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"Kärleken vi bar kunde inte hjälpa": En kvalitativ undersökning av grifteal efter suicid i Svenska kyrkan

Olovson, Johanna LU (2022) KRMM55 20212
Church and Mission Studies
Abstract
For this magister thesis eleven funeral sermons read during funerals in the Church of Sweden between 2016 and 2021 were collected and analysed. The funeral sermons were read at funerals where the deceased had committed suicide. The purpose of this thesis was to examine existential questions asked by people in mourning. Also, the aim of this thesis was to study how theology can answer these questions when a person has committed suicide. A goal of the thesis was also to highlight recurring themes of the funeral sermons, depictions of God, and descriptions of life after death.
The collected funeral sermons have been examined from five perspectives. The first perspective examined how the priest chose to broach the subject of death, and how... (More)
For this magister thesis eleven funeral sermons read during funerals in the Church of Sweden between 2016 and 2021 were collected and analysed. The funeral sermons were read at funerals where the deceased had committed suicide. The purpose of this thesis was to examine existential questions asked by people in mourning. Also, the aim of this thesis was to study how theology can answer these questions when a person has committed suicide. A goal of the thesis was also to highlight recurring themes of the funeral sermons, depictions of God, and descriptions of life after death.
The collected funeral sermons have been examined from five perspectives. The first perspective examined how the priest chose to broach the subject of death, and how the audience were included and mentioned in the funeral sermons. The second perspective examined the disposition of the funeral sermons. The third perspective examined the theology of the funeral sermons. The fourth perspective examined whether or not existential questions are a part of the funeral sermons, while the fifth perspective examined if metaphors and references to popular culture are included in the funeral sermons. This magister thesis has shown that references to popular culture are a common theme in the collected funeral sermons. The results show that texts from the Bible are not commonly included in the collected funeral sermons.
The language of the funeral sermons was analysed in term of word choice, wording, and the mention of suicide. In the analysed funeral sermons, theological answers to existential questions were mainly focused on interpretations of life after death, depictions of God, and writings about God as a loving and merciful being.
An important conclusion of the thesis is that this particular field of practical theology is generally unexplored. Previous research in this area is connected to research on funerals and homiletics rather than the presence of the topic of suicide within funeral services. There are only limited pastoral guidelines that relate to the topic of suicide in funeral sermons, and the author believes that the topic requires further research. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
I den här uppsatsen har elva griftetal samlats in. Dessa griftetal har hållits i Svenska kyrkan någon gång under åren 2016-2021. Griftetalen har den gemensamma nämnaren att de har hållits efter att den avlidne begått suicid. Syftet med uppsatsen har varit att undersöka vilka existentiella frågor som uppstår vid sorg och som behandlas i griftetalen vid suicid. Syftet har även varit att studera hur teologi kan ge svar på frågor som uppstår efter att en person begått suicid. Vidare har också syftet varit att lyfta fram återkommande teman i griftetalen och belysa Guds kärlek och nåd och hur beskrivningar av livet efter döden utvecklas i de insamlade griftetalen.
De insamlade griftetalen har undersökts utifrån fem tematiska områden:... (More)
I den här uppsatsen har elva griftetal samlats in. Dessa griftetal har hållits i Svenska kyrkan någon gång under åren 2016-2021. Griftetalen har den gemensamma nämnaren att de har hållits efter att den avlidne begått suicid. Syftet med uppsatsen har varit att undersöka vilka existentiella frågor som uppstår vid sorg och som behandlas i griftetalen vid suicid. Syftet har även varit att studera hur teologi kan ge svar på frågor som uppstår efter att en person begått suicid. Vidare har också syftet varit att lyfta fram återkommande teman i griftetalen och belysa Guds kärlek och nåd och hur beskrivningar av livet efter döden utvecklas i de insamlade griftetalen.
De insamlade griftetalen har undersökts utifrån fem tematiska områden: Griftetalens disposition, griftetalens teologi, belysning av existentiella frågor och uppmaningar som återfinns i griftetalen. Fortsatt analyseras hur åhörarna omnämns i griftetalen och hur prästerna valt att formulera sig och tala om döden. Det avslutande temat, behandlar metaforer och populärkulturella referenser i griftetalen, för att sedan sättas i en större kontext med annan forskning relaterad till undersökningsområdet.
Undersökningen har visat att det finns en återkommande tematik i griftetalen, nämligen att använda populärkulturella referenser som en röd tråd. Resultatdelen visar också att bibeltexter får förhållandevis lite utrymme i de insamlade griftetalen. Griftetalens språkliga innehåll i form av ordval, formuleringar och benämningen av suicid är också områden som analyseras. Teologins svar på existentiella frågor i griftetal som hållits efter att den avlidne begått suicid har visat sig handla om tolkningar om livet efter döden, gudsbild och beskrivningar av Gud som omfamnande, kärleksfull och nådefull.
Resultatet av undersökningen och uppsatsen visar på hur outforskat ämnesområdet är. Mycket av den forskning som finns kring begravningar och homiletik vidrör eller behandlar inte ämnet suicid. Det finns också mycket få pastorala riktlinjer, tips eller råd att tillgå relaterat till ämnet. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Olovson, Johanna LU
supervisor
organization
course
KRMM55 20212
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Griftetal, suicid, Svenska kyrkan
language
Swedish
id
9072931
date added to LUP
2024-09-18 14:12:11
date last changed
2024-09-18 14:12:11
@misc{9072931,
  abstract     = {{For this magister thesis eleven funeral sermons read during funerals in the Church of Sweden between 2016 and 2021 were collected and analysed. The funeral sermons were read at funerals where the deceased had committed suicide. The purpose of this thesis was to examine existential questions asked by people in mourning. Also, the aim of this thesis was to study how theology can answer these questions when a person has committed suicide. A goal of the thesis was also to highlight recurring themes of the funeral sermons, depictions of God, and descriptions of life after death.
The collected funeral sermons have been examined from five perspectives. The first perspective examined how the priest chose to broach the subject of death, and how the audience were included and mentioned in the funeral sermons. The second perspective examined the disposition of the funeral sermons. The third perspective examined the theology of the funeral sermons. The fourth perspective examined whether or not existential questions are a part of the funeral sermons, while the fifth perspective examined if metaphors and references to popular culture are included in the funeral sermons. This magister thesis has shown that references to popular culture are a common theme in the collected funeral sermons. The results show that texts from the Bible are not commonly included in the collected funeral sermons.
The language of the funeral sermons was analysed in term of word choice, wording, and the mention of suicide. In the analysed funeral sermons, theological answers to existential questions were mainly focused on interpretations of life after death, depictions of God, and writings about God as a loving and merciful being.
An important conclusion of the thesis is that this particular field of practical theology is generally unexplored. Previous research in this area is connected to research on funerals and homiletics rather than the presence of the topic of suicide within funeral services. There are only limited pastoral guidelines that relate to the topic of suicide in funeral sermons, and the author believes that the topic requires further research.}},
  author       = {{Olovson, Johanna}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{"Kärleken vi bar kunde inte hjälpa": En kvalitativ undersökning av grifteal efter suicid i Svenska kyrkan}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}