus on questions of apocalypticism and apocalypse. This splits the study in two, with the first question being what the four ghostbusters of the movie mean when they talk about the end of the world in a biblical context: their apocalyptic hermeneutic. To find this the intertextual theory of Lesleigh Cushing Stahlberg is applied to categorize the different uses of Bible pericopes by the ghostbusters, by which transplantations of NT verses are most common, followed by transgressions of OT motifs, an individual transumption of the Book of Revelation and a transplantation and transgression of the idea of universal resurrection at the end of time stemming from the reception history of the Bible. Most found pericopes allude to an eschatological milieu of God’s wrath, and the NT texts also link this to the Parousia. What can be said about how the ghostbusters use these texts is however in a secularized and dechristologized understanding, where natural and supernatural disasters are mentioned with the Day of the Lord playing a not more than allegorical role. The second part of the work answers the question what the apocalypse per se of the film is instead, and not what any character means by this. With the help of John J. Collins’ apocalyptic definition derived from his master-paradigm, a proto-apocalypse can at least be seen in Ghostbusters (1984). This is primarily made possible by the film’s inclusion of revelatory content exposed to the character Dana Barret (Sigourney Weaver) by an otherworldly mediator but limited by the lack of an explicit transcendent reality with temporal and spatial aspects within this.
Det är du att stå i regn hela tiden. Ett fenomenologiskt perspektiv på subjektet i Katarina Frostensons poesi
(2024-02-06) Bergström, Arvid; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
This essay examines the speaking subject in Katarina Frostenson’s poetry through a phenomenological perspective. The study is focused on how the subject appears, the relation between the subject’s inner world and the outside world, and the relation between the speaking subject and language. The purpose of the study is to expand the understanding of questions regarding the subject in Frostenson’s poetry by using a phenomenological approach – a perspective that is missing in previous studies. The material of study consists of five poems selected from a suite of poems called ”Fröanden” in the book Flodtid (2011). The theoretical framework is mainly constituted by phenomenological concepts of Edmund Husserl and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, supplemented by phenomenologically influenced literary theories of Wolfgang Iser and Georges Poulet. In my reading I move back and forth between the individual poems and let them illuminate each other, while making use of the phenomenological theory to make relevant observations in relation to the research questions. The analysis shows that the speaking subject is constantly intertwined and involved with both the outside world and with the language. The subject is always in the world as well as in the language, in an inseparable relation. In other words, the three research questions turn out to be inextricable. The phenomenological bridging of the subject and the object is highly present in the poems and phenomenology proves to be a fruitful approach for examining questions concerning the subject in Katarina Frostenson’s poetry.
Can Theological Semiotics Reconcile Nature and Culture? Nathan Lyons’ Semiotic Imaginary in Dialogue with Christology
(2024-02-02) Kjörk, Elias; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
Abstract The philosopher of science Bruno Latour believes modernity is premised on the division of nature and culture into distinct spheres. In response to the problems this division poses, he has suggested a theoretical imaginary that promotes technological “hybrids” as a bridge between them. However, there has been substantial scepticism regarding the viability of Latour’s approach from a theological perspective. Drawing on these lines of critique, Nathan Lyons has recently developed an alternative theological theory of nature and culture. Lyons’ framework offers a semiotic imaginary, highlighting that nature is inherently inclined to receive culture through participation in the Trinitarian relationship. Although Lyons presents a promising alternative to Latour’s ideas, I argue that his theory needs to be theologically supplemented. The objective of this essay is to present and supplement Lyons’ theory through an engagement with Christology. The upshot of my discussion is that this makes Lyons’ theory more theologically robust such that it can serve as a viable alternative to a technological imaginary.
