The first ordained women in the Church of Sweden

When the Church of Sweden General Synod decided to open the priesthood to women on 28 September 1958, a long theological and political debate came to an end. On Palm Sunday in 1960 the first three women were ordained as priests; over the next ten years, 54 women were ordained. This book centres on t...

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Պահպանված է:
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Հիմնական հեղինակներ: Mannerfelt, Frida, Maurits, Alexander
Ձևաչափ: Online
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Հրապարակվել է: Manchester University Press 2026
Խորագրեր:
Առցանց հասանելիություն:https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/111269
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author Mannerfelt, Frida
Maurits, Alexander
author_browse Mannerfelt, Frida
Maurits, Alexander
author_facet Mannerfelt, Frida
Maurits, Alexander
author_sort Mannerfelt, Frida
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description When the Church of Sweden General Synod decided to open the priesthood to women on 28 September 1958, a long theological and political debate came to an end. On Palm Sunday in 1960 the first three women were ordained as priests; over the next ten years, 54 women were ordained. This book centres on their narratives of vocation and recognition. At the heart of the book are the narratives of 34 of the first ordained women, detailing their journey to ordination and their early years in parish service. The narratives are analysed against the backdrop of the theological and historical contexts of vocation and recognition that shaped these women's narratives, describing the warm and widespread recognition they received from colleagues, bishops and parishes as well as the conditional, or even withheld, recognition they sometimes faced. Through this close reading of the vocation narratives, established historical narratives of the opening of the priesthood to women are complemented and challenged. The book also places the Swedish experience in a broader context by exploring the ecumenical and international influences that impacted the process, using the dual analytical lens of vocation and recognition to point to parallels and connections across denominational and national boundaries.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-1737032026-03-19T13:50:08Z The first ordained women in the Church of Sweden Mannerfelt, Frida Maurits, Alexander Mannerfelt, Frida Maurits, Alexander Church of Sweden Female ordination Women clergy Vocation Recognition Axel Honneth Narrative analysis Historical narrative Vocation to the priesthood Recognition of female clergy Historical narratives Women’s ordination Church leadership Gender and priesthood Vocation narratives Use of history Historical consciousness Paul Ricoeur Jörn Rüsen Historical context Emancipation Secularisation Religious pluralism Core episodes Confirmation Church commitments Clerical families Theology of vocation Vocatio Consecratio The priesthood of all believers Apostolic succession Gustaf Wingren Luther and the three estates Galatians 3:28 Margit Sahlin Vocation narrative Theological education Practical-theological training Legal recognition Social recognition Denied recognition Resistance to female clergy Conscience clause The Church Coalition for the Bible and Confession Formal recognition Parish attitudes Attitudes of fellow clergy Attitudes of bishops Ambivalent recognition Narrative of division Clerical code of conduct Struggle for recognition Opposition to women clergy Ecumenical connections Low Church revivals Women in free churches Ecumenical argument Church of Norway Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark Women in the Church of England Female priests and ecumenism Clergy in the Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden in international comparisons Church developments viewed personally thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups::QRMB3 Protestantism and Protestant Churches::QRMB34 Lutheran Churches thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRA Religion: general::QRAX History of religion thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBS Social groups, communities and identities::JBSF Gender studies, gender groups::JBSF1 Gender studies: women and girls thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups::QRMB3 Protestantism and Protestant Churches::QRMB33 Calvinist, Reformed and Presbyterian Churches When the Church of Sweden General Synod decided to open the priesthood to women on 28 September 1958, a long theological and political debate came to an end. On Palm Sunday in 1960 the first three women were ordained as priests; over the next ten years, 54 women were ordained. This book centres on their narratives of vocation and recognition. At the heart of the book are the narratives of 34 of the first ordained women, detailing their journey to ordination and their early years in parish service. The narratives are analysed against the backdrop of the theological and historical contexts of vocation and recognition that shaped these women's narratives, describing the warm and widespread recognition they received from colleagues, bishops and parishes as well as the conditional, or even withheld, recognition they sometimes faced. Through this close reading of the vocation narratives, established historical narratives of the opening of the priesthood to women are complemented and challenged. The book also places the Swedish experience in a broader context by exploring the ecumenical and international influences that impacted the process, using the dual analytical lens of vocation and recognition to point to parallels and connections across denominational and national boundaries. 2026-03-19T13:50:07Z 2026-03-19T13:50:07Z 2026-03-06T14:24:19Z 2026 book https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/111269 9789198994148 9789198994131 9789798994131 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/173703 eng open access image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/111269/1/9789198994148.pdf Manchester University Press 10.7765/9789198994148 10.7765/9789198994148 bcb4ab08-c525-4e6c-88e5-a0cf0a175533 9789198994148 9789198994131 9789798994131 354 Lund open access
spellingShingle Church of Sweden
Female ordination
Women clergy
Vocation
Recognition
Axel Honneth
Narrative analysis
