Missionary Enthusiasm and Human Rights Activism : A Study of the ReligioPolitical World of the Swedish Slavic Mission, c. 1965-1985
Sidenvall, Erik LU
(2024)
In Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Religions- und Kulturgeschichte (SZRKG)
- Abstract
- This paper explores how the Helsinki process altered practices within the Swedish Pentecostal community. In order to understand this process of change, we need to take two fundamental, and slightly contradictory, traits related to the East-West conflict found among this religious grouping into account. First, post-WWII Swedish Pentecostals were in general vehemently opposed to Communism and to the religious regimes of the Eastern bloc. They were staunch advocates of religious liberty for all believers. This led to a wide-spread support of un-licensed revivalist groups in the East. Local congregations frequently engaged in fundraising activities in support of mission and Bible-smuggling activities, news about the persecution of Christians... (More)
- This paper explores how the Helsinki process altered practices within the Swedish Pentecostal community. In order to understand this process of change, we need to take two fundamental, and slightly contradictory, traits related to the East-West conflict found among this religious grouping into account. First, post-WWII Swedish Pentecostals were in general vehemently opposed to Communism and to the religious regimes of the Eastern bloc. They were staunch advocates of religious liberty for all believers. This led to a wide-spread support of un-licensed revivalist groups in the East. Local congregations frequently engaged in fundraising activities in support of mission and Bible-smuggling activities, news about the persecution of Christians in the East got considerable attention in Pentecostal magazines, and Christian victims of Communist oppression were welcome guests in the Pentecostal milieu. Secondly, from the late 1960s, Swedish Pentecostals constituted the largest religious group among the conscientious objectors. Their attitude was primarily motivated by references to the Bible. They displayed, to utilise Lisa Cahill’s terminology, an obediential pacifism and not an empathic pacifism. There was, in other words, a wide-spread support of all attempts at finding peaceful solutions and to influence Eastern leaders by diplomatic measures. (Less)
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- author
- Sidenvall, Erik
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- in press
- subject
- in
- Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Religions- und Kulturgeschichte (SZRKG)
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
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- 1f94ae66-77ad-41b1-9678-0918d41b314a
- date added to LUP
- 2024-01-05 09:10:30
- date last changed
- 2024-05-07 15:28:02
@article{1f94ae66-77ad-41b1-9678-0918d41b314a,
abstract = {{This paper explores how the Helsinki process altered practices within the Swedish Pentecostal community. In order to understand this process of change, we need to take two fundamental, and slightly contradictory, traits related to the East-West conflict found among this religious grouping into account. First, post-WWII Swedish Pentecostals were in general vehemently opposed to Communism and to the religious regimes of the Eastern bloc. They were staunch advocates of religious liberty for all believers. This led to a wide-spread support of un-licensed revivalist groups in the East. Local congregations frequently engaged in fundraising activities in support of mission and Bible-smuggling activities, news about the persecution of Christians in the East got considerable attention in Pentecostal magazines, and Christian victims of Communist oppression were welcome guests in the Pentecostal milieu. Secondly, from the late 1960s, Swedish Pentecostals constituted the largest religious group among the conscientious objectors. Their attitude was primarily motivated by references to the Bible. They displayed, to utilise Lisa Cahill’s terminology, an obediential pacifism and not an empathic pacifism. There was, in other words, a wide-spread support of all attempts at finding peaceful solutions and to influence Eastern leaders by diplomatic measures.}},
author = {{Sidenvall, Erik}},
language = {{eng}},
series = {{Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Religions- und Kulturgeschichte (SZRKG)}},
title = {{Missionary Enthusiasm and Human Rights Activism : A Study of the ReligioPolitical World of the Swedish Slavic Mission, c. 1965-1985}},
year = {{2024}},
}