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Den 23 november 2017 beslutade kyrkomötet att anta en ny kyrkohandbok för Svenska kyrkan. Vägen till beslutet har varit allt annat än rak, samtidigt som den återspeglat ett djupt engagemang, både inom och utanför Svenska kyrkan. De remissenkäter som skickades ut för att undersöka och utvärdera kyrkohandboksförslaget 2016 (KHF 2016) bestod till största delen av fasta frågor med fasta svarsalternativ. Remissenkätfrågorna kritiserades för att alltför starkt fokusera på brukarmöjlighet, inte innehållsmässiga synpunkter, varpå många spontanremisser skickades in. I dessa spontanremisser finns en ofantlig källa till varför kritiken mot kyrkohandboksförslaget varit så stor.   En central utgångspunkt i framarbetandet med en ny kyrkohandbok har varit ett inklusivt språk. I spontanremisserna har inte något uttalat motstånd gentemot intentionen gått att finna, däremot pregnant kritik gentemot resultatet. Områdena som undersökts är det inklusiva språkets påverkan på teologi, liturgi och liturgisk musik, ekumenik, de många valmöjligheterna, pastoralteologisk funktion samt processen. Vidare har Officiella remissammanställningen (OR) studerats utifrån ett komparativt perspektiv. Hur återges spontanremissernas innehållsmässiga synpunkter? Masteruppsatsen är en deskriptiv innehållsanalytisk granskning och en kvalitativ metod med kvantitativa inslag, utifrån en hermeneutisk forskningsansats har använts.   Det inklusiva språket har påtalats gått från medel till självändamål. Konsekvensen anses ha blivit en betydande teologisk problematik (teologiska brister, teologisk otydlighet, teologisk inkonsekvens och/eller felaktig teologi i strid med Svenska kyrkans egna bekännelser) och språklig stilistisk kvalitetsförlust. Till de teologiska invändningarna hör bl.a. att KHF 2016 anses medfört betydande konsekvens för gudsbilden, människobilden och frälsningsgärningen. Detta riskerar även få pastoralteologisk och ekumenisk konsekvens (distansering från världskyrkor i allmänkyrklig tradition, och brott mot ekumeniska överenskommelser, främst BEM). Vissa gånger upplevs ändringarna i vedertagna texter och i nytillkomna vara mer av ideologisk än teologisk karaktär. Vidare påtalas obalans mellan förnyelse och bevarande, för stora språkliga förenklingar mm.   När det kom till liturgi, återfanns i spontanremisserna synpunkter på att liturgi och liturgisk musik bör ses som ett förkunnande, ett lärande och en levande tillbedjan. Om inte, riskerar dess relevans gå förlorad. Den bör inte ses som en lokal angelägenhet, inte heller utgå från vad som är inne just nu. Liturgi bör betraktas som ett kulturarv vilket förenar Svenska kyrkans med den världsvida kyrkan i allmänkyrklig tradition och med kyrko- och liturgihistorien.  KHF 2016 påtalas bli en distansering från detta. Kyrkoåret levandegör teologin, men dess gestaltning riskerar nu gå förlorad, något som även haft en pedagogisk funktion för den enskilde gudstjänstdeltagaren.   Av de granskade källmaterialet finns inget som tyder på något övergripande motstånd till en kyrkohandbok med flera valmöjlighetsalternativ. Däremot finns återkommande synpunkter på att valmöjligheterna i KHF 2016 dels är för många till antalet, dels för innehållsmässigt distinkta.  Obalans mellan lokalt, regionalt och nationellt påtalas, vilket bl.a. riskerar kunna få allvarliga konsekvenser gällande delaktighet och igenkännande för den enskilde gudstjänstfirararen. Frågor gällande vad som framöver kommer bli Svenska kyrkans framtida gemensamma gudstjänst ställs tillsammans med oro för brott med den världsvida kyrkan. Detta riskerar i sin tur kunna få pastorala konsekvenser, såsom negativ påverkan på delaktighetsupplevelse hos gudstjänstfirande.   Återkommande synpunkter i spontanremisserna är att grundorsaken ses härröra ur processen, en process vilken beskrivs som bristfällig och avsaknad av transparens. Den påtalas ha präglats av ovilja att ta till sig kritik, avsaknad av riktlinjer och expertkompetens, orimligt tidsperspektiv samt kritik mot remissenkätfrågeformuleringarna vilka ämnade undersöka möjlig brukbarhet, inte innehållsmässiga synpunkter.   När det kommer till hur spontanremissernas synpunkter gestaltas i OR är i de fall en komparativ studie gått att genomföra, innehållsmässigt överensstämmande. Däremot är återgivelserna överlag ytterst minimerade och utspridda i OR, varpå många av de detaljrika innehållsmässiga synpunkterna i spontanremisserna, på en rad olika områden när det gäller process och innehåll, förblivit nästintill osynliga. / On the 23rd of November 2017 the Church of Sweden´s General Synod adopted the new Church Handbook (Kyrkohandbok för Svenska kyrkan). The road towards the decision has been sided with criticism, but has at the same time revealed a deep commitment, both inside and outside the Church of Sweden. The Official Referral questionnaire that was sent out by the Church of Sweden (kyrkokansliet) to review and evaluate the proposal of the new forthcoming Church Handbook, mainly contained firm questions with firm answer alternatives. The questionnaire has been heavily criticized due to its focus on possibilities to use, not reflections on the proposal itself. Due to this, many Free Responses (spontanremisser) were sent in. They are a tremendous source of information to investigate why the new Worship Book has been so strongly criticized. This Master’s thesis aim to review and interpret The Free Responses’ reflections on the proposal of the new Church Handbook for the Church of Sweden (Kyrkohandboksförslaget 2016). Of importance in the production of the new Church Handbook was to try to find an inclusive language to the liturgical texts. The main areas which have been examined are the inclusive language itself, its effect on theology, liturgical tradition, musical theology, ecumenism and its many options. The method used is mainly qualitative and the thesis could be described as a descriptive text analysis of The Free responses. The research also aims to review The Official Referral (Officiella remissamanställningen) from a comparative perspective: How does The Free Responses reflections replicate in the official document? The intention itself, trying to achieve a more inclusive language, the research has not been able to find any opposing on, only on the result. The inclusive language has according to The Free Responses resulted in negative consequences on theology, liturgy, ecumenism, language quality, and the many options (which aimed to free choices) are considered far too many and far to distinct. This may result in negative consequences for the worshipers, such as loss of feeling of participation. The main underlying cause to the criticism is considered to derive from the process, a process described as inadequate due to lack of transparency.   When it comes to the comparative study between The Free Answers and The Official Referral it was recovered that the comments and reflecting in The Free Responses were vague and simplified. For someone who only take part of the The Official Referral will get an overall view that the positive and negative opinions are more or less of the same quantity which does not properly reflect reality.

