Clinical services instead of sermons

Abstract

Today, we are facing the decline of institutional religion. In Finland, the decrease in membership of the mainstream Evangelical Lutheran Church has been unusually rapid over the past few years, but, at the same time, the variety of religious supply has significantly increased. In addition to non-Christian spiritual and religious alternatives, innumerable lay movements, functions and practices are also offering their services within the Christian field, both in non-denominational circles and in those more or less linked to the mainstream church. The changes that occur in the religious field in Finland take place largely within the Christian cultural field. In addition to the obvious organisational changes taking place in the religious landscape of Finland, there is a certain fragmentation of contemporary religious attitudes. Such changes have been identified throughout the Western world—conventional definitions of ‘believing’ and ‘belonging’ do not seem to fit anything properly anymore. Furthermore, ‘practising’ and ‘participating’ as dynamic aspects of religiosity make the general view even more nuanced. An example of religious involvement within this frame is a Christian intercessory prayer service called the Healing Rooms. It is a religious practice that is attempting to accommodate the contemporary situation of post-secular Finland, and simultaneously advocating its traditional mission of evangelicism.