Berit Thorbjørnsrud | University of Oslo (original) (raw)
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Papers by Berit Thorbjørnsrud
Numen, Sep 7, 2015
In the diaspora, Orthodox Christians do not unite as the canons prescribe; instead, they tend to ... more In the diaspora, Orthodox Christians do not unite as the canons prescribe; instead, they tend to establish branches of their home churches. Consequently, there are parallel jurisdictions, i.e., congregations belonging to the Russian Church, the Serbian, etc., everywhere. This is what church leaders describe as the problem of the Orthodox diaspora, which they deplore as heresy. Transferring Orthodox ecclesiology to the diaspora has turned out to be difficult, but why? There is a widespread notion that nationalism represents a particularly serious problem in the Orthodox Church, and the problem in the diaspora is likewise often explained as a consequence of nationalism. But is this really the case? In this article I will focus on how the problem is perceived by laypeople. Based on interviews with Orthodox Christians in Norway, I will argue that laypeople's transnational needs must be taken into account. The majority are immigrants struggling with the double process of settling in a new country while still remaining in touch with their home country. I will argue that religious institutions may serve an important role in such processes, and that the intertwining of religion and ethnic identities may support people's efforts to adapt. This appears to be the case for the Orthodox Christians in Norway, although at the expense of their canons. The lack of organizational unity does not, however, mean that laypeople are not concerned about the Orthodox Church's claim to universality.
Norsk antropologisk tidsskrift, Apr 25, 2005
Temenos, 1983
... youth. We shall group the poems and interpret them according to the variations of this motif.... more ... youth. We shall group the poems and interpret them according to the variations of this motif. I The boy is now willing to love when it is too late: the hairs have come. The ... rr. 55 and 56, ed. JF Kindstrand (Uppsala with Adramyttium. The ...
Kirke og kultur, Sep 8, 2020
Kirke og kultur, Dec 2, 2019
Numen, 2001
Through a narrative of the author's personal academic nomadism, the concepts of interdisciplinary... more Through a narrative of the author's personal academic nomadism, the concepts of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary studies are explored. It is argued that while interdisciplinary studies are currently being praised, insuf cient attention seems to be directed at the methodological challenges involved. Rather a line of strategic avoidance seems to be adopted. Drawing on insights from migrant studies the author compares the questionable concept of migrants as potentially "falling-betweencultures" with the fear of "falling-between-disciplines" sometimes experienced by scholars attempting to move within various disciplines. While there are important reasons why academic boundaries are retained, their existence may also in uence the way scholars approach the eld in an undesirable manner. By examples from the study of Islam/Muslims, the author illustrates how the boundary between, for example, social anthropology and history of religion tends to become mixed up with boundaries in the eld in such a way that our understanding of the eld may become seriously distorted. Exploring what transcending boundaries truely involves, the author discusses the meaning of concepts like strategic avoidance, tacit knowledge and triangulation in action, and re ects on their usefulness in terms of actually establishing interdisciplinary studies and/or scholarship.
Temenos, Jun 8, 2015
Due to its recent major revival in the post-Soviet period, the Orthodox Church can today be descr... more Due to its recent major revival in the post-Soviet period, the Orthodox Church can today be described as a church of new believers. While this seems to be acknowledged at a general level, there is a strong tendency to avoid speaking of new members with an Eastern European background as 'converts'. Although they have often gone through much greater transformations-from atheism to Orthodoxy-than those with a Western background, who generally seem to have a Christian past, the term convert is generally reserved for the Westerners. 'It is not our custom to call them converts', one of the priests in Norway commented. Conversion stories which gain international publicity are generally about Westerners, and even the few academic studies on converts to Orthodoxy have focused solely on those with a Western background. Based on fieldwork among the Orthodox in Norway, I will compare newcomers with a Western background with those with an Eastern European background, and I will argue that convert as an analytical concept may be equally useful in relation to members of both groups. This concept covers, however, a wide range of transformations, and it is thus important to identify precisely what kinds of converts there are among the many new Orthodox believers.
