Contemporary pastoral care appears to both ignore queer theological advancements and to have lost its heritage in Luther`s pastoral care theology.This study aims to investigate which aspects of Lutheran theology can be denoted queer, and thereby of particular relevance for pastoral care undertaken by the Church of Sweden in today's rainbow-aware context. Thus, the study intends to contribute to deepening understanding of contemporary contextual pastoral care, by bringing together two theoretical areas, Lutheran theology and Queer theology, to inform and develop new approaches to pastoral care needs and interventions. A literature review provides the basis for theory-driven analysis that is qualitatively inductive.The main finding of this study identifies the social dimension of both approaches as being vital for contemporary pastoral care. Luther`s social theology for example emphases the social vulnerability of human beings and their experiences of oppressive social systems. This emphasis is also a driving force in Queer theology. Both perspectives also challenge us not only to actively counter experienced social inequality but also to undertake the care of those in need. The work reported in this thesis demonstrates the potential of such an approach for bringing forth certain aspects of Lutheran theology as queer, not only in a broader sense, but in particular for the development of theological and pastoral care encounters for a new era and a new societal situation involving individuals in existential crises. This study thus provides a foundation for a pastoral care that is queer-informed and importantly, thoroughly Luther.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:ths-2493 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Lundqvist, Catharina |
| Publisher | Enskilda Högskolan Stockholm, Avdelningen för religionsvetenskap och teologi |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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