Meditation and Other New Spiritual Practices in the Church of Sweden

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter deals with practices that traditionally have not been found within the Lutheran Church and how these are integrated in its activities. Here Katarina Plank, Linnea Lundgren, and Helene Egnell draw on data from an ongoing research project that explore how, since the 1970s, spiritual practices labeled as “New Age” have become more widespread, and lately practices with a focus on “body-mind techniques” have especially been given more space within the Church of Sweden. Their netnographic survey of the homepages of the parishes in the diocese of Stockholm shows that there is plethora of new activities going on which have emerged during the last 50 years. Many of these activities were geared toward community building, and 15% of them fall into the category of holistic practices. Such practices, comprising, for example, meditation groups, yoga classes, and dance, can be found in eight out of ten parishes. These new spiritual practices were first offered in exclusive settings like retreat centers, but have now moved into ordinary parish life, accessible to all parishioners. Some of the practices, like Zen meditation and yoga, have been contested but are now broadly accepted.