Islamophobia and misconceptions or negative portrayal of Muslims have led Muslims in Western societies being discriminated by people who hold religious and racial prejudice. Against this backdrop, Muslim communities in Britain run a national campaign called “Visit My Mosque”. This thesis explores whether the campaign follows the three variables of social movements: political opportunities, mobilising structures, and framing processes to take shape and emerge. Close examination to data, collected from interviews with four Muslim activists, reveals themes which point to the variables. The regional political context in Europe following the terrorists attack at the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris triggers activists in Britain to launch the “Visit My Mosque” campaign. The political climate provides an opportunity for Muslims to take collective action. The pressure on Muslim communities, as a result of Islamophobia and negative portrayal of Muslims by some sections of the media, provides narratives to transform grievances into action. And finally, the campaign emerges due to the presence of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) which facilitates the campaign and provides support to networks of participating mosques. These findings may offer more understanding into the study of social movements in general and religious activism in particular.

In this study, a qualitative text analysis will identify and present common arguments that are used in the discussion regarding euthanasia. The arguments will then be discussed, following Professor Jürgen Habermas's discourse ethics, to try to reach a mutual compromise and introduce a proposal on which prerequisites for euthanasia could be introduced in society. The study will conclude with an analysis of the pre-debated prerequisites against Professor Martha Nussbaum's capability approach and in so doing make a theoretical validity claim in Habermas's opinion.   What is then revealed in the result is that the proposed list of prerequisites made, is not perfect and the question arises if it is even possible. The theoretical claim of validity can be interpreted from different points of view and thus come up with conflicting answers. The consensus of this study shows that if euthanasia is to be implemented in a society, the prerequisites to be followed should be well-defined and clear.

Scholars and experts speak of a political apathy and a lack of political engagement in Jordan. In conventional studies of political engagement a large part of the actual everyday engagement of “the ordinary” is overlooked as it does not conform to the prevailing view of political or civic engagement.  Everyday politics as a field has developed as a response to this lacking view of political engagement or political behavior. The aim of the thesis is to find everyday political behaviors performed by Jordanian individuals. Additionally, everyday religious aspects according to the lived religion theory are discussed in relation to everyday politics as found.  A number of everyday political behaviors and everyday religious aspects of these were found through observations and interviews during two months of fieldwork in Amman, Jordan. Such behaviors were e.g. operating within the informal sector, relying on family and friends for money and labor, and derogatory joking about the regime. Religious aspects of these behaviors were e.g. explicit religious reasons for the behaviors, physical religious artifacts, and religious language.

This research is 1) a critical conceptual analysis of the existing theoretical framework of desacralisation of conflicts developed by professor Isak Svensson in relation to mediation practice in religious conflicts with explicit religious claims; and 2) a critical argumentation for the development of an alternative and complementary initial attempt of mediation methodology suggested by myself: sacralisation of peace. This methodology is based on aspects of the worldview conflicts theoretical framework of professor Jayne Seminare Docherty, the ritual theory for peacebuilding as proposed by professor Lisa Schirch, and a plural conceptual notion of peace.  The research concludes that the desacralisation of conflicts theory has four conceptual limitations when used as a mediation practice in religious conflicts. These limitations are related with 1) conceptual assumptions of secularisation project; 2) “issue-negotiation” processes proposed by the theory and their rational model for conflict resolution; 3) a reduced notion of religious issues to ideological or convictional aspects, and 4) a reduced notion of the ambivalence of the sacred and its associated processes of sacralisation and desacralisation. The research also concludes that these limitations could be overcome by introducing a complementary complex mediation methodological approach where sacralisation of peace and desacralisation of conflicts coexist.

No description available.

År 1945 den amerikanska ockupationsstyrkan pressade fram Japans sekularisering. Mejidynastin, vid makten fram till 1945, hade främjat en framställning av shinto med nationalistiska drag som kallas för shintonationalism. Efter sekulariseringen betraktades religionerna i Japan med misstänksamhet, eller till och med fientlighet, i Japan. Sedan 80-talet har dock nationalistiska rörelser som strävar efter en återgång till den gamla shintonationalismen börjat att ta plats i den politiska scenarion igen. Nationalistiska rörelser har fått stöd av Jinja Honcho, förbundet av de shintoistiska templen. Den här studien har som syfte att analysera shintonationalismens påverkan på det japanska samhället och på den japanska skolan i synnerhet. Studien använder diskursanalys som metod och granskar å ena sidan skolans styrdokument med fokus på moralundervisningsämnen, grundskolsämnet som behandlar ämnet moral och samlevnad. Å andra sidan granskas Jinja Honchos publikationer på förbundets hemsida. Texterna jämförs och resultatet visar att Jinja Honchos framställning av shinto har påverkat diskursen i den japanska skolans styrdokument och främjat en bild av japanerna som överlägsna andra kulturer i deras förhållande till naturen, känslighet, moral och styrka. / In 1945 the US occupation forces pushed for the country's secularization. The Meji-dynasty, in power until 1945, had promoted a representation of Shinto with nationalist features known as Shinto nationalism. After secularization, religions in Japan have been viewed with suspicion if not with hostility. From the 1980s, however, nationalist movements striving for a return to the old Shinto nationalism began to take place in the political scenario again with the support of Jinja Honcho, the Association of Shinto temples. The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of Shinto nationalism on Japanese society and especially on Japanese schools. The study uses discourse analysis as a method and examines from one side the school's governing documents with a focus on moral education, from the other side Jinja Honcho's brochures in the association's website. The texts are compared and the results show that Jinja Honcho's representation of Shinto has influenced the discourse in the Japanese school's governing documents and promoted an image of the Japanese as superior to other cultures in their relationship with nature, sensitivity, morality and strength.

