Sharing the church

Gendered seating in congregations of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Sweden

Bibliographic Data

ID15072013
AuthorsAndreas Westergren (0000-0001-6914-0886, corresponding author), Önver Çetrez (0000-0001-6274-0571)
Year2026
Volume41
Issue1
Pages1-17
Publication date2026-04-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Contemporary Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1353-7903 • E-ISSN: 1469-9419
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13537903.2026.2645464
OpenAlexW7151786129
LanguageEN
References cited20

Despite being such an important factor for individual identity, Orthodox churches have not been sufficiently studied. In addition, the study of gender in these churches often seems formed by the impression that they do not change. This article therefore explores a seemingly static feature, the gendered seating in three Syriac Orthodox parishes in Sweden, from the point of view of space and agency: who and what is creating the present order of seating? On the basis of personal interviews and field observations, these parish churches are considered as material, imagined, and lived spaces. We observed a lot of fluidity: the church is a space in which a range of people take an active interest—women and men, the elderly and young, lay people along with priests—who are all trying to distinguish tradition from customs which are no longer valid. If earlier studies tended to view this Church as a stable, immovable factor while people change, our view from inside specific church buildings supports the impression of the ‘church’ as a changing social space, also with regard to gender. The church space is a hybrid one, situated between old and new customs.

Christianity · Ethnography · Protestantism · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Religion and Society Interactions · Religious Tourism and Spaces

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