Living Simultaneity Simultaneity Living Semi-secular individuals, those who are neither religious nor unreligious, seldom get the attention of scholars of religion. Here, however, they stand at the center. Th e interviewees live in the same Stockholm neighborhood and it is their ways of talking about and relating to religion that is analyzed and described. Simultaneity is one particular feature in the material. Th is concept emphazises a ‘both and’ approach in: the way the respon- dents ascribe meaning to the term religion; how they talk about themselves in relation to diff erent religious designations and how they interpret experiences that they single out as ‘out-of-the- ordinary’. Th ese simultaneities are explained and theorized through analyses focusing on intersubjective and discursive processes. Th is work adds to a critical discussion on the supposedly far-reaching secularity in Sweden on the one hand and on the incongruence and inconsistency of lived religion on the other. In relation to theorizing on religion and religious people, this study off ers empirical material that nuance a dichotomous under- standing of ‘the religious’ and ‘the secular’. In relation to method- ology it is argued that the salience of simultaneity in the material shows that when patterns of religiosity among semisecular Swedes are studied there is a need to be attentive to expressions of com- plexity, contradiction and incongruity. Ann af Burén Living Simultaneity On religion among semi-secular Swedes Södertörns högskola SE-141 89 Huddinge Ann af Burén [email protected] Living Simultaneity On religion among semi-secular Swedes Ann af Burén Södertörns högskola ©Ann af Burén Södertörn University SE-141 89 Huddinge Cover Illustration: ‘Lepus’ by Denise Nestor Cover Design: Jonathan Robson Layout: Per Lindblom & Jonathan Robson Printed by Elanders, Stockholm 2015 Södertörn Doctoral Dissertations 106 ISSN 1652-7399 ISBN 978-91-87843-15-0 ISBN 978-91-87843-16-7 (pdf) Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion University of Gothenburg 41 Abstract This thesis aims at contributing to a critical discussion on the supposedly far-reaching secularity of Sweden on the one hand, and on the incon- gruence and inconsistency of lived religion on the other. At the center are people referred to as semi-secular Swedes – a group that is often neglected in the study of religion. These people do not go to church or get involved in any other alternative organized spiritual activities, neither are they actively opposed to religion or entirely indifferent to it. Most of them describe the ways they are – or are not – religious as in line with the majority patterns in Swedish society. The study is qualitative in method and the material has been gathered through interviews and a questionnaire. It offers a close reading of 28 semi-secular Swedes’ ways of talking about and relating to religion, particularly in reference to their everyday lives and their own experiences, and it analyzes the material with a focus on incongruences. By exploring how the term religion is employed vernacularly by the respondents, the study pinpoints one particular feature in the material, namely simultaneity. The concept of simultaneity is descriptive and puts emphasis on a ‘both and’ approach in (1) the way the respondents ascribe meaning to the term religion, (2) how they talk about themselves in relation to different religious designations, and (3) how they interpret experiences that they single out as ‘out-of-the-ordinary’. These simul- taneities are explained and theorized through analyses focusing on inter- subjective and discursive processes. In relation to theorizing on religion and religious people this study offers empirical material that nuance a dichotomous understanding of ‘the religious’ and ‘the secular’. In relation to methodology it is argued that the salience of simultaneity in the material shows that when patterns of religiosity among semi-secular Swedes are studied there is a need to be attentive to expressions of complexity, contradiction and incongruity. Keywords: simultaneity, semi-secular, liminal, secularity, religious incon- gruence, fuzzy fidelity, the subjective turn, lived religion, the inadequacy approach, religious and secular, Stockholm, Sweden 3 Acknowledgements First and foremost I wish to thank the respondents who made this study possible. I extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you who let me into your homes to share your worlds with me, if only for a brief moment. A special thanks goes to the principal respondents who so generously and open- heartedly shared their experiences with me. A string of people have at different stages of the research process, offered invaluable criticism, commentaries, support, advice, and encour- agement. While the views expressed in this thesis and any shortcomings, omissions and errors it contains should reflect only on me, this study has become much stronger thanks a number of people