This thesis’ aim is to examine the central and considerable Christian symbols in the tale ofNarnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis. The method used in this thesishas been as a content analysis of the book from 1950 and the two films from 1988 and 2005,which has been created from the books’ content. In order to identify the Christian symbolismin the content analysis, Propp’s structuralism has been applied to explore the differences andthe development of the story in the material and the structure of the tale’s storyline andcharacters. Based on that all stories have the same characters and storyline through all theages. The assumption has been proven by applying both the theory to the study and with helpfrom the complementary studies with similar perceptions in their work, which will bepresented throughout the whole thesis.

This thesis aims to study how Sam Harris has reinterpreted the meaning of some central buddhist concepts to fit within the contemporary discourse of secular mindfulness. To do this, the discourse analytical method of Laclau and Mouffe has been used. The studied material is As it is volume 1 and 2 by the dzogchen-lama Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, and the book and app Waking Up by Sam Harris. The study analyses and compares the use of three concepts, three nodal points, in the discourses of traditional dzogchen and contemporary secular mindfulness: ”buddhism”, ”teacher” and ”enlightenment”. A general comparison is also made between the different world views that appear in As it is and Waking Up, respectively. The major findings of the study are: In the dzogchen-discourse of Tulku Urgyen ”buddhism” is seen as a religious creed, with a multifaceted cosmology in which the Buddha is considered to have divine powers. In the secular mindfulness discourse of Sam Harris ”buddhism” is described as a testable proto- science, in which the Buddha is equated with a skilled psychologist. In the dzogchen-discourse of Tulku Urgyen a “teacher” gets his authority by referring to a line of teachers going back to the Buddha. The teacher is considered to have supernatural powers and the student is expected to show devotion. In the secular mindfulness discourse of Sam Harris a ”teacher” only needs to have practical expertise, and the student is supposed to question and test the teacher's statements. Briefly, this can be described as a change from a religious guru to a secular coach. In the dzogchen-discourse the concept of enlightenment is associated with salvation and described as the only way to escape new painful reincarnations. Enlightenment is also linked to compassion and considered an altruistic project. In the secular mindfulness discourse of Sam Harris the quest for enlightenment is described as an individualistic health project, aimed at increasing mental well-being, personal development and happiness. Keywords: Sam Harris, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, dzogchen, buddhism, secular mindfulness, enlightenment, discourse analysis.

