Angel Spirituality in the World's Happiest Country: The Attraction of Lorna Byrne among Finnish Women

Satu Virpi Eliisa Mikkola

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

This article discusses how women in Finland, the happiest country in the world in 2019, use new spiritual services and angels to cope with everyday life. Should not the high living standard and level of happiness decrease spirituality, as Norris and Inglehart suggest? The research material was collected using questionnaires in talks given by Irish mystic Lorna Byrne in Helsinki in 2011 and 2015. For the women studied, angels offer support and bring enchantment to their lives in a way institutionalized religion does not. While the high level of existential security decreases their religiousness, it opens these women up to other alternatives for new spirituality.
Translated title of the contributionEnkelihenkisyys maailman onnellisimmassa maassa: Lorna Byrne kiinnostus suomalaisten naisten piirissä
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Religion in Europe
Volume13
Issue number3-4
Pages (from-to)351-379
Number of pages29
ISSN1874-8910
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2021
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Fields of Science

  • Finnish women
  • Lorna Byrne
  • RELIGION
  • angel belief
  • lived religion
  • new spirituality
  • 614 Theology
  • 5144 Social psychology

Cite this