Själens växt : En diskursanalytisk undersökning av synen på kunskap och kunskapsförmedling inom den svenska spiritismen

Sammanfattning: This essay’s purpose is to explore the view on knowledge and transmission of knowledge in the Swedish, spiritualist movement during the turn of the century. The method is a critical discourse analysis of the texts of the spiritualist publication of Efteråt? between the years of 1899 and 1911. The theories applied to the subject are two; first the theories of Wouter J. Hanegraaff and his ideas about ”rejected knowledge” where some concepts during the course of history has been deemed true, and other concepts have been rejected. This process has often been the case in a ”battle of discourses” as is the case with the spiritualist discourse against the discourse of mainstream science. The second theory applied are the dynamics of power as presented by Michel Foucault and interpreted by Clare O’Farrell. This theory is also at the core of critical discourse analysis.  The analysis of the material makes it evident that the spiritualist movement walks a line between religion and science where they claim to transcend them both. The internal discourse both criticize mainstream science; not the methods per say, but the ideal of materialism and the lack of spirituality they perceive in the contemporary body of the church. The view on knowledge is heavily anchored in a concept of spirituality, being heralds of true science, and recognizing the inner, true potential of the human creature. The view on transmission of knowledge is centered around ideas of development of spirituality, the notion that the spirit-world can teach us everything and critique against the contemporary school system.