Unlike previous research, this thesis considers the possibility of regarding the morning prayers in Swedish schools as preaching, rather than teaching. 28 morning prayers, delivered in the church of S:t Johannes in the city of Malmö during 1939-1954 by the religious teacher Astri Heimer (1889-1986), constitutes the material for analysis. The purpose of this thesis is to examine if Heimer's morning prayers may be regarded as preaching, and to discuss the significance of this, in particular considering her role as leader of morning prayers.
The examination is conducted in three steps. The first step investigates how morning prayers in general ought to be understood - as teaching or preaching? This is done by describing and comparing the literary genres of religious teaching and preaching, looking into the rules and principles which define the field of application. The aspects considered are purpose, form, and contents of the text.
The second step of the examination analyses how Astri Heimer's morning prayers most likely are to be understood. Judging by form and content, they clearly belong to the genre of preaching. Despite the fact that she never explicitly call it preaching herself, her choice of contents and method points to how she perceived her activities, and how she wanted it to be interpreted by her audience.
The third and final step examines which role Astri Heimer takes on when leading the morning prayers. Is she a teacher or a preacher? Due to the relations between church and society/school during this period of time, the role of the religious teacher was contradictory. Teachers were required both to be objective, and to have a passively positive attitude towards the Swedish church. The preacher's role contained on the other hand no contradiction, as it was closely related to the priest's office. Since women during this period of time weren't allowed access to this office, the conclusion seems to be that Heimer was perceived as a teacher.
This conclusion is questioned by the line of argument conducted by Karen L. King in the book Women Preachers and Prophets through Two Millennia of Christianity, in which she discusses strategies used by women during the history of the church to be able to preach in public. She shows how women took advantage of the difficulties to define what preaching really is and its close relation to the activity of teaching. This thesis suggests that Heimer is taking advantage of the contradictions in her role as religious teacher in the Swedis...
