University College Stockholm
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Voices Behind Bars : Exploring the Experiences of Palestinian Women in Israeli Prisons
No full textPalestinian women detained in Israeli prisons are often subjected to systemic human rights violations. This study examines the treatment of Palestinian women in Israeli prisons, examining the extent to which these experiences align with or diverge from international human rights norms. Through rigorous analysis of existing literature, legal frameworks, and firsthand accounts, this study aims to contribute to the discourse on human rights and justice within the context of Palestinian incarceration. By examining various aspects of their treatment, including but not limited to conditions of detention, interrogation methods, access to legal representation, and healthcare provision, this research seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by women within Israeli prison facilities. The findings from interviews with Palestinian female prisoners provide compelling evidence of the systematic abuses of human rights perpetrated by Israeli authorities within the prison system. In light of these findings, it is imperative to advocate for reforms within the Israeli prison system, with a focus on upholding the rights and dignity of Palestinian female detainees
The Eternal Life Here and Now : A Widened Understanding of ζωή αἰώνιος in Contemporary Reception of the Gospel of John
No full textThis thesis aims to explore the basis for an enlarged understanding of ζωή αἰώνιος; eternal life, in contemporary reception of the Gospel of John. Eternal life is often seen as a promise for life after physical death, but the theologians in focus, Paolo Ricca, Marianne Meye Thompson, John Sanford and Benjamin E. Reynolds, understand eternal life in John as a partially realized eschatology. The method is a comparative reception-historical analysis of these four scholars’ interpretations, including evaluation of their exegetic claims. The theologians’ arguments are mainly based on key passages such as John 5:24 and John 17:3, which points towards a presentic understanding of eternal life. The way the Gospel of John contrasts ψυχή, in John used for physical/earthly life, and ζωή, life in fullness, is another argument by Ricca and Thompson. Eternal life is based on an intimate relationship with God through Christ, and the acceptance of dependence on God. The fact that John often put εἰς; in to, before ζωή αἰώνιος, is another indication that eternal life is something dynamic and process-oriented, as pointed out by Ricca. Reynolds compares John with Jewish apocalyptic literature from the second temple period and discloses many similarities between John and apocalyptic Jewish literature in the understanding of a parallel reality, hidden but revealed. Sanford makes a synthesis of John and Jungian terminology and points out distance from the ego and leaning towards the drawing center (God) as the path to eternal life. Thompson includes the Holy Spirit in enabling eternal life. Ricca places eternal life in relation to salvation history, and presents an understanding of time where the future comes towards us. Love is the most prominent insignia of eternal life, and forms the basis for an ethics which can also imply transformation of society. In that way the soteriology of John can also be seen as something collective, even if the individual’s encounter with God and Christ is in focus.
”Eunuch for the Sake of the Kingdom of Heaven”
No full textThis bachelor’s thesis is about the relationship between marriage, divorce and celibacy, and their respective relation to realized eschatology in the gospel of Matthew. I give special attention to the passages in Matthew that specifically deals with marriage ethics (Matt. 19:1-12, Matt. 5:31-32) and ones that have an explicit connection to eschatology (Matt. 22:30, Matt. 24:37-39). The essay is an exegetical literary analysis, and I will analyze these texts in relation to the historical debate on marriage but also in relation to Jesus´s claim on authority and motives. Since this motivation of Jesus is the kingdom utopia, it follows that the strict teaching on marriage and divorce is motivated by an ideal vision of heaven on earth
Digitala smågrupper som platser för undervisning : En aktionsforskningsavhandling om religionspedagogik i Svenska kyrkan
No full textCentered around a reflective narrative recounting the experiences of a participatory action research project into leading online small groups for adults in the Church of Sweden Diocese of Stockholm during 2021 and 2022, the dissertation argues for the need to reconceptualize and reemphasize teaching as an important aspect in Christian religious education. Employing creative non-fiction methods, the dissertation aims to broaden the scope of the initial Online Small Groups project, by inviting readers to join into a “learning journey.” The narrative account is complemented with more traditional forms of analysis that connect experiences from online small groups in the Church of Sweden to similar research from Anglo-Saxon countries, noting especially how notions of community diverge due