‘Sacrament of (Be)longing’: Analysis of Finnish Lutheran and Orthodox Christian Eucharistic Practices amid Absence and Estrangement

This article addresses eucharistic and communal transformations of two local Finnish churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) and the Orthodox Church of Finland (OCF), amid the COVID-19 pandemic and precautions. We analyze how eucharistic practices have transformed in the ELCF and...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Ahonen, Talvikki (Author) ; Mikkola, Sini (Author) ; Kallatsa, Laura (Author) ; Metso, Pekka (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2022
In: Exchange
Year: 2022, Volume: 51, Issue: 1, Pages: 39-60
IxTheo Classification:KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history
KBE Northern Europe; Scandinavia
KDD Protestant Church
KDF Orthodox Church
NBP Sacramentology; sacraments
RC Liturgy
Further subjects:B Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
B Communion
B Covid-19
B Ecclesiology
B Orthodox Church of Finland
B Eucharist
B Community
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Summary:This article addresses eucharistic and communal transformations of two local Finnish churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) and the Orthodox Church of Finland (OCF), amid the COVID-19 pandemic and precautions. We analyze how eucharistic practices have transformed in the ELCF and the OCF and the ways these transformations are reflected in the experiences of both parishioners and pastors. The data consist of four questionnaires (N = 739) collected from Lutheran and Orthodox believers and Lutheran vicars during the pandemic. Our results indicate that the significance of belonging was emphasized during the time of social distancing. While among those in the ELCF, experiences of belonging were manifested in terms of Eucharist, among those in the OCF, belonging was most often reflected in relation to liturgical community. The differences in eucharistic theologies of the OCF and the ELCF have perhaps become more visible in exceptional circumstances.
ISSN:1572-543X
Contains:Enthalten in: Exchange
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/1572543X-20221618