Non-Nordic Migrants’ Experience of Belonging and Shared Ecclesial Identity in Evangelical Free Churches in Norway
This thesis explores how non-Nordic migrants perceive and experience belonging and homemaking within Evangelical free church congregations. It also investigates how a shared ecclesial identity is shaped, negotiated, and contested in these congregations amid ethnic and cultural diversity. The study is motivated by a perceived disparity between increased societal diversity and the limited representation of Christians with a migrant background within traditional fellowships and the broader fellowship of congregations in this study. To address this tension between faith-based belonging and ethnic diversity, and the negotiations of difference in congregations, a qualitative interview study has been conducted, interviewing 15 participants and observing in three Evangelical free churches in Norway. The material is examined through a theoretical framework grounded in theories of home and belonging by Nira Yuval-Davis, Marco Antonsich, and Paolo Boccagni, as well as William Cavanagh’s concept of unity in the body of Christ. The analysis approaches belonging and identity formation in the congregations as ongoing and negotiable processes at the intersection of the intimate and the universal, and the sacred and the embodied. The study shows that belonging and ecclesial identity are not inherent or automatic but are continuously shaped and debated through the interactions of faith, culture, power, practices, and relationships. While shared faith can foster a sense of unity, cultural differences and implicit norms may also create boundaries that affect experiences of inclusion and participation. This highlights the significance of genuine relationships and embodied care in the fellowship, as well as participation that involves acknowledgment and meaningful influence. This suggests that the goal is not a state of harmony but rather an embodied, participatory, and lived unity in Christ.
Publisert i 2026
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