to different ecclesiological understandings. Insights are then synthesized into eight teaching strategies aimed at communicating actionable knowledge to small group leaders, before noting how the study complements research on Christian religious education and, particularly, the current debate about learning and teaching in the Church of Sweden.Avhandlingen är centrerad kring en reflekterande berättelse om erfarenheterna från ett deltagande aktionsforskningsprojekt om att leda digitala smågrupper för vuxna i Svenska kyrkans Stockholms stift under 2021 och 2022. Avhandlingen argumenterar för behovet av att rekonceptualisera och betona undervisning som en viktig aspekt i kristen religionspedagogik. Genom att använda skönlitterära metoder syftar avhandlingen till att bredda insikterna från det ursprungliga Online Small Groups-projektet genom att bjuda in läsarna att delta i en “läranderesa.” Den narrativa berättelsen kompletteras med mer traditionella former av analys som kopplar erfarenheter från digitala smågrupper i Svenska kyrkan till liknande forskning från anglosaxiska länder, och noterar särskilt hur uppfattningar om gemenskap skiljer sig åt på grund av olika ecklesiologiska förståelser. Insikterna sammanfattas sedan i åtta undervisningsstrategier som syftar till att förmedla användbar kunskap till smågruppsledare, innan det noteras på vilka sätt studien kompletterar forskning om kristen religionspedagogik och, i synnerhet, den aktuella debatten om lärande och undervisning i Svenska kyrkan
Indigeneity and Recognition : Ethnic Minority Rights in Bangladesh
No full textOver fifty ethnic minority groups living in Bangladesh collectively demand recognition of Indigenous identity, but Bangladesh does not constitutionally recognize this identity. Historically, they experienced marginalization, discrimination, and oppression at the hands of the establishment and the political elite, including the majority. They face challenges to maintain their distinct society alongside the majority. Moreover, there is a dilemma between the concept of “indigenous people” and “small ethnic minority groups”. With this context, this dissertation concerns the topics of indigeneity, recognition, and ethnic minority rights in Bangladesh. This thesis aims to investigate the discourse of indigenous identity in Bangladesh, analyze how ethnic minority communities experience social, traditional, cultural, and political life within and outside of their community, and discuss how ethnic minority communities can maintain themselves as distinct societies. This thesis focuses on qualitative research methodology. The primary data was collected through semi-structured individual and group interviews with open-ended descriptive questions. Besides the research problems and aims, the first chapter focuses on the research questions and explains why Bangladesh was selected as a case study for this thesis. The second chapter of this thesis focuses on the literature review. This portion of the essay examines the literature to determine what is already known in the field, identify research methods and techniques, highlight important concepts, conclusions, and theories, and identify any gaps in the articles. This section also investigates whether there is any ambivalence between the terms “indigenous” and “small ethnic groups” in academia. The third Chapter discusses methods and methodology. Then, chapter four presents an overview of the theoretical framework based on Kymlicka's liberal theory of minority rights. The fifth chapter investigates a discourse on indigenous identity in Bangladesh. In the sixth section, based on the theoretical framework, this thesis analyses findings from the data and connects them with essential international instruments and national legal policy and framework. In conclusion, this thesis summarizes the findings. In concluding remarks, it offers insights into what needs to be changed or improved in the legal framework and policies to support the cultural rights of minority ethnic communities to maintain themselves as a distinct society
The colonial approaches by the Iranian regime towards the Kurds during the Jîna Uprising : A case study of the Jîna Uprising through an internal colonial lens
No full textIn September 2022, the state murder of Jîna Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, by the Islamic Republic's morality police in Tehran sparked a nationwide uprising, the largest since the 1979 revolution. With a central point of the movement in Kurdistan, this study aims to determine whether the Islamic Republic of Iran's (IRI) methods constitute a continuation of colonial practice. The study employs case studies and content analysis using the "internal colonialism" paradigm from the limitations of a time frame of 2022 to 2023. Findings highlight a colonial relationship between IRI and Kurdistan, which plays a heavy role in the case of Jîna Amini and the Jîna Uprising. The attempts to subjugate Amini's Kurdishness and Kurdistan discloses the institutionalized racial hierarchy within IRI. The disproportionate use of force, as observed in cases of heavy militarization, securitization, arrests, brutal treatment of protesters and prisoners, sexual violence, and the killing of Kolberis, all point to colonial structures. Essentially, this study provides a critical reassessment of the human rights violations perpetrated by IRI through colonial methods