Based‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌idea‌ ‌that‌ ‌public‌ ‌art‌ ‌reflects‌ ‌cultural‌ ‌values‌ ‌and‌ ‌is‌ ‌meant,‌ ‌not‌ ‌as‌ ‌many‌ ‌have‌ ‌argued‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌means‌ ‌of‌ ‌teaching‌ ‌history,‌ ‌but‌ ‌rather‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌means‌ ‌of‌ ‌promoting‌ ‌cultural‌ ‌ideals,‌ ‌ ‌public‌ ‌art‌ ‌serves‌ ‌a‌ ‌role‌ ‌in‌ ‌lauding‌ ‌people‌ ‌and‌ ‌behaviors‌ ‌and‌ ‌reflects‌ ‌a‌n important facet in the ‌creation‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌national‌ ‌identity‌ ‌and‌ ‌ethos. Further,‌ ‌that‌ ‌in‌ ‌this‌ ‌function‌ ‌of‌ ‌promoting‌ ‌societal‌ ‌norms,‌ ‌public‌ ‌art‌ ‌serves‌ ‌as‌ an‌ iconography ‌of‌‌ a “civil ‌religion”‌ ‌which‌ ‌tell‌s ‌a‌ ‌story‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌citizenry‌ ‌about‌ ‌what‌ ‌a‌ ‌given‌ ‌country‌ ‌admires,‌ ‌reveres‌ ‌and‌ ‌aspires‌ ‌to‌ ‌and‌ ‌promotes‌ ‌a‌ ‌specific‌ ‌moral‌ ‌narrative‌ ‌regarding‌ ‌a‌ ‌country‌ ‌and‌ ‌its‌ ‌people.‌ ‌Thus,‌ ‌public‌ ‌art‌ ‌forms‌ ‌an‌ ‌iconography‌ ‌reflecting‌ ‌the‌ ‌norms‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌“civil ‌religion”‌ ‌and‌ ‌its‌ ‌related‌ ‌mores,‌ ‌morals‌ ‌and‌ ‌ethical‌ ‌values.‌ ‌

This essay sheds light on three Pentecostal theologians – Frank D. Macchia, Darío López Rodríguez and Opoku Onyinah by analysing one of their theological publications each. The goal of the essay is to find out how their view of Jesus, Christology, compares to the Fivefold gospel of the Classical Pentecostal Movement, namely: 1) Jesus as Saviour, 2) Jesus as Sanctifier, 3) Jesus as Spirit Baptizer, 4) Jesus as Healer and 5) Jesus as Coming King. By a comparative textual analysis of the works of the three theologians, this essay also examines the three theologians’ Christologies as they relate to another, searching for both similarities and differences.  Another aspect of the essay is to answer whether the differences in Christologies is a result of the theologians’ cultural backgrounds. With Macchia based in the USA, López Rodríguez in Peru and Onyinah in Ghana they represent vastly different kinds of the global Pentecostal Movement, and whether that fact leads to a contextualization of their Christologies is the matter at hand of the second research question. By also looking at surrounding contextual theologies; the doctrine of Spirit Baptism developed in Classical Pentecostalism in USA, Liberation Theology in Latin America and Spiritual Warfare in Africa, this essay examines how each of these theological frameworks relates to the Pentecostal theologian based in that region. The answer to each of these questions in the conclusion of the essay is two-fold as well. Firstly, the analysis finds that all three theologians closely relate to at least three of the five doctrines; Saviour, Spirit Baptizer and Healer, with the caveat that speaking in tongues is not as present. For the other two, the differences are greater towards Classical Pentecostalism. Secondly, the essay concludes that the theologians are influenced by their contextual background in terms of how they present their Christologies. / Uppsatsen analyserar kristologin hos tre pentekostala teologer – Frank D. Macchia, Darío López Rodríguez och Opoku Onyinah – genom att undersöka en teologisk publikation från vardera författare. Syftet är att jämföra deras nutida kristologi med hur den framkom i den klassiska pingströrelsens femfaldiga evangelium; 1) Jesus som frälsare, 2) Jesus som helgelsebringare, 3) Jesus som andedöpare, 4) Jesus som helare och 5) Jesus som kommande kung av Guds rike. Med hjälp av en komparativ innehållslig idéanalys analyseras verken av de tre teologerna, för att se hur deras kristologier relaterar både till varandra och de femfaldiga evangeliet. Ytterligare en aspekt av uppsatsen är att besvara frågan om skillnaderna i deras kristologier beror på författarens kulturella bakgrund eller kontext. Macchia från USA, López Rodríguez från Peru och Onyinah från Ghana representerar vitt skilda delar av den globala pentekostala rörelsen, och om det innebär att en kontextualiserad kristologi framkommer i deras verk är föremål för diskussionen i uppsatsen. Där relateras även författarnas kristologier till omgivande teologiska ramverk i deras respektive världsdelar som exempelvis latinamerikansk befrielseteologi eller betoning av andlig krigföring i Afrika. Resultatet av forskningen i uppsatsen blir därmed tvådelat. För det första relaterar de tre teologerna i stor grad till tre av de fem doktrinerna i det femfaldiga evangeliet; om Jesus som frälsare, andedöpare och helare, med undantaget att tungotalet inte har en lika framträdande plats som hos den klassika pentekostalismen. För det andra dras slutsatsen att samtliga författare är influerade av sin kontextuella bakgrund vid författandet av sina teologiska verk och hur de presenterar sina respektive kristologier.

