Thesis deals with description of pastoral work of deacons, and investigation of the relationship between deaconry and family from the point of view of both deacons and their spouses. Theoretical part clarifies the terms deaconry, marriage and pastoral work of deacons from the point of view of selected authors. Practical part contains a research work conducted with nine deacons and their spouses as well as comparison of the answers of both groups. The comparison of research results and the theoretical part of this thesis is also conducted in this part.

In this Master’s thesis, I conduct a micro-historical study of deaconess and missionary Greta Andrén (1909-1971) and her work for Svenska Israelsmissionen, the Swedish Israel Mission, in Vienna during the National Socialist occupation. By examining letters as well as select publications, I try to uncover her motives and how she found meaning in her work, and how this could be seen in relation to the origins of the Mission in the Swedish Low Church awakening and certain apocalypticviews on the Jews. Ultimately, I conclude that “Sister Greta’s” world-view was centred around the children and youth she cared for, because she found in them signs of God’s will, as well as teachers and examples of how a good Christian should relate to the Lord. Her capable personality expressed itself through action, and it was through diligent work that she upheld an everyday world filled with meaningful signs of divinity.

<p>Introduction</p><p>Tactile Massage is a generic term that for example includes Massage therapy, Effleurage, Gentle touch, Tactile stimulation, Soft massage and Aromatherapy massage (SBU 2009). Tactile Massage has been proven to activate the perception receptors of the body and stimulates the system of oxytocin and in that way Tactile massage increase wellbeing and decrease pain. The Church of Sweden was formally separated from the state in the year of 2000 and by this means created greater freedom in facilitating its own social and Deaconal programs in separate parishes. Since 2004 a few numbers of deacons have been integrating Tactile massage as a method in Deaconal  ministry within the framework of holistic care in the Church of Sweden.</p><p>Aim/Research questions</p><p>The aim: From a holistic perspective investigate the use of and to increase the problem-awareness of Tactile massage in the Deaconal ministry within the Church of Sweden.</p><p>The research questions: How is Tactile massage being used and how are we to describe the experiences of Tactile massage in the Deaconal ministry? What possibilities and difficulties are related to the use of Tactile massage in the Deaconal ministry within the Church of Sweden?</p><p>Method</p><p>This study is the first explorative research about Tactile massage in Swedish church diaconal context. The study follows Kvales method as seven steps of qualitative interview studies. 1) Aim and research questions were formulated  according to the acquired theory. 2) Three respondents were chosen for in-depth interviews to be able to understand and describe experiences, possibilities and clarify difficulties with the use of Tactile massage within the Church of Sweden. 3) Qualitative interviews were carried out with the help of semi-structured questions. The interviews were recorded and observations were done. 4) The interviews were transcribed and re-read several times. In the process of research the material was coded and interpreted into experiences, possibilities and difficulties. 5) The process of interpretation and analysis of collected data and applied observations were carried out with the help of hermeneutical approach, ten theoretical perspectives and current research. 6) Results. The results were tested according to requirements of reliability, validity and generalization. 7) Report. In this study the results were reported with methodological, ethical and hermeneutical considerations.</p><p>Results</p><p>Tactile massage was described as an extraordinary tool where the experiences pointed out a general longing for touch in the lived body. The power of touch released courage, relaxation, new energy, pain relief and balance. Spiritual presence was experienced as Gods presence in the bodies of both massage-givers and massage-receivers. Possibilities with Tactile massage were described as practical care, where the non-verbal intervention could support the communication when words did not last. Quiet and relief was created through the freeing of the internal oxytocin-system of the body giving the massage-receiver social confirmation and renewal of the body. Difficulties in using Tactile massage within the deaconry were described as physical and mental vulnerability and unclear professional identity of the massage-givers. Difficulties where related also to integrity, boundaries and limitations of gender due to the majority of the female massage-givers and massage-takers in the present situation. One more difficulty was pointed out as the organizational unsecurity about what Tactile massage is and this difficulty was partly related to views of Deaconry and Church. ‘Deaconal Touch’ is the new concept and  the practical result of this study. Deaconal Touch can be described  as a deaconal tool to be handled in the context of the Church of Sweden.