Abstract
This article discusses knowledge gained through experiencing the presence of God through the ‘spiritual senses’ as a resource in an Evangelical Lutheran parish. Believers’ being-in-touch experiences with the divine produce a special kind of knowledge that can be shared and passed on in the parish. This ‘spiritual asset’ plays an important part in parochial activities. This development can be explained by the rise of experience-based religiosity and charismatic Christianity, a global Christian trend which is also affecting the mainline churches.
Highlights
This article discusses knowledge gained through experiencing the presence of God through the ‘spiritual senses’ as a resource in an Evangelical Lutheran parish
The traditional forms of Finnish Evangelical Lutheranism, which is often described as a folk church, have been strongly based on teaching and word
There is a perception that this traditional form of Evangelical Lutheranism fails to provide sufficient room for individual experience and emotion which emphasise ways of expressing personal spirituality or sharing knowledge about God gained through the ‘spiritual senses’
Summary
In small group discussions the theological direction of the laity was more apparent than in other types of event. They spoke of warmth when they felt the love of God or the spiritual security that came from the experience-based knowledge they had gained during these encounters with the transcendent They concluded that those who believed were like children: they took the faith in its entirety and made no attempt to explain it rationally. There was, a system of ‘moderation’ in these small group discussions in which theological premises were guarded by parish workers and laypeople were ‘taught’ theologically sustainable interpretations of their experiences This direction was crystallised in one entry from my interview material: ‘We have to be very clear with laypeople.
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