Den nya missionen: En analys av “VarförKristens” narrativ och meningsskapande i en digital samtid
2025 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
This essay examines how the Swedish organization VarförKristen utilizes social media to conduct digital mission. The study aims to analyze how VarförKristen constructs and communicates Christian narratives and how these stories create meaning, community, and differentiation from other groups. Using a netnographic method, video content and comments from the organization’s platforms have been analyzed. The study is based on theories of digital mission, digital storytelling, and narrativity. Four central themes were identified in VarförKristen’s content: (1) personal testimonies, where individual conversion stories establish authenticity, (2) guidelines for Christian living, which communicate moral and theological principles, (3) biblical retelling, where the organization simplifies and discusses biblical texts, and (4) political discussions, which engage viewers in controversial issues. The findings show that VarförKristen functions as a digital pioneer, adapting evangelization to digital environments. The organization creates an open yet guided dialogue, where interactivity and audience engagement play a crucial role, but where strategic choices also shape the religious message. At the same time, the study highlights challenges within digital mission, such as the risk of superficial interactions, ideological polarization, and the reliance on external resources to further spread Christianity. By analyzing VarförKristen’s activities, this thesis contributes to research on digital religion, demonstrating how digital mission navigates between traditional and modern expressions in a digital age.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025.
Keywords [en]
Digital mission, narrativitet, internetetnografi, sociala medier
National Category
Ethnology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-56776OAI: oai:DiVA.org:sh-56776DiVA, id: diva2:1943978
Subject / course
Ethnology
Supervisors
Examiners
2025-03-132025-03-122025-03-13Bibliographically approved