Babylon, 1970
Et langtrukkent ul som fra et dyr i nød flerret plutselig stillheten i kirkerommet. Alle skvatt t... more Et langtrukkent ul som fra et dyr i nød flerret plutselig stillheten i kirkerommet. Alle skvatt til, urolige blikk ble vekslet, og allesmå og store-forstod straks at det hadde kommet noen som "hadde djevler", det vil si var besatt.
Norsk tidsskrift for misjonsvitenskap, 2019
The missionaries arriving in the Arabian Peninsula dreamt of performing «the greatest marvel of m... more The missionaries arriving in the Arabian Peninsula dreamt of performing «the greatest marvel of missionary work ever witnessed», but their mission became in the end «notorious for its lack of success». The story of this mission cannot however be reduced to its infamous lack of converts. Though it ended differently than the missionaries had planned, the missionaries gained many friends, and they did manage to bring Christianity back to the Peninsula. Christian presence was to some extent accepted, and when Christian labor migrant began arriving, they were, partly thanks to the missionaries, granted space to practice their faith. Søkeord: Den arabiske halvøy-misjonshistorie-The Arabian Mission-Islamimperialisme-legemisjon-vennskap-evangelisering Berit Thorbjørnsrud, f. 1952, Professor i Midtøstenstudier, Universitetet i Oslo. Thorbjørnsrud har i en årrekke arbeidet med kristne minoriteter i Midtøsten, og hun har publisert flere tekster om Den koptisk-ortodokse kirke i Egypt. I 2015 var hun redaktør og medforfatter til boken: Kristne i Midtøsten. Kampen for tilhørighet. I de senere år har hun arbeidet med prosjektet: Den ukjente historien: kristne på Den arabiske halvøy. Dette omfatter den tidlige kristne historien frem til det 9. århundre, misjonaerperioden fra 1840 og dagens situasjon med millioner av kristne arbeidsmigranter.
Babylon Nordic Journal of Middle East Studies, 2016
Bestselgeren «Burned Alive» fremstiller livet i en palestinsk landsby som en dødsfelle for kvinne... more Bestselgeren «Burned Alive» fremstiller livet i en palestinsk landsby som en dødsfelle for kvinner. Hvordan brukes æresmord, og andre overgrep mot kvinner, til å bekrefte forestillingen om Vestens overlegenhet?
Babylon Nordic Journal of Middle East Studies, 2016
Kopternes forestillinger om kjønn kan skjematisk oppsummeres i tre punkter: 1) Gud har skapt menn... more Kopternes forestillinger om kjønn kan skjematisk oppsummeres i tre punkter: 1) Gud har skapt menn og kvinner som likeverdige, men forskjellige, og komplementære kjønnsroller er derfor det eneste naturlige. 2) I åndelig forstand er menn og kvinner like og har de samme muligheter til å oppnå frelse. 3) Kjønn kan transcenderes.
... Kritikk av relati visme kritikken Berit Thorbjørnsrud Page 2. ... går tett og nært inn på men... more ... Kritikk av relati visme kritikken Berit Thorbjørnsrud Page 2. ... går tett og nært inn på mennesker og jeg tviler faktisk på at noen ville delta i forskningsprosjekter av denne typen hvis de ikke følte seg trygge på forske-rens relativistiske metodiske forankring. ...
I norske medier er det en klar tendens til a fokusere pa religion som noe problematisk. Norge fre... more I norske medier er det en klar tendens til a fokusere pa religion som noe problematisk. Norge fremstilles som âet av verdens mest sekulaere samfunnâ, og det mer enn antydes at religiose mennesker bor forlate middelalderen og akseptere at de lever i det 21. arhundre. Denne religionsskepsisen bidrar til a skjule bade mangfoldet og aktivitetsnivaet i religiost liv i Norge. Saerlig har den rammet de nye religiose minoritetene som enten omtales som problematiske (muslimene), eller knapt omtales i det hele tatt (for eksempel sikher og hinduer). Man kan lett anta at dette bidrar til a forsinke deres integreringsprosess i Norge.
