Förändring av Missionssynen? : Perspektiv på Svenska kyrkans mission 1945–2000 speglad av ledning och missionärer

A change in missiology?: Perspectives on the theology of the Church of Sweden Mission 1945-2000, as reflected through leadership and by missionaries. Like orhermissionary organisations, the Church of Sweden Mission (CSM) has undegone farreaching change and development since its foundation in yhe nineteenth century, This study focuses on how missionaries and CSM's leadership have perceived the developments that have taken place. A survey was constructed and sent to all living missionaries during 2004-2005. Then six focus-group discussions were organised and various appeals for financial collections in local churches during the period 1945-1999 have been scrutinised. The methods employed are based on qualitative analysis (focus-groups), quantitative analysis (survey) and text analysis. A pilot survey, sent to a limited number of persons, was carried out in 2001 and provided guidance for the foumulation of questions both for the survey and for the focus-groups. Chapter 2 give Swedish historical perspectives on mission and missiology from the first beginning of interest in foreign mission around the year 1800 til 2000. Chapter 3 gives international perspectives on missiology after 1945 focusing two major international handbooks on missiology and a Norwegian handbook. Chapter 4: Survey to all missionaries 2004-2005. The answers to the survey showed a clear tendency in the shift of motivation from mission to dialogue and from evangelisation to diaconal and humanitarian goals. 38 per cent say that they have changed their own missiology. Chapter 5: Focus group discussions in 2005. The majority of the participants in the six different focus-group discussions stated that the CSM had gone through major changes both theologically and practically, during the period under study. Chapter 6: Appeals for collections 1945-1999. The analysis shows that evangelisation remained the overall motive that was given for the whole period. On one hand there was a widespread continuity over the whole period, and on the oter hand a certain change in diaconal motives from the 1970s onwards, which were more often presented side by side with evangelisation. All three studies point to a change from conservative theology, to first to liberal theology and then on to radical theology. The change being less clear in the collection appeals than in the survey and the focus-group discussions