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> / <p>Introduktion</p><p>Mjuk massage är ett samlingsbegrepp för t.ex. beröringsmassage, effleurage, hudmassage, taktil stimulering, taktil massage och aromaterapimassage (SBU 2009). Forskning och erfarenhet visar att Mjuk massage genom stimulering av kroppens känselreceptorer och oxytocinsystem ökar välbefinnandet och bidrar till stress- och ångestreduktion samt möjliggöra smärtlindring.  Svenska kyrkans skiljande från staten år 2000 möjliggör för varje församling att forma en egen diakonal profil. Efter år 2004 har enskilda diakoner och församlingar börjat använda Mjuk massage som ett diakonalt redskap i syfte att tillgodose människors kroppsliga, själsliga, andliga och sociala behov inom ramen för Svenska Kyrkans helhetssyn.</p><p>Syfte/frågeställningar</p><p>Syfte: Att utifrån ett holistiskt perspektiv undersöka användningen av och öka problemmedvetenheten om Mjuk massage i Svenska Kyrkans diakonala arbete.</p><p>Frågeställningar: Hur används Mjuk massage och vilka är erfarenheterna av Mjuk massage inom Svenska Kyrkans diakoni? Vilka möjligheter och svårigheter kan vara förenade med användningen av Mjuk massage i Svenska Kyrkans diakoni?</p><p>Metod</p><p>Studien är en första explorativ studie om Mjuk massage inom Svenska kyrkans diakonala kontext. Studien följer Kvales metod som sju steg för kvalitativa intervjustudier.<strong> </strong>1) Syfte och frågeställning formulerades utifrån inläst teori. 2) Tre respondenter valdes för att genom djupintervjuer förstå och beskriva erfarenheter, möjligheter och synliggöra svårigheter i användningen av Mjuk massage inom Svenska Kyrkan. 3) Kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med semistrukturerade frågor. Intervjuerna bandades och observationer gjordes. 4) Intervjuerna transkriberades och lästes flera gånger. I forskningsprocessen kodades och tolkades materialet utifrån huvudorden erfarenheter, möjligheter och svårigheter. 5) Bearbetning, analys och tolkning genomfördes utifrån en hermeneutisk ansats med hjälp av tio teoretiska perspektiv och vetenskaplig aktuell forskning. 6) Resultat. Här prövades resultaten inför kraven på reliabilitet, validitet och generaliserbarhet. 7) Rapportering. I föreliggande arbete har resultaten redovisats med metodologiska, forskningsetiska och hermeneutiska överväganden.</p><p>Resultat</p><p>Mjuk massage beskrivs som ett extraordinärt redskap där erfarenheterna visade att beröringslängtan finns i den levda kroppen och att beröringens kraft frigör till mod, avslappning, ny energi, smärtlindring och balans. Andlig närvaro upplevdes av både givare och mottagare som Guds närvaro i kroppen. Möjligheter med Mjuk massage beskrevs som praktisk omsorg där den ickeverbala interventionen kunde stödja kommunikationen när orden inte räckte till. Lugn och lindring skapades genom att kroppens eget oxytocinsystem frigjordes och gav mottagaren social bekräftelse och kroppens upprättelse. Svårigheterna med att använda Mjuk massage inom diakoni beskrevs som kroppslig och själslig sårbarhet och oklar professionell identitet hos massagegivarna. Svårigheter relaterades även till integritet, gränssättning och könets begränsning, då majoriteten massagegivare och mottagare i nuläget utgörs av kvinnor. Ytterligare en svårighet utgjorde den organisatoriska osäkerheten om vad Mjuk massage är och denna svårighet hörde delvis samman med diakoni- och kyrkosyn. ´Diakonal beröring´ är det nya begrepp som utgör det praktiska resultatet av denna studie vilket beskriver Mjuk massage som diakonalt redskap i Svenska kyrkans kontext. Diakonal beröring tydliggörs i studien som ett värdefullt komplement till annan diakonal och själavårdande verksamhet.</p>

Introduction Tactile Massage is a generic term that for example includes Massage therapy, Effleurage, Gentle touch, Tactile stimulation, Soft massage and Aromatherapy massage (SBU 2009). Tactile Massage has been proven to activate the perception receptors of the body and stimulates the system of oxytocin and in that way Tactile massage increase wellbeing and decrease pain. The Church of Sweden was formally separated from the state in the year of 2000 and by this means created greater freedom in facilitating its own social and Deaconal programs in separate parishes. Since 2004 a few numbers of deacons have been integrating Tactile massage as a method in Deaconal  ministry within the framework of holistic care in the Church of Sweden. Aim/Research questions The aim: From a holistic perspective investigate the use of and to increase the problem-awareness of Tactile massage in the Deaconal ministry within the Church of Sweden. The research questions: How is Tactile massage being used and how are we to describe the experiences of Tactile massage in the Deaconal ministry? What possibilities and difficulties are related to the use of Tactile massage in the Deaconal ministry within the Church of Sweden? Method This study is the first explorative research about Tactile massage in Swedish church diaconal context. The study follows Kvales method as seven steps of qualitative interview studies. 