Historical narrative
Vocation to the priesthood
Recognition of female clergy
Historical narratives
Women’s ordination
Church leadership
Gender and priesthood
Vocation narratives
Use of history
Historical consciousness
Paul Ricoeur
Jörn Rüsen
Historical context
Emancipation
Secularisation
Religious pluralism
Core episodes
Confirmation
Church commitments
Clerical families
Theology of vocation
Vocatio
Consecratio
The priesthood of all believers
Apostolic succession
Gustaf Wingren
Luther and the three estates
Galatians 3:28
Margit Sahlin
Vocation narrative
Theological education
Practical-theological training
Legal recognition
Social recognition
Denied recognition
Resistance to female clergy
Conscience clause
The Church Coalition for the Bible and Confession
Formal recognition
Parish attitudes
Attitudes of fellow clergy
Attitudes of bishops
Ambivalent recognition
Narrative of division
Clerical code of conduct
Struggle for recognition
Opposition to women clergy
Ecumenical connections
Low Church revivals
Women in free churches
Ecumenical argument
Church of Norway
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Women in the Church of England
Female priests and ecumenism
Clergy in the Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden in international comparisons
Church developments viewed personally
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups::QRMB3 Protestantism and Protestant Churches::QRMB34 Lutheran Churches
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRA Religion: general::QRAX History of religion
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBS Social groups, communities and identities::JBSF Gender studies, gender groups::JBSF1 Gender studies: women and girls
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups::QRMB3 Protestantism and Protestant Churches::QRMB33 Calvinist, Reformed and Presbyterian Churches
Mannerfelt, Frida
Maurits, Alexander
The first ordained women in the Church of Sweden
title The first ordained women in the Church of Sweden
title_full The first ordained women in the Church of Sweden
title_fullStr The first ordained women in the Church of Sweden
title_full_unstemmed The first ordained women in the Church of Sweden
title_short The first ordained women in the Church of Sweden
title_sort first ordained women in the church of sweden
topic Church of Sweden
Female ordination
Women clergy
Vocation
Recognition
Axel Honneth
Narrative analysis
Historical narrative
Vocation to the priesthood
Recognition of female clergy
Historical narratives
Women’s ordination
Church leadership
Gender and priesthood
Vocation narratives
Use of history
Historical consciousness
Paul Ricoeur
Jörn Rüsen
Historical context
Emancipation
Secularisation
Religious pluralism
Core episodes
Confirmation
Church commitments
Clerical families
Theology of vocation
Vocatio
Consecratio
The priesthood of all believers
Apostolic succession
Gustaf Wingren
Luther and the three estates
Galatians 3:28
Margit Sahlin
Vocation narrative
Theological education
Practical-theological training
Legal recognition
Social recognition
Denied recognition
Resistance to female clergy
Conscience clause
The Church Coalition for the Bible and Confession
Formal recognition
Parish attitudes
Attitudes of fellow clergy
Attitudes of bishops
Ambivalent recognition
Narrative of division
Clerical code of conduct
Struggle for recognition
Opposition to women clergy
Ecumenical connections
Low Church revivals
Women in free churches
Ecumenical argument
Church of Norway
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Women in the Church of England
Female priests and ecumenism
Clergy in the Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden in international comparisons
Church developments viewed personally
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups::QRMB3 Protestantism and Protestant Churches::QRMB34 Lutheran Churches
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRA Religion: general::QRAX History of religion
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBS Social groups, communities and identities::JBSF Gender studies, gender groups::JBSF1 Gender studies: women and girls
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups::QRMB3 Protestantism and Protestant Churches::QRMB33 Calvinist, Reformed and Presbyterian Churches
topic_facet Church of Sweden
Female ordination
Women clergy
Vocation
Recognition
Axel Honneth
Narrative analysis
Historical narrative
Vocation to the priesthood
Recognition of female clergy
Historical narratives
Women’s ordination
Church leadership
Gender and priesthood
Vocation narratives
Use of history
Historical consciousness
Paul Ricoeur
Jörn Rüsen
Historical context
Emancipation
Secularisation
Religious pluralism
Core episodes
Confirmation
Church commitments
Clerical families
Theology of vocation
Vocatio
Consecratio
The priesthood of all believers
Apostolic succession
Gustaf Wingren
Luther and the three estates
Galatians 3:28
Margit Sahlin
Vocation narrative
Theological education
Practical-theological training
Legal recognition
Social recognition
Denied recognition
Resistance to female clergy
Conscience clause
The Church Coalition for the Bible and Confession
Formal recognition
Parish attitudes
Attitudes of fellow clergy
Attitudes of bishops
Ambivalent recognition
Narrative of division
Clerical code of conduct
Struggle for recognition
Opposition to women clergy
Ecumenical connections
Low Church revivals
Women in free churches
Ecumenical argument
Church of Norway
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Women in the Church of England
Female priests and ecumenism
Clergy in the Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden in international comparisons
Church developments viewed personally
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups::QRMB3 Protestantism and Protestant Churches::QRMB34 Lutheran Churches
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRA Religion: general::QRAX History of religion
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBS Social groups, communities and identities::JBSF Gender studies, gender groups::JBSF1 Gender studies: women and girls
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMB Christian Churches, denominations, groups::QRMB3 Protestantism and Protestant Churches::QRMB33 Calvinist, Reformed and Presbyterian Churches
url https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/111269
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