What Finns Want
Yle News summarizes The Church Research Institute's (Finnish Evangelical Lutheran) survey on Finns' expectations towards the clergy in their personal life and moral matters.
The overall conclusion was that as for the most respondents a priest should not be expected to be anything more than an average man is. The most want a priest to be "normal" and easy to approach.
11% thinks a priest to be closer to God than an average man, 70% grants him a freedom to anything he likes in his free time. 25% believes that priests have as much problems in the private life as anybody else does.
One conclusion of the survey was that people want a priest to comment important issues clearly, and - according to 60% - make statements even if their differ from the church's official view. Nevertheless, 20% rejects a priest to take part in politics, and 85% does not want him to make political statements while performing the ministry.
2 out of 3 accepts a priest to use alcohol moderately. 50% grants - but 25% rejects - a priest a freedom to relax in pubs. 20% does not like a priest smoking.
2 Comments:
interesting stuff, antti. wonder what the reaction would be in more evangelical/pentecostal circles?
I wonder the same, Brad. I have a feeling that the pentecostals and other revivalist here would have been behind the more conservative responces. The general shift that's being seen in the result shows a move towards secularization and less sacred ministerial offices. I think to some degree it's the same in pentecostal circles but in less amount.
On the other hand, the understanding of ministrerial offices has been a bit different all the way. Pentecostal have rejected all external symbols like special dresses and stuff. It is also a layman movement and has had a strong emphasis on common priesthood of all believers. A priest have also not been a representative of faith and dicipleship in the world, anymore than any other beliver.
It might be, that the present views are quite near each another, but the Pentecostals have moved there from completely opposite direction.
But, all these, are just my feelings, perhaps someone should make a comparative survey.
Post a Comment
<< Home