1) Aim and research questions were formulated  according to the acquired theory. 2) Three respondents were chosen for in-depth interviews to be able to understand and describe experiences, possibilities and clarify difficulties with the use of Tactile massage within the Church of Sweden. 3) Qualitative interviews were carried out with the help of semi-structured questions. The interviews were recorded and observations were done. 4) The interviews were transcribed and re-read several times. In the process of research the material was coded and interpreted into experiences, possibilities and difficulties. 5) The process of interpretation and analysis of collected data and applied observations were carried out with the help of hermeneutical approach, ten theoretical perspectives and current research. 6) Results. The results were tested according to requirements of reliability, validity and generalization. 7) Report. In this study the results were reported with methodological, ethical and hermeneutical considerations. Results Tactile massage was described as an extraordinary tool where the experiences pointed out a general longing for touch in the lived body. The power of touch released courage, relaxation, new energy, pain relief and balance. Spiritual presence was experienced as Gods presence in the bodies of both massage-givers and massage-receivers. Possibilities with Tactile massage were described as practical care, where the non-verbal intervention could support the communication when words did not last. Quiet and relief was created through the freeing of the internal oxytocin-system of the body giving the massage-receiver social confirmation and renewal of the body. Difficulties in using Tactile massage within the deaconry were described as physical and mental vulnerability and unclear professional identity of the massage-givers. Difficulties where related also to integrity, boundaries and limitations of gender due to the majority of the female massage-givers and massage-takers in the present situation. One more difficulty was pointed out as the organizational unsecurity about what Tactile massage is and this difficulty was partly related to views of Deaconry and Church. ‘Deaconal Touch’ is the new concept and  the practical result of this study. Deaconal Touch can be described  as a deaconal tool to be handled in the context of the Church of Sweden. / Introduktion Mjuk massage är ett samlingsbegrepp för t.ex. beröringsmassage, effleurage, hudmassage, taktil stimulering, taktil massage och aromaterapimassage (SBU 2009). Forskning och erfarenhet visar att Mjuk massage genom stimulering av kroppens känselreceptorer och oxytocinsystem ökar välbefinnandet och bidrar till stress- och ångestreduktion samt möjliggöra smärtlindring.  Svenska kyrkans skiljande från staten år 2000 möjliggör för varje församling att forma en egen diakonal profil. Efter år 2004 har enskilda diakoner och församlingar börjat använda Mjuk massage som ett diakonalt redskap i syfte att tillgodose människors kroppsliga, själsliga, andliga och sociala behov inom ramen för Svenska Kyrkans helhetssyn. Syfte/frågeställningar Syfte: Att utifrån ett holistiskt perspektiv undersöka användningen av och öka problemmedvetenheten om Mjuk massage i Svenska Kyrkans diakonala arbete. Frågeställningar: Hur används Mjuk massage och vilka är erfarenheterna av Mjuk massage inom Svenska Kyrkans diakoni? Vilka möjligheter och svårigheter kan vara förenade med användningen av Mjuk massage i Svenska Kyrkans diakoni? Metod Studien är en första explorativ studie om Mjuk massage inom Svenska kyrkans diakonala kontext. Studien följer Kvales metod som sju steg för kvalitativa intervjustudier. 1) Syfte och frågeställning formulerades utifrån inläst teori. 2) Tre respondenter valdes för att genom djupintervjuer förstå och beskriva erfarenheter, möjligheter och synliggöra svårigheter i användningen av Mjuk massage inom Svenska Kyrkan. 3) Kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med semistrukturerade frågor. Intervjuerna bandades och observationer gjordes. 4) Intervjuerna transkriberades och lästes flera gånger. I forskningsprocessen kodades och tolkades materialet utifrån huvudorden erfarenheter, möjligheter och svårigheter. 5) Bearbetning, analys och tolkning genomfördes utifrån en hermeneutisk ansats med hjälp av tio teoretiska perspektiv och vetenskaplig aktuell forskning. 6) Resultat. Här prövades resultaten inför kraven på reliabilitet, validitet och generaliserbarhet. 