| Summary: | Female religiosity has during the last couple of decades become a subject of interest within sociology of religion. Womens’ way of negotiating their Christian identities, in relation to traditional understandings of them, are particularly interesting in the field of mediatization, where different forms of digital media have been shown to provide new possibilities for female religiosity to become visible. The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to explore this further by examining how female religiosity - visible through digital media - can challenge traditional structures of authority in christianity. This study is based on the instagram account feministpastorn, run by pastor Esther Kazen, which exemplifies how digital media opens up new spaces for women to negotiate their christian faith in relation to their feministic values. To explore this further these following research questions were formulated; 1) How does Esther Kazen relate her christian faith to her feministic values on her instagram account feministpastorn?; and 2) In what way can feministpastorn be viewed as an example of shifting authority, from a traditional (male) Christian authority to a - by a female Christian actor - newly established one? To answer these questions, the theory of mediatization, as a theory of religious change made possible by different forms of media, with a focus on a change in religious authority, was implemented in the analysis. Based on qualitative research this study shows how female religiosity can make possible a shift in religious authority by allowing women to establish their own authority, in relation to traditional structures of authority within Christian institutions. Hence, the digital medium can be seen as a platform where women can build a new position of authority in relation to existing traditional structures of authority. This study shows how feministpastorn undermines traditional authority through criticism and attempts to build a new authority by 1) appealing to the audience with humility; 2) highlighting herself, in opposition to identified problematics; and 3) using her traditional authoritative role, as pastor in Equmeniakyrkan, to enhance a new kind of authority in contrast to traditional structures of Christian authority, made possible by the digital medium instagram.
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