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The overall aim of the study was to clarify if there are any indications of differences between female and male spouses of the priest, concerning faith. The aim has also been to clarify if the results of the study can be compatible with a feminist theological ethic perspective, where the woman in the church traditionally is considered subordinate to the man.

The study has been conducted on the following questions:

• Is the female spouse to the priest more believing than the male spouse to the priest?

• Is the result of the above asked question, compatible with feminist theological ethics, where male power and female acceptance is perceived as the norm within the Swedish church?

The theoretical perspectives for the study were based upon the sex and gender-distinction, Foucault's view of power and resistance and Malin Rönnblom's explaining model of power.

The method for the study has been both a quantitative one in the form of a questionnaire, and a qualitative approach through interviews. The survey concerned faith in relation to gender, with answers collected from 27 priest spouses. Interviews concerned faith, gender and power, with material from seven interviews of priest spouses.

The study indicates that female priest spouses, to a greater extent than men, are Christian believers. The result can be linked to feminist theological ethics where the woman priest spouse is considered to take a passive and accepting role and hands over the power (over the agenda and preferential right of interpretation) to her husband. One other factor that is not mentioned in the theoretical perspective, but shows to be of importance for the result for both male and female spouses, is education and occupation.