"Soon we will all be Swedish"
Overcoming Implicit Cultural Supremacy in the Church’s Encounters with Migrants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58412/hyb.v4i2.54221Keywords:
contextual theology, migration, discipleship, post-colonialism, critical pedagogy, biblical interpretationAbstract
This article critically examines the Church of Sweden’s approach to migrant integration through the lens of contextual theology and pedagogical theory. Drawing on three years of ethnographic fieldwork with a Bible study group of unaccompanied Afghan minors, the study contrasts two pedagogical models: a monological, assimilationist approach and a dialogical, participatory model informed by Discovery Bible Study (DBS). The findings suggest that the former risks reinforcing implicit cultural supremacy, while the latter enables culturally grounded interpretations of scripture and the emergence of hybrid theological identities. Engaging theories of inculturation, contextualisation, and critical pedagogy, the article argues that the church should prioritise integration into the multicultural body of Christ rather than assimilation into dominant Swedish norms. It offers practical implications for avoiding cultural hegemony and for fostering leadership and theological agency among migrant-background Christians. Ultimately, the article calls for a critical reimagining of the church’s role in an increasingly diverse society.
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