Experiences of (Mis)recognition of Same-Sex Partnerships in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

Abstract

The article discusses the recognition of same-sex partnerships in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF). The main focus is on the experiences of recognition and misrecognition of same-sex couples when the couples have asked for a prayer on behalf of their registered partnership. The findings of this study confirm that the researched experiences of recognition have two dimensions, vertical and horizontal. Vertical recognition deals with institutional recognition and experiences with the sacred. Horizontal recognition entails experiences of interpersonal recognition. Narrated experiences often contained both horizontal and vertical dimensions of (mis)recognition. Recognition is a social phenomenon. Participants of the study had two distinct social contexts for recognition. One is the more loosely defined “rainbow community”, the other the formally authoritative, institutional ELCF. Most of the interviewees had positive experiences of recognition from the informal community but mainly negative experiences of misrecognition from the institutional ELCF. The difficult balancing between the conviction of the equal human dignity of each individual and the understanding of marriage as a social category for heterosexuals only led to same-sex couples’ experience of not being treated as equal members of the church. The study affirmed the importance of experiences and feelings as indicators in identifying a valid struggle for recognition.

Same-Sex Marriage, Toleration, and the Clergy of the Finnish Lutheran Church

“…R340 argued, "There must be space for all members of a congregation". An early study showed that same-sex couples often have negative experiences of misrecognition from the institutional ELCF (Hellqvist and Vähäkangas 2018). As I presented above, opposite-sex marriage is sacred for the opponents of same-sex marriage.…”

On Death and Loss in Queer and Trans lives

“…The Church institution, in turn, has power to influence and maintain these cultural habits in defining death rituals and maintaining the vast majority of Finnish cemeteries, guiding also how lost people can be honoured in gravesite memorials. Given the tense relationship between LGBTQ people and the Church institution in Finland, resulting from the inability of the Church to treat LGBTQ people with "fully equal respect" (Hellqvist & Vähäkangas 2018), I argue that having to face this prioritised role of the Church can be challenging for bereaved LGBTQ people, regardless of their personal worldviews. However, I do not claim that the Finnish culture of death is a monolith with no variation nor a possibility to change and be altered.…”

En villkorad gemenskap. Hbtq, sexualitet och kristen frikyrklighet

“…Att synen på homosexualitet är splittrad känns igen från tidigare studier; forskare från olika länder betonar att homosexualitet är den mest centrala skiljelinjen mellan liberala och värdekonservativa kyrkor idag (se exempelvis Hellqvist & Vähäkangas, 2018;Woodhead, 2007). De olika synsätten skapar konflikter och splittringar såväl mellan som inom samfunden (Carlström, 2020;van den Berg, 2017).…”