| Popis: |
The Orthodox Church of Finland is a small autonomous national church with a significant foreign-born membership. In this chapter, we approach Finnish Orthodoxy through a glocalization framework. Making use of qualitative data gathered from women of diverse backgrounds—different generations and nationalities, “cradle” Orthodox as well as converts and returnees—we demonstrate how women are active participants in the glocal making of Finnish Orthodoxy. In the analysis, we focus on women’s agency as manifested in 1) experiences of the Divine Liturgy, 2) family-making as mothers and grandmothers, and 3) participation in parish life. Theoretically, our interpretation of the women’s practices draws from and advances discussions concerning gendered religious agency. We argue that women’s religious agency also encompasses their sensual engagements with artistic and creative applications of religion. Overall, we conceive of our interlocutors’ agency as their capacity to create and sustain home-like spaces where they can express themselves, be united with their (extended) families, experience existential security and belonging, and, generally speaking, feel “at home.” |