Low Women Participation in Politics : A Nigerian Assessment; 1999-2023
No full textThis research investigated the low female political participation in Nigeria, focusing on the political institutions in the country and how they contribute to this persistent low female political participation. To achieve this, this study was executed using the frameworks of democracy, gender, feminist and citizenship theories. Similarly, it used qualitative case study as its approach, employing purposive sampling to select participants for its research purpose, while using structured interview to collect data from the available 6 female politicians willing to participate in the research. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the collated primary and secondary data. The results generated indicate that the political institutions in the country contributed to the persistent low female political participation in Nigeria. It equally found that low female political participation negatively affected the nation's democracy in several ways and offered practical solutions through which this reoccurring genderized situation can be improved. This research adds to the existing knowledge aimed at understanding the low female political participation in Nigeria. It also demonstrates that the country's heavily genderized politics correlates with the negative perception of the country's democratic system, and that the genderized politics is as a result of several systemic and institutional issues. Findings suggest that the country should eschew lip service and engage in genuine, practical, sustainable measures to gradually stamp out inequality from the grassroots
God as King in the Psalms : Mappings of the metaphor GOD IS KING
No full textThe purpose of this essay is to understand the metaphor GOD IS KING through an exegetical, literary analysis and by the insights of cognitive metaphor theory. By isolating the concept of kingship associated with god, through the scope of the Psalter, and taking inventory of what is said about god in these texts, the essay will discover the mappings that lie behind the metaphor GOD IS KING in the psalms. The result shows that the metaphor GOD IS KING contains four submetaphors, which can be described as GOD IS A FATHER, GOD IS A WARRIOR, GOD REIGNS OVER THE COSMOS and GOD IS FAITHFUL AND MERCIFUL. There are differences between God as king and humans as kings, since God’s kingship contains memories from Israel’s history that shows his qualities as transforming the people, conquering the enemies and even transcending life and death. By knowing these informative aspects of god as king, from reading and analyzing Pss 68, 103 and 145, this essay will show that the metaphor GOD IS KING is only appropriate in describing Israel’s god, due to his wondrous works, character and essence. The metaphor GOD IS KING further constitutes a critical instance of the idea of a functioning and flourishing kingdom, as the metaphor shows examples of the need for the king to be sovereign in certain aspects
At home or adrift? :acculturation processes in a congregational context : Qualitative study based on interviews of four women of foreign descent
No full textDenna studie undersöker upplevelser av ackulturation från fyra kvinnor med utländsk bakgrund och hur deras levda kristna tro bidrar till meningsskapande. Genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer analyserades de utmaningar och möjligheter som uppstår under ackulturationsprocessen. Resultatet visar att en levd kristen tro fungerar som en viktig resurs, inte bara som ett andligt stöd utan också som ett ramverk för att förstå och hantera deras nya livssituationer. Tron bidrar till meningsskapandet genom att erbjuda sammanhang, identitet och gemenskap, vilket underlättar en framgångsrik ackulturationsstrategi som är dynamisk och flytande beroende på vilken aspekt av livet de befinner sig i. Deltagarna ger uttryck för ackulturationsupplevelser unika för varje individ och vittnar om att deras kristna tro ger de utrymme för utveckling och fungerar som förankring i en tryggare identitet och kultur. Integration är den ackulturationsstrategi som flest identifierar sig med i enlighet med tidigare forskning
The Jews in Clement of Alexandria
No full textWhile the anti-Jewish rhetoric of several other second-century Christian authors is both apparent and well-attested, Clement of Alexandria’s (c. 150–215 CE) stance toward contemporary Judaism is considerably more difficult to gauge, since he barely mentions Jews and avoids making a point out of other authors’ anti-Judaism even when quoting it. This paper analyses the instances where Clement does refer to Jews as a contemporary religious community, and concludes that although he participates in second-century anti-Jewish polemic, he maintains a critical distance from it, as he views contemporary Judaism as a valuable religious tradition, second only to Christianity, although it has a central flaw in not trusting in Jesus