En svart prick på vita duken Rasism, klass, hot och autenticitet i debatten om Ruben Östlunds film Play
(2023-11-23) Engström, Emma; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
In 2011, a swedish feature film namned Play, directed by Ruben Östlund, caused a cultural debate in the national daily press. The film was about a larger group of older black boys and a minor group of white boys, engaged in a game of power and threat that ended as a robbery. The key dividing-lines in the debate , that was pursued in the cultural pages during approximately six weeks, was between the question of whether the film was racist or deliberately anti-racist, whether it was mainly about skin colour or class, and whether it was an authentic description of the situation of young people in today's Sweden. The purpose of this essay is to examine the reception of the film and how the debate could arise within its context. How is the debate about racism, what are the main arguments that the film is or isn't racist and how do the subjects of class, menace and authenticity interface with the subject of racism in the debate. To come to a deeper understanding of the debate I apply some of the central ideas of postcolonial theory, such as mimicry and ambivalence, on the debate. My conclusion is that the debate is co-dependent on filmhistorical facts – such as Play being nationally unique in its kind, both thematically and in being one of few representations of black people – and political facts, as that Sweden in the election of 2010 gave seats in parliament to anti-immigration party Sweden Democrats. Furthermore, I read the debate itself as a staging of the fundamental mechanisms of otherization.
Kristen lära i ljuset av en hindu Paramahansa Yogananda tolkar det Nya Testamentet
(2023-07-13) Albihn, Jonas; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
In this essay I enquire how a Hindu-reading of the Christian scriptures in the New Testament can form the understanding of the message of Jesus Christ and the Christian theology. More thoroughly I enquire the Hindu author and religious leader Paramahansa Yogananda’s commentary on the New Testament. The thesis of this essay is thus: “the New Testament in the light of Paramahansa Yogananda”. This is a literature-study of Yogananda’s commentary to the New Testament, primarily seeking to illustrate how the gospel of Jesus Christ may be presented when interpreted by a Hindu. The question of research in this essay is: “what happens with the Christian teachings when the books of the New Testament is interpreted by Paramahansa Yogananda?” I take a standing-point assuming that the reason behind an author writing will expel the writer’s purpose to write, of which I assume will clarify the message of the author. Thus, I take the standing-point that the reason behind Yogananda’s writing will bring the best answer to the question this essay is enquiring. Paramahansa Yogananda left his homeland India for the US in the early 20th century. He was then invited as India’s representative for a religious congress where he lectured on the thesis “the science of religion”, teaching the unity between the teachings of Jesus Christ and Bhagavan Krishna. In the following years he remained I the US where he founded his organization “Self- Realization Fellowship” – the Church of all religions, in Los Angeles, CA. Besides returning to India for a visit he came to the remaining 30 years of his life in the US, preaching and teaching, living in the monastery he founded.
Kropp, själ och uppståndelse En komparativ studie av en substansdualistisk, och konstitutionell syn på själen
(2023-07-10) Andersson, Torbjörn; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistoria och religion; University of Gothenburg/Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
Abstract This paper examines two theories on the subject Body, Soul and Resurrection. This is a comparative literature study about the Substansdualistic, and the Constitutional view explained by two philosophers, Stewart Goetz and Kevin Corcoran, who represent the two theories. The two philosophers are Christians and refer to the Bible for verification of their thesis, though they both admit that the Bible is not a scientific source. Using literature and essays of their own discussions towards each other, i try to explain the main differences on their views of body, soul and resurrection. The substansdualistic and the constitutional view are theories that are somehow opposite, and the two philosophers’ try to explain the soul, body and the resurrection and how the Bible may offer some solution and justify the matter, and even though they use more or less the same passages they have different views and interpretations. The view on the resurrected body is the main difference, where the constitutional view explains that the body has to be numerically identic in the resurrection as it was in the moment of death but also how the soul are being formed, and exists because of the body’s (identic) material. The substansdualistic view explains that the body and soul is two different substances and are therefore not dependent on each other, and the soul can exist without a numerically identic body. Both philosophers means that the Bible is not a scientific scripture, and is not be used to verify the theories, but is resonant with the biblical teachings and the ontology of humans.

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