Kirke og Kultur, Dec 2, 2019
Numen, Sep 7, 2015
In the diaspora, Orthodox Christians do not unite as the canons prescribe; instead, they tend to ... more In the diaspora, Orthodox Christians do not unite as the canons prescribe; instead, they tend to establish branches of their home churches. Consequently, there are parallel jurisdictions, i.e., congregations belonging to the Russian Church, the Serbian, etc., everywhere. This is what church leaders describe as the problem of the Orthodox diaspora, which they deplore as heresy. Transferring Orthodox ecclesiology to the diaspora has turned out to be difficult, but why? There is a widespread notion that nationalism represents a particularly serious problem in the Orthodox Church, and the problem in the diaspora is likewise often explained as a consequence of nationalism. But is this really the case? In this article I will focus on how the problem is perceived by laypeople. Based on interviews with Orthodox Christians in Norway, I will argue that laypeople's transnational needs must be taken into account. The majority are immigrants struggling with the double process of settling in a new country while still remaining in touch with their home country. I will argue that religious institutions may serve an important role in such processes, and that the intertwining of religion and ethnic identities may support people's efforts to adapt. This appears to be the case for the Orthodox Christians in Norway, although at the expense of their canons. The lack of organizational unity does not, however, mean that laypeople are not concerned about the Orthodox Church's claim to universality.
Norsk antropologisk tidsskrift, Apr 25, 2005
Temenos, 1983
... youth. We shall group the poems and interpret them according to the variations of this motif.... more ... youth. We shall group the poems and interpret them according to the variations of this motif. I The boy is now willing to love when it is too late: the hairs have come. The ... rr. 55 and 56, ed. JF Kindstrand (Uppsala with Adramyttium. The ...
Kirke og kultur, Sep 8, 2020
Kirke og kultur, Dec 2, 2019
Numen, 2001
Through a narrative of the author's personal academic nomadism, the concepts of interdisciplinary... more Through a narrative of the author's personal academic nomadism, the concepts of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary studies are explored. It is argued that while interdisciplinary studies are currently being praised, insuf cient attention seems to be directed at the methodological challenges involved. Rather a line of strategic avoidance seems to be adopted. Drawing on insights from migrant studies the author compares the questionable concept of migrants as potentially "falling-betweencultures" with the fear of "falling-between-disciplines" sometimes experienced by scholars attempting to move within various disciplines. While there are important reasons why academic boundaries are retained, their existence may also in uence the way scholars approach the eld in an undesirable manner. By examples from the study of Islam/Muslims, the author illustrates how the boundary between, for example, social anthropology and history of religion tends to become mixed up with boundaries in the eld in such a way that our understanding of the eld may become seriously distorted. Exploring what transcending boundaries truely involves, the author discusses the meaning of concepts like strategic avoidance, tacit knowledge and triangulation in action, and re ects on their usefulness in terms of actually establishing interdisciplinary studies and/or scholarship.
Temenos, Jun 8, 2015
Due to its recent major revival in the post-Soviet period, the Orthodox Church can today be descr... more Due to its recent major revival in the post-Soviet period, the Orthodox Church can today be described as a church of new believers. While this seems to be acknowledged at a general level, there is a strong tendency to avoid speaking of new members with an Eastern European background as 'converts'. Although they have often gone through much greater transformations-from atheism to Orthodoxy-than those with a Western background, who generally seem to have a Christian past, the term convert is generally reserved for the Westerners. 'It is not our custom to call them converts', one of the priests in Norway commented. Conversion stories which gain international publicity are generally about Westerners, and even the few academic studies on converts to Orthodoxy have focused solely on those with a Western background. Based on fieldwork among the Orthodox in Norway, I will compare newcomers with a Western background with those with an Eastern European background, and I will argue that convert as an analytical concept may be equally useful in relation to members of both groups. This concept covers, however, a wide range of transformations, and it is thus important to identify precisely what kinds of converts there are among the many new Orthodox believers.
