Introducing Religious Deconstruction: Critical Conversations about Religion in a Swedish Podcast

Abstract

In the past few years, a new networked public has emerged in Sweden, bringing together individuals from a conservative Christian background who have left faith and/or religious communities. Podcasts on religious deconstruction have played a crucial role in the formation of this network. This study is the first to explore the emerging phenomenon of religious deconstruction podcasts in Sweden. Specifically, the article focuses on the podcast Exvangeliet and examines deconstruction as a communicative project (Linell, 2011a, 2011b). The study aims to gain insight and a critical perspective on these podcast conversations' underlying patterns, norms, and expectations. Three main organization sequences within the deconstructive conversation are identified: the personal narrative, joint processing, and joint reflection. The conversations are highly collaborative, emphasizing cooperation rather than competition, and lack significant internal conflict. Instead, any conflict exists focuses on the external context, encompassing both the church and the secular majority society.