Introducing religious deconstruction: critical conversations about religion in a Swedish podcast
2025 (English)In: Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture, ISSN 2588-8099, E-ISSN 2165-9214, Vol. 14, no 1, p. 45-67
Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
In the past few years, a new networked public has emerged in Sweden, bringing together individuals from a conservative Christian background who have left faith and/or religious communities. Podcasts on religious deconstruction have played a crucial role in the formation of this network. This study is the first to explore the emerging phenomenon of religious deconstruction podcasts in Sweden. Specifically, the article focuses on the podcast Exvangeliet and examines deconstruction as a communicative project (Linell, 2011a, 2011b). The study aims to gain insight and a critical perspective on these podcast conversations’ underlying patterns, norms, and expectations. Three main organization sequences within the deconstructive conversation are identified: the personal narrative, joint processing, and joint reflection. The conversations are highly collaborative, emphasizing cooperation rather than competition, and lack significant internal conflict. Instead, any conflict exists focuses on the external context, encompassing both the church and the secular majority society.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Brill Academic Publishers, 2025. Vol. 14, no 1, p. 45-67
Keywords [en]
Religious deconstruction, podcast, conservative Christianity, Sweden, leaving religion, religious trauma, Free Churches, digital religion, apostasy, conversation analysis
Keywords [sv]
digital religion, podcast, religionskritik, frikyrkor, kristendom, apostasi, religionstrauma, konversations analys, religiös dekonstruktion
National Category
Religious Studies Other Humanities not elsewhere specified
Research subject
digital humanities; History Of Religions
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-237012DOI: 10.1163/21659214-bja10127OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-237012DiVA, id: diva2:1948346
Funder
Åke Wiberg Foundation, H22-00112025-03-282025-03-282025-03-31Bibliographically approved