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Sweden - Religion

Sweden is relatively secular and has a high population of atheists, but it is far from an irreligious country. According to The Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism (2012), only 29 per cent of Swedes claim to be religious, compared with 59 per cent globally. These figures rank Sweden as one of the least religious countries in the world. Religion still plays a ritual and cultural role, and with immigration, the religious landscape becomes more diverse and complex. Surveys also indicate that only eight percent of Swedes attend any religious services regularly.

The beginning of the religious experience in Sweden is often traced back to pre-Christian Norse religion. Norse beliefs formed the basis not for an organised religion, but rather for an overarching cultural system. Central to the practice of Norse beliefs were ‘rites’, among them the ritual sacrifice of animals, and sometimes even humans! At these gatherings, food and drink were shared in communion with the gods and omens for greater prosperity were sought. Odin and Thor, probably the most well-known Norse deities, were the gods responsible for the likes of war and the sky, respectively.

Norse beliefs persisted until the 12th century, and Sweden was the last Scandinavian country to be Christianised by Catholic missionaries. In 1164, it became a so-called ecclesiastical province of the Catholic Church and Catholicism became firmly established.

Though they are seldom celebrated by church attendance, Twelfth Night (6 January), Ascension, Pentecost and All Saints’ Day are each official holidays in Sweden, as is the common collection of Easter days. Like elsewhere in the West, Christmas in Sweden follows the Christian tradition and Advent is central to the Swedish festive period and the countdown to Christmas Eve.

The US government estimates the population at 9.7 million (July 2014 estimate). According to the Church of Sweden (Lutheran), approximately 65.9 percent of citizens are members. The Church of Sweden (Svenska kyrkan) is Evangelical Lutheran and has its secretariat in Uppsala, a city that has been the center of the Swedish church since the Middle Ages. The Church of Sweden has been separated from the state since 2000, which means that Sweden no longer has an official state church.

Membership in the Church of Sweden decreased steadily since it separated from the state in 2000. It is only since 2000 that Swedes don’t automatically become a member at birth and record numbers of Swedes have left the church in recent years. While most countries in the world have no official religion, Sweden is the only Nordic country without a state church, as Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland have all retained theirs.

The Reformation was inaugurated in Germany when Luther affixed his celebrated theses to the doors of the church at Wittenberg, 31 October, 1517. From the consequences of papal excommunication and the imperial ban Luther was protected by Elector Frederick of Saxony, his territorial sovereign.

The Lutheran Reformation found an early entrance into Denmark, Norway (then united to Denmark), and Sweden. Its introduction was primarily due to royal influence. King Christian II of Denmark (1513-23) welcomed the Reformation as a means of weakening the nobility and especially the clergy (who possessed extensive property) and thereby extending the power of the throne.

In Sweden the Reformation was introduced for political reasons by the secular ruler Gustavus Vasa, who had been given to Christian II of Denmark in 1520 as a hostage and had escaped to Lubeck, there became acquainted with the Lutheran teaching and recognized the services it could render him. Returning to Sweden, he became at first imperial chancellor, and, after being elected king on the deposition of Christian II in Denmark, attempted to convert Sweden into a hereditary monarchy, but had to yield to the opposition of the clergy and nobility. The Reformation helped him to attain his desire, although its introduction was difficult on account of the great fidelity of the people to the Catholic Faith.

The Dominicans, who offered a strong opposition to his designs, were banished from the kingdom, and the bishops who resisted were subjected to all kinds of oppression. After a religious disputation at the University of Upsala the king assigned the victory to Olaf Peterson, and proceeded to Lutheranize the university, to confiscate ecclesiastical property, and to employ every means to compel the clergy to accept the new doctrine. _ A popular rebellion gave him an opportunity of accusing the Catholic bishops of high treason, and in 1527 the Archbishop of Upsala and the Bishop of Westraes were executed.

Some of the nobles were won over to the king's side, when it was made optional to take back all goods donated to the Church by one's ancestors since 1453. Clerical celibacy was abolished, and the vernacular introduced into Divine service. The king constituted himself supreme authority in religious matters, and severed the country from Catholic unity. The Synod of Orebro (1529) completed the Reformation, although most of the external rites, the images in the churches, the liturgical vestments, and the titles of archbishop and bishop were retained. Later (1544) Gustavus Vasa made the title to the throne hereditary in his family. The numerous risings directed against him and his innovations were put down with bloody violence. At a later period arose other great religious contests, likewise of a political character.

By the early 19th entury, this country, which stood long at the head of the great protectant confederacy, was animated with an ardent zeal for the reformed religion. The Catholics scarcely enjoyed common toleration, and they were still excluded from the diet and the higher offices of state. Until 1858, conversion to Catholicism could be punished by exile. The Swedish people were commended for their regularity in performing the duties of their religion: at the same time it was remarked that the dissenters from the established church were much fewer than in other protestant countries; which was imputed to the want of any peculiar fervor upon the subject. The wide extent and thin population of the northern districts often rendered the provision for their religious instruction very defective.

Other Christian groups, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Missionary (or Missions) Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), total less than 5 percent of the population.

Next to the Church of Sweden, the most prominent Christian churches are the Free Churches (frikyrkor). Although also Protestant, the Free Churches are independent of the Church of Sweden and are characterised by Evangelical, Pentecostal, Methodist and Baptist elements. The area around the city of Jönköping in Småland is sometimes even referred to as the ‘Swedish Bible Belt’ because of its traditionally high Free Church activity.

Researchers estimate that approximately 6 percent of the population is Muslim. According to the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, Jews number approximately 20,000, and live mostly in large cities. Smaller religious communities are concentrated in larger cities and include Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Hare Krishnas, and members of the Church of Scientology, Word of Faith, and Unification Church.

In addition to the Church of Sweden, 44 recognized religious groups raise revenues through the Commission for State Grants to Religious Communities, a governmental body under the authority of the Ministry of Culture. Member contributions are made through the national taxation system based on official membership rolls. Among the religious groups receiving contributions are the Swedish Missionary Church, Roman Catholic Church, Swedish Alliance Mission, Baptist Union of Sweden, Salvation Army, Methodist Church in Sweden, Pentecostal Church, the Jewish Central Council, the Islamic Cooperation Council, and the Evangelical Church.

Recognition or registration is not required to carry out religious activity. Faith communities are taxed similarly to non-profit organizations. Religious groups can apply for government aid. In reviewing such applications, the government considers the number of members in the group and its length of establishment, and aid is granted to religious groups in amounts proportional to their active membership.

Muslim groups continued to complain about the government’s implementation of anti-terrorism laws, saying legal certainty standards seem to have been lowered in anti-terror cases and applied only to the Muslim community. They cited the fact that all 26 arrests in 2013 under the anti-terrorism laws involved Muslims. They also said their perception was that all Muslims seemed to be under suspicion.

The Muslim community remained divided over whether certain anesthetic methods of stunning animals before slaughter required by the law conflicted with halal requirements. The Jewish community reported the strict laws effectively prevented the production of kosher meat. Most halal and kosher meat was imported.