7) Rapportering. I föreliggande arbete har resultaten redovisats med metodologiska, forskningsetiska och hermeneutiska överväganden. Resultat Mjuk massage beskrivs som ett extraordinärt redskap där erfarenheterna visade att beröringslängtan finns i den levda kroppen och att beröringens kraft frigör till mod, avslappning, ny energi, smärtlindring och balans. Andlig närvaro upplevdes av både givare och mottagare som Guds närvaro i kroppen. Möjligheter med Mjuk massage beskrevs som praktisk omsorg där den ickeverbala interventionen kunde stödja kommunikationen när orden inte räckte till. Lugn och lindring skapades genom att kroppens eget oxytocinsystem frigjordes och gav mottagaren social bekräftelse och kroppens upprättelse. Svårigheterna med att använda Mjuk massage inom diakoni beskrevs som kroppslig och själslig sårbarhet och oklar professionell identitet hos massagegivarna. Svårigheter relaterades även till integritet, gränssättning och könets begränsning, då majoriteten massagegivare och mottagare i nuläget utgörs av kvinnor. Ytterligare en svårighet utgjorde den organisatoriska osäkerheten om vad Mjuk massage är och denna svårighet hörde delvis samman med diakoni- och kyrkosyn. ´Diakonal beröring´ är det nya begrepp som utgör det praktiska resultatet av denna studie vilket beskriver Mjuk massage som diakonalt redskap i Svenska kyrkans kontext. Diakonal beröring tydliggörs i studien som ett värdefullt komplement till annan diakonal och själavårdande verksamhet.

This study uses the coping theory and search for significance by Kenneth Pargament (1997) applied to the issue of occupational burnout among parish deacons in the Church of Sweden. The Social Insurance Report of 2020:8 presents deacons and priests as a profession at high risk of falling ill in stress related mental illness and sick leaves. The aim with this essay is to try to find whether there are aspects of Pargament’s coping theory that can be applied on this problem. Two main questions were answered:- What does the Church of Sweden’s governing documents state regarding the deaconry related to structure and role clarity? - How can we use Pargament’s coping theory on search for significance to understand the burnout issue among deacons as it is presented in the Social Insurance Report of 2020:8? Through a thematic analysis, three themes were distinguished: Clarity of Mission, Religions as Motivation and Structure and Management. These themes set the foundation for the result presented in this report. The chapter of Analysis deepens the connection to the coping theory and three specific assumptions of Pargament. The conclusion is that the governing documents are quite vague in presenting the deaconry related to structure and role clarity. There is also a lack of understanding, regarding deaconry and diakonia of the church, amongst parish leaderships which in turn leads to challenges and frictions for the local parish deacons. Many of them also wish for more liturgical elements and time for religious praxis within their working hours which results in a discussion of conserving or transforming the individuals’ significance.

Sweden's welfare system has for many years been seen as the absolute safety net in the country, where every person who gets into social difficulties can fall back on the welfare system. Over the past many years, Sweden's welfare system has changed, and more and more people are applying to civil society and its organizations for financial help. One of the organizations that has served as the extended arm of social services is the Church of Sweden and its deacons. The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of how deacons experience the responsibility they take socially and economically in society. At the same time, we want to take a closer look at their thoughts and feelings in the role created by increased responsibility on civil society.In this study, eight qualitative interviews were conducted with deacons who work with people in social vulnerability in Sweden and who, for various reasons, have had to seek financial and material help in the Church of Sweden. In the study, we were able to see how all deacons carry out work that is far beyond their responsibilities, the contributions they make are grants collected through voluntary contributions and taxes paid by their members. Here we have a clear picture of how this actually affects the emotional work of deacons both behind and in front of the stage. The job gets tougher and there is a common feeling amongst the deacons, that they’re not enough for all those who don’t have what many people take for granted, the most basic things, like food or money to pay their bills. The role, responsibility and shortcomings that the deacons have been able to see in social services is also something they feel have affected the relationship between the two. In order to answer our questions, in addition to our qualitative interviews, we have enlisted the help of neoliberalism, concepts from Goffman's dramaturgical theory and Hochschild's emotional work.

