Shared authority in confirmation work in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

Abstract

This article examines how authority is negotiated and shared by ministers engaged in confirmand work in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark. The ministers have formal authority establishing the framework and structure of the learning fellowship. They are also theological experts. However, authority is negotiated and attempt is made to share it in the confirmand class. The ministers do not wish to appear as all-knowing teachers as the confirmands may have had authentic experiences of Christianity and are, therefore, possible contributors to the learning process supplementing the ministers’ theological knowledge: the role of teacher and pupil are exchanged among the participants. In the analysis, the typology of Weber nuances the concept of authority as seen in three different cases. Keywords: confirmation work, Christianity, learning process, shared authority.