Thirteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

Sweden was for centuries a community-oriented Lutheran nation. The nation’s flag consists of a golden cross on a blue sky, and according to the Constitution, the Head of State has to be of Lutheran (Augustana) Confession. The Religious Freedom Act is from a comparatively late date: it came into law in 1951. More than half of the population still belongs to the former state church, the Church of Sweden. Nevertheless, Sweden is today one of the most secular countries in the world, as, for example, presented by the last World Values Surveys. What made this relatively fast shift possible? In this study, the ideological foundation and political steps taken in order to secularize Sweden (as well as the Church of Sweden!) are displayed.

Presenters

Kjell Olof Urban Lejon
Professor, Head of Division, Director of Studies, Deparment of Culture and Society (HKR/IKOS), Linköping University, Sweden