This is a qualitative interview study that looks into teacher’s conceptualization of existential questions and their experiences with working with such questions in religious studies at upper secondary school. Previous research indicates that existential questions are often left behind in religious studies and that teachers feel unsecure when working with such questions in the classroom. Also, the term “existential questions” is not easily defined regarding meaning and scope and can therefore be understood in a variety of different ways. The purpose of this study has therefore been to investigate upper-secondary school teachers’ conception of what an existential question could be, what their experiences are with working with them in their teaching, and what they consider to be ideal when teaching about existential questions. Seven upper-secondary school teachers, currently teaching religious studies in the regions of Jönköping and Västra Götaland, have been interviewed from an inductive and explorative approach. The results of the study indicate that teacher’s conceptualization of existential questions differ significantly, and that teachers also have vastly different experiences regarding their student’s desire and capacity for conducting conversations about existential questions. The result also indicates that there exists a number of explanations as to why upper-secondary school teachers find it problematic to work with existential questions in their teaching. These include, among others, a lack of time, a polarized conversational climate in society, where questions without simple answers are avoided, ideological oppositions in the classroom and a lacking amount of background knowledge among students. What teachers seem to long for the most in their teaching of existential questions is a greater amount of time, cross-disciplinary cooperation and authentical encounters that could make even the big questions in life feel more relatable and less estranged by students. / Detta arbete grundar sig i en kvalitativ intervjustudie som genomförts för att undersöka lärares förståelse och erfarenheter av existentiella frågor inom religionskunskapsundervisningen. Tidigare forskning indikerar att existentiella frågor ofta bortprioriteras i undervisningen och att lärare känner sig osäkra inför att arbeta med sådana frågor i klassrummet. Begreppet ”existentiella frågor” är inte heller helt enkelt att definiera, varken gällande mening eller omfattning och kan därför förstås på olika sätt. Syftet med denna studie har därför varit att undersöka gymnasielärares förståelse av vad existentiella frågor kan vara, vad de har för erfarenheter av att arbeta med dem i sin undervisning, samt hur deras idealbild för undervisningen kring existentiella frågor ser ut. Sju gymnasielärare som idag undervisar i religionskunskap i Jönköpings- och Västra Götalandsregionen har intervjuats utifrån en induktiv, utforskande och explorativ ansats. Studiens resultat indikerar att lärares förståelse av vad existentiella frågor är, skiljer sig markant åt och att lärare även har vitt skilda upplevelser av sina elevers vilja och kapacitet för att föra samtal kring existentiella frågor. Resultatet indikerar även att förekommer ett flertal förklaringar till varför gymnasielärare finner det problematiskt att arbeta med existentiella frågor i undervisningen. Dessa inkluderar bland andra tidsbrist, ett alltmer polariserat samtalsklimat där frågor utan givna svar inte ryms, ideologiska motsättningar i klassrummet och en bristande förkunskapsnivå hos elever. Det lärarna främst tycks önska i undervisningen kring existentiella frågor är mer tid, ämnesöverskridande samarbeten och autentiska möten som kan göra även de stora frågorna mer relaterbara och mindre främmande för eleverna.

Uppsatsen studerar den engelska reformationen, dess huvudsakliga syfte är att visa hur forskningsområdet politisk teologi kan hjälpa elever i religion 2 eller högre på gymnasietatt inse hur historiska skeenden är användbara inom religiösa studier. Frågeställningarna och avgränsningarna ramar in projektet och binder det till Tudor-eran. Metoden som använts är en litteraturstudie. Resultatet blev ett exempel på hur Nordirlands respektive de brittiska öarnas nuvarande politiska situationer kan kopplas till Henry VIIIs skilsmässa och hur politik och religion kombinerades under Tudor-eran för att ge upphov till den anglikanska kyrkan.