Televangelism in Sweden—Now? : Is Channel 10 in Älmhult in Fact a Telechurch?

Ever since televangelism started in the United States, Sweden has been considered an impossible arena for that type of enterprise. In the 1960’s almost all Swedes were formal members of the Lutheran Church of Sweden, were heavily secularized, and were considered to be anti-Charismatic and fairly averse to the expression of personal religiosity in public, as in televangelism. Furthermore, the state monopoly of Swedish radio and television closely regulated the transmission of church services, and thus impeded any such evangelization initiatives via TV. Nevertheless, in 2005, when the heyday of televangelism seemed to be over in the United States, a new Charismatic TV channel was founded in Älmhult in Småland. The new channel was called “Channel 10” (Kanal 10). “Kanal” was a neutral designation witout any religious connotations and the number “10” was not used by any television channel in Sweden at the time. In 10 years, Channel 10 has grown into a successful business whose principal product is Pentecostal or Charismatic preaching. The chapter initially asks the question: How can it be that televangelism attracts Swedes today, when this was considered impossible only 30 years ago? The study explores the actors behind the channel, its contents, and the reception of the programs in the light of contemporary changes in the Pentecostal landscape, especially intergenerational conflicts of interest and ongoing mediatization. The material presented is discussed from a theoretical perspective on identity, inspired by Paul Ricoeur (2005) and Erik Erikson (1964), and nostalgia as advocated by Clay Routledge (2015)

New Testament Exegesis as an Academic Discipline with Relevance for Other Disciplines

This article is an English translation of a lecture delivered in November 2011 upon the author’s installation as Professor of New Testament at Uppsala University. It addresses several conceptual and methodological questions about New Testament Exegesis, including: ‘What is New Testament Exegesis?’ ‘What does it mean to call New Testament Exegesis an academic discipline?’ and ‘How can this discipline have relevance for other disciplines?’ A central argument is that the current balkanization of biblical studies is undesirable and that scholars who use more traditional or newer methods should engage each other rather than talk past each other. Since the so-called ‘historical-critical method’ is, in fact, not just one method, this misconception in current nomenclature merits critical attention. Additionally, ‘the linguistic turn’ holds promise for future discussions