Text in German / Zusammenfassung Das heute zu Russland gehörende Kaliningrader Gebiet gehörte vor dem zweiten Weltkrieg mit der Hauptstadt Königsberg Ostpreußen. Nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg wurde Königsberg 1945 mit einem Teil des Ostpreußengebiets Russland zugeteilt. Am 4. Juli 1946 wurde Königsberg in Kaliningrad umbenannt und damit eine neue Epoche für das Gebiet eingeleitet. Nach dem Krieg wurden alle Deutschen nach Deutschland deportiert und mit Russen aus Westrussland besiedelt. Unter den umgesiedelten Leuten kamen auch Christen mit, die sich in Kaliningrader Gebiet ansiedelten und begannen ihren Glauben zu leben. Bald darauf organisierten sie sich in kleinere Gruppen und bemühten sich Präsenz nach außen hin zu zeigen. Besonders in den 1990er Jahren erlebte das Kaliningrader Gebiet ein reges Wachstum der evangelikalen Gemeinden. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist, diese evangelikalen Gemeinden auf ihre Präsenz nach außen, ihr inneres Gemeindeleben, ihre evangelistischen und sozial-diakonischen Bemühungen hin empirisch mittels Interviews zu untersuchen und die Ergebnisse aus missions-theologischen Perspektive zu reflektieren. Summary The area of Kaliningrad, which belongs to Russia today, was with it´s capital Königsberg a part of Ostpreußen before the second world war. 1945, after the second world war, Königsberg and parts of the area of Ostpreußen became a part of Russia. On July 4th in 1946 Königsberg was renamed into Kaliningrad and so a new era was instituted for this area. After the war all Germans were deported to Germany and the area was recolonized with Russians from Westrussia. Among these settlers there even were christians, who settled down in Kaliningrad and began to act out their beliefs. Especially in the 1990ties Kaliningrad experienced a large growth of evangelical churches. Not long after that, they organized themselves in small groups and tied to be a representative outwards. The intention of the present dissertation is the empirical analysis of these churches by dint of interviews; Especially the analysis of how the churches represent theirselves outwards and how they endeavor in regard of social deaconry. The deliverables has been deliberated from the perspective of theological mission. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th.

Text in German / Zusammenfassung Das heute zu Russland gehörende Kaliningrader Gebiet gehörte vor dem zweiten Weltkrieg mit der Hauptstadt Königsberg Ostpreußen. Nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg wurde Königsberg 1945 mit einem Teil des Ostpreußengebiets Russland zugeteilt. Am 4. Juli 1946 wurde Königsberg in Kaliningrad umbenannt und damit eine neue Epoche für das Gebiet eingeleitet. Nach dem Krieg wurden alle Deutschen nach Deutschland deportiert und mit Russen aus Westrussland besiedelt. Unter den umgesiedelten Leuten kamen auch Christen mit, die sich in Kaliningrader Gebiet ansiedelten und begannen ihren Glauben zu leben. Bald darauf organisierten sie sich in kleinere Gruppen und bemühten sich Präsenz nach außen hin zu zeigen. Besonders in den 1990er Jahren erlebte das Kaliningrader Gebiet ein reges Wachstum der evangelikalen Gemeinden. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist, diese evangelikalen Gemeinden auf ihre Präsenz nach außen, ihr inneres Gemeindeleben, ihre evangelistischen und sozial-diakonischen Bemühungen hin empirisch mittels Interviews zu untersuchen und die Ergebnisse aus missions-theologischen Perspektive zu reflektieren. Summary The area of Kaliningrad, which belongs to Russia today, was with it´s capital Königsberg a part of Ostpreußen before the second world war. 1945, after the second world war, Königsberg and parts of the area of Ostpreußen became a part of Russia. On July 4th in 1946 Königsberg was renamed into Kaliningrad and so a new era was instituted for this area. After the war all Germans were deported to Germany and the area was recolonized with Russians from Westrussia. Among these settlers there even were christians, who settled down in Kaliningrad and began to act out their beliefs. Especially in the 1990ties Kaliningrad experienced a large growth of evangelical churches. Not long after that, they organized themselves in small groups and tied to be a representative outwards. The intention of the present dissertation is the empirical analysis of these churches by dint of interviews; Especially the analysis of how the churches represent theirselves outwards and how they endeavor in regard of social deaconry. The deliverables has been deliberated from the perspective of theological mission. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th.