The rise of spiritualism in the late nineteenth century raised new ways to perceive the dead. A new possibility to communicate with the deceased attributed novel characteristics to the human soul. Building upon this spiritualist discourse, the prominent theory-crafter of the Theosophical Society, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891), thought the spirit of the dead, which she differentiated from the soul, to be a separate but connected component of the physical body. As such, this component should be separable from the physical body before death. Blavatsky developed the theory into an ontology (theory of what there is), cosmogony (the origin of the universe), physiology (the constitution of the human body), and soteriology (a doctrine of salvation). The separation possible before death became known as astral projection and it was a way to liberate the ‘astral body’ from its physical sheath, enabling the individual to travel spatially and temporally. Astral projection was regarded the apex of magic and a highly valued goal, actively pursued. Unlike previous studies, this thesis aims to explain the phenomenon of astral projection, how it was perceived and constructed, from both an emic as well as etic perspective. Using discourse analysis, this thesis aims to explore and discuss how Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society diachronically constructed their understanding of the practice and the mechanisms enabling it. In addition, this thesis also aims to trace the evolution of astral projection in the Theosophical Society from its founding in 1875 to Blavatsky’s death in 1891 as well as what functions the practice filled. This is achieved in two sections, through three steps, split between the ‘early’ and the ‘later’ Theosophical Society; this thesis examines the physiology presented, followed by the second step of surveying the ontology represented, which lastly explores how these are used to explain the phenomenon of astral projection.

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This thesis argues that the concept of religion plays an important role in the compendium published by Anders Behring Breivik before his terror attack on July 22nd, 2011. As well as within the manifesto published by Brenton Tarrant before his terror attack on March 15th, 2019. This thesis strives to answer the questions of which part religion plays within these two texts, and how it is understood, employed, and used by these two men. To answer these questions the research field of lone wolf terrorism, as well as a critical theory of religion, have been employed. To study the source material, Breivik’s compendium and Tarrant’s manifesto, methodological empathy as well as a hermeneutic method were also used. The results show that both Breivik and Tarrant view the concept of religion as primarily an aspect in the creation of a unified culture for their imagined monocultural Europe and racially pure homeland. The concept of religion is therefore not mainly about any belief in God or scripture but as a tool for cultural unification. The results also show how the concept of religion is key in creating a “we”, an ingroup, for both Breivik and Tarrant as well as an “other”, or an outgroup. This outgroup is in the majority of the two texts Islam or the Muslim. Here the concept of religion is infused with race where the other oftentimes is presented as a “Muslim” simply on physical racial features. The conceptof religion is therefore of utmost importance for both men but in a specific way. Either in the struggle that is the creation of a unified culture and imagined race or in the struggle against their perceived others, Islam and Muslims.

Religion has always been at the core of the Pakistani national narrative. This research paper argues that the relationship between religion and nationalism in Pakistan is complex and has changed its character during different phases of the Pakistani political history. The aim of this paper was to understand this relationship during the period 1947 to 1988  of the Pakistani political history using the theoretical framework developed by Rogers Brubaker. Our analysis points out that the role of religion and its relationship has taken different shapes during different phases depending on political developments and processes, actors and visions. During the first time frame - from August 1947 - 12 March 1949 - religion under the leadership of the founder of the country Mohammad Ali Jinnah was viewed from the perspective of identity. This is explained by Brubaker’s first approach according to which religion functions as a mode of identification. During the politically chaotic decade after Jinnah’s death, religion was integrated into the organization of the state through the Objectives Resolution and the inclusion of Islamic articles in the country’s first constitution of 1956 and Islam was viewed as the cause of nationalism in Pakistan, explained by Brubaker’s second approach. When General Ayub Khan took over in October 1958 as the first military dictator, the country experienced progressive reforms challenging the role of Islam. This led to agitation from the religious parties who demanded political representation, acting as political claimants. This is explained by the third variant in Brubaker’s first approach in which religion is employed as a way of framing political claims.   During Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s tenure, the nations’s Islamic identity was emphasized to establish closer relation with other Muslim nations. Bhutto developed a transnational vision according to which the Pakistani nation was to lead other Islamic countries. This is explained by the second kind of Brubaker’s third approach in which religion is viewed as intertwined with nationalism.  General Zia ul Haq’s military dictatorship promoted Nizam-e-Islami to implement a process of Shariatization of the country. General Zia viewed Islam and the Pakistani nation as existentially interdependent and he attempted to bring religion, state and nation into a singularity. This kind of religious nationalism is explained by Brubaker’s fourth approach as a distinctive form of nationalism.

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