From Sin to a Gift from God: Constructions of Change in Conservative Christian Organizations

Abstract

The present article is based on several empirical studies of religious organizations with a conservative self-understanding coping with modernity in liberal, pluralist societies. In such organizations, religiously relevant change will often be seen as a problem in itself. The article discusses the relationship between changes in practices and theological legitimations of changes. Often changes in social practice precede theological reflections. The article also presents some strategies for legitimating changes. While the discussion is partly general, it is based on empirical studies of religious changes in the southernmost part of Norway, called Agder, traditionally a stronghold of Christian, low-church, pietistic movements.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Cristina Grenholm, Linda Woodhead, the anonymous referees of the Journal of Contemporary Religion, and a number of colleagues at the University of Agder for important comments on an earlier version of this article.