and institutions to whom I would like to express my gratitude. One person has been of incomparable importance during the course of this endeavor, my supervisor David Thurfjell. His inquisitive and lucid mind and his kind and compassionate heart bring out the best in people. One could hope for no better interlocutor, mentor, and friend. If he had not challenged and encouraged me with such immense sensitivity and intellectual courage the embryonic ideas hatched in this process could never have developed into full-fledged thoughts. No words will suffice to express my gratitude for all the things that he has taught me, both expli- citly and through example. I am also most thankful to my supervisor Åke Sander who by sharing his deep and broad knowledge has inspired and spurred me to think more and harder, and in directions I did not anticipate at the outset. His readings and perceptive comments on the different chapters have proven invaluable and his contagious curiosity about the constitution of reality is a source of joyful inspiration. I cannot stress enough how valuable the people who make up the milieu at the Department of the Study of Religion at Södertörn University have been. By providing an ambience brimming with enthusiasm, erudition and creativity, by asking hard questions and offering valuable suggestions, they have shown the value of an academic community in which people genuinely care not only about their subject matter but about each other. Thank you Geir Aasmundssen, Jenny Berglund, Gunilla 5 LIVING SIMULTANEITY Gunner, Jessica Moberg, Staffan Nilsson, Willy Pfäntner, Susanne Olsson, Göran Ståhle, Simon Sorgenfrei, Jörgen Straarup, Ingela Visuri, and David Westerlund. A special thanks goes out to my former office-mate Anne Ross Solberg, who has generously read and commented on text, as well as offered advice, encouragement, and input throughout our years as fellow doctoral students. It is a privilege to have a friend with such a sharp mind and wonderful sense of humor. My deep appreciation goes out to Jenny Gunnarsson Payne, Peter Jackson, Siv Ellen Kraft, Susanne Olsson, Lena Roos, and Simon Sorgenfrei who have offered generous and acute commentaries on speci- fic chapters. They have provided crucial pieces of advice and this thesis has undoubtedly suffered when I have been unable to address their sug- gestions thoroughly. I also wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Courtney Bender, who offered abundant and invaluable commentaries, criticism, and marginalia on my 80-per-cent manuscript. Her challenging and perceptive com- ments helped me at a time when I found myself unable to see the manu- script clearly and to know what to do next. Her insightful remarks have been of enormous assistance in the final stages of revision. Many thanks also to the members of the research seminar in religious studies and theology at the University of Gothenburg, and to the members of the seminar in the sociology of religion at the Faculty of Theology at Uppsala University for giving me the opportunity to present my research. Special thanks to Daniel Enstedt and Maria Klingenberg who took the time to conscientiously read the drafts presented. Thank you also to my colleagues at the Department of Ethnology at Södertörn University, to Erika Lundell and Florence Fröhlig in particular, who always welcome discussion on any shared interest. I extend my gratitude for the opportunity to write this thesis to the Baltic Sea Foundation, which provided financial support for the research project ‘Religious ambiguities on the urban scene: Strategies for coping with religious diversity around the Baltic Sea’ of which my study is part. I also thank the Helge Ax:son Johnson Foundation and the Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy for Swedish Folk Culture for providing me with grants. I would also like to express my appreciation to Jonathan Robson for his assistance with typesetting, layout and cover design, to David Jones for his language editing, and to the artist Denise Nestor for generously allowing me to use her drawing Lepus as an illustration for this thesis. My 6 LIVING SIMULTANEITY gratitude goes also to all the administrators who have helped me with the practicalities through the years. On a personal note, living the process of writing a dissertation has been truly remarkable. It has been a time of strain and pressure, but simul- taneously it has been a period in which it has been possible to relax into and enjoy a life of the mind. In all of this my friends and family have helped me balance the allure of the thesis and the mysteries of daily life. Special thanks to my parents Karin and Bertil, my sister Petra and my aunt Benedicte for their unwavering support. In addition, I wish to acknow- ledge my deep gratitude to my grandmother Birgitta af Burén (1924– 2010). She was a remarkable woman who instilled in me a profound appreciation for knowledge and learning. I am indebted to her in so many ways.