| Popis: |
The following is an analysis of the congregational songs published by the Swedish Pentecostal denomination Pingst FFS, under the project name #Nymusikipingst with intention to create a common expression and a sense of community for the Swedish Pentecostal movement. Swedish Pentecostals have a history of being opposed to centralized influence and control, making the centralized production of congregational music somewhat controversial. At the same time, global congregational music production has become one of the global Pentecostal church’s primary sources for the regular encounter of theological messages, besides the texts of the Bible. The aim of the study is to analyze what theological and anthropological themes are most prominent in the songs and how the relationship between God, Man and environment is illustrated. I initially provide a short historical presentation of the history of Pentecostalism on both a global, and a national scale, followed by a brief overview of the traditional theological and anthropological views of the Swedish Pentecostal movement. I use a method of thematic content analysis when approaching the material, in order to preserve meaning-bearing devices and to allow for a deeper understanding of the message in the texts. This also means that the analysis is, to a large extent, dependent on subjective interpretation and selection. I therefore rely on a historical background for comparison and to establish the four major themes I use to describe what has traditionally constituted the Swedish Pentecostal theology and anthropology. The results of the study show that much of the traditional theological and anthropological views of the Pentecostal movement is represented also in the new songs, although with a few exceptions. For example, the songs seem to devote little room for describing stances on community and interhuman relationships. Also, the texts refer nothing to the theme of glossolalia and almost nothing to the blood of Christ, both of which are symbols that have long been closely tied to Pentecostal theology and identity. It is noted in the conclusion, that the reason for the exclusion of these subjects is unknown, but that it might suggest their lessened importance within the Swedish Pentecostal movement and provide basis for further studies on the subject. |
