In the 18^th and into the 19^th centuries Swedish courts often opened or accompanied proceedings with hymns and sometimes scripture readings and sermons, in order to reinforce the idea that everyone: the accused, witnesses and judges stood under God’s omniscient gaze.

Susanne Wigorts Yngvesson (above), Professor of Ethics, Systematic Theology & Human Rights at the University College Stockholm (and active member of the European hymn Society) has published an article in Surveillance and Society, a North American open access academic journal, exploring the phenomenon and comparing it with Jeremy Bentham’s secular concept of continual surveillance, in his case literally through prison design.

Susanne writes “This article explores the interplay between theological and utilitarian conceptions of omniscience and moral accountability through a comparative analysis of hymns from Swedish trial services (1686–1989) and Jeremy Bentham’s writings on surveillance architecture, particularly the chapel, and how this illuminate contrasting frameworks for transforming human behavior under an omniscient gaze. While Lutheran hymns depict God’s omniscience as a transcendent, relational presence fostering repentance and spiritual renewal through divine grace, Bentham’s panopticon reimagines omniscience as a secular mechanism of behavioral regulation, achieved through perpetual surveillance. The analysis identifies thematic as well as social parallels—such as the transformative impact of observation and the role of moral reform—while highlighting key divergences. Hymns emphasize voluntary spiritual transformation anchored in divine mercy, whereas the panopticon enforces conformity through external pressure and institutional control. Theological reflections on omniscience, omnipresence, and justice in the hymns underscore a relational and redemptive paradigm, in contrast to the panopticon’s utilitarian focus on societal order and efficiency. This study contributes to previous research and the interdisciplinary discourse on surveillance, ethics, and religion, revealing how theological and secular paradigms of observation shape divergent understandings of justice, moral accountability, and human transformation.”

The full article may be accessed here:
https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/18897