Babylon, 1970
Et langtrukkent ul som fra et dyr i nød flerret plutselig stillheten i kirkerommet. Alle skvatt t... more Et langtrukkent ul som fra et dyr i nød flerret plutselig stillheten i kirkerommet. Alle skvatt til, urolige blikk ble vekslet, og allesmå og store-forstod straks at det hadde kommet noen som "hadde djevler", det vil si var besatt.
Norsk tidsskrift for misjonsvitenskap, 2019
The missionaries arriving in the Arabian Peninsula dreamt of performing «the greatest marvel of m... more The missionaries arriving in the Arabian Peninsula dreamt of performing «the greatest marvel of missionary work ever witnessed», but their mission became in the end «notorious for its lack of success». The story of this mission cannot however be reduced to its infamous lack of converts. Though it ended differently than the missionaries had planned, the missionaries gained many friends, and they did manage to bring Christianity back to the Peninsula. Christian presence was to some extent accepted, and when Christian labor migrant began arriving, they were, partly thanks to the missionaries, granted space to practice their faith. Søkeord: Den arabiske halvøy-misjonshistorie-The Arabian Mission-Islamimperialisme-legemisjon-vennskap-evangelisering Berit Thorbjørnsrud, f. 1952, Professor i Midtøstenstudier, Universitetet i Oslo. Thorbjørnsrud har i en årrekke arbeidet med kristne minoriteter i Midtøsten, og hun har publisert flere tekster om Den koptisk-ortodokse kirke i Egypt. I 2015 var hun redaktør og medforfatter til boken: Kristne i Midtøsten. Kampen for tilhørighet. I de senere år har hun arbeidet med prosjektet: Den ukjente historien: kristne på Den arabiske halvøy. Dette omfatter den tidlige kristne historien frem til det 9. århundre, misjonaerperioden fra 1840 og dagens situasjon med millioner av kristne arbeidsmigranter.
Babylon Nordic Journal of Middle East Studies, 2016
Bestselgeren «Burned Alive» fremstiller livet i en palestinsk landsby som en dødsfelle for kvinne... more Bestselgeren «Burned Alive» fremstiller livet i en palestinsk landsby som en dødsfelle for kvinner. Hvordan brukes æresmord, og andre overgrep mot kvinner, til å bekrefte forestillingen om Vestens overlegenhet?
Babylon Nordic Journal of Middle East Studies, 2016
Kopternes forestillinger om kjønn kan skjematisk oppsummeres i tre punkter: 1) Gud har skapt menn... more Kopternes forestillinger om kjønn kan skjematisk oppsummeres i tre punkter: 1) Gud har skapt menn og kvinner som likeverdige, men forskjellige, og komplementære kjønnsroller er derfor det eneste naturlige. 2) I åndelig forstand er menn og kvinner like og har de samme muligheter til å oppnå frelse. 3) Kjønn kan transcenderes.
... Kritikk av relati visme kritikken Berit Thorbjørnsrud Page 2. ... går tett og nært inn på men... more ... Kritikk av relati visme kritikken Berit Thorbjørnsrud Page 2. ... går tett og nært inn på mennesker og jeg tviler faktisk på at noen ville delta i forskningsprosjekter av denne typen hvis de ikke følte seg trygge på forske-rens relativistiske metodiske forankring. ...
I norske medier er det en klar tendens til a fokusere pa religion som noe problematisk. Norge fre... more I norske medier er det en klar tendens til a fokusere pa religion som noe problematisk. Norge fremstilles som âet av verdens mest sekulaere samfunnâ, og det mer enn antydes at religiose mennesker bor forlate middelalderen og akseptere at de lever i det 21. arhundre. Denne religionsskepsisen bidrar til a skjule bade mangfoldet og aktivitetsnivaet i religiost liv i Norge. Saerlig har den rammet de nye religiose minoritetene som enten omtales som problematiske (muslimene), eller knapt omtales i det hele tatt (for eksempel sikher og hinduer). Man kan lett anta at dette bidrar til a forsinke deres integreringsprosess i Norge.
Kirke og Kultur, Dec 2, 2019