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Om psalmer i teckenspråk

Abstract

This essay explores how signed hymns, specifically interpreted to Swedish sign language or signs as augmentative and alternative communication, can enhance the theological and existential dimensions of hymn texts. Drawing from personal experiences and academic perspectives, the study examines how facial expressions, movement, and direction in sign language interpretation add new layers of meaning and emotion to the hymns. The theoretical framework combines Walter Brueggemann’s model of orientation, disorientation, and reorientation from the Psalms with Liza L. Lundkvist’s three-dimensional model (human, life, and God). These models are used to analyze three hymns from the Swedish hymnbook, including their theological content and how this is conveyed through signed interpretation. The analysis shows that sign language, through its visual and physical nature, can create a deeper emotional and spiritual resonance, providing a richer experience of the hymn's message. The comparison between the written Swedish hymn text and the signed version offers insights into how different linguistic forms influence the transmission of religious meaning.