Medborgarskapskursen

Chapter 12 of 13 in Sverige i fokus

Religion in Sweden: a secular state and a multi-religious country

Shayan Parsai, kursansvarig och kursutvecklare
Written byLinkedIn

Published: · Reading time: about 6 min

Quick answers

What does it mean that Sweden is a secular state (sekulär stat)?
That the state is religiously neutral. It does not take sides for any religion and does not discriminate against any religion. Everyone chooses their own faith, or no faith.
When did Sweden get freedom of religion (religionsfrihet)?
The final breakthrough came with the Freedom of Religion Act in 1951. Already in 1860 you could leave the Church of Sweden, but only for another Christian community.
Is the Church of Sweden (Svenska kyrkan) a state church?
No, not any more. The state and the Church of Sweden were separated in 2000. The Church of Sweden is today one of several religious communities, but still the largest Christian one.
What is the second largest religion in Sweden?
Islam. Sweden's first mosques were built in the 1970s, and today there are mosques and prayer rooms all over the country.

The citizenship test is written in Swedish, so the key Swedish terms are given in brackets the first time they appear. This chapter is also available in Swedish: En sekulär stat och ett mångreligiöst land.

Chapter 12 of Sverige i fokus is about religion in Sweden. Sweden is a secular state (sekulär stat), meaning a state that is religiously neutral. At the same time, Sweden is a multi-religious country (mångreligiöst land) where almost all the world’s religions are present. The chapter explains what freedom of religion means, how it developed and what role religion plays today.

What does it mean that Sweden is a secular state?

A secular state is religiously neutral. The state does not take sides for any religion and does not discriminate against any religion. The state also guarantees that everyone can decide for themselves whether they want to belong to a religion or not.

This does not mean that religion is unimportant in Sweden. On the contrary, there are many religions and religious communities (trossamfund) here. That is why the material says Sweden is both a secular state and a multi-religious country.

An example: the state has had no church of its own since 2000. Still, you are free to join the Church of Sweden (Svenska kyrkan), a mosque, a synagogue or a temple. You can also choose not to belong to any community at all. No authority may treat you worse because of your choice.

Freedom of religion in Sweden: when did it come?

Freedom of religion (religionsfrihet) has not always existed in Sweden. For a long time the Protestant Lutheran church was the only permitted religion. This changed step by step:

  • 1860: it became permitted to leave the Church of Sweden. But only if you joined another Christian community.
  • 1951: the Freedom of Religion Act (religionsfrihetslagen) came. Now everyone could freely choose a religion, or no religion at all. This counts as the final breakthrough for freedom of religion.
  • 2000: the state and the Church of Sweden were separated. The Church of Sweden became one of several religious communities in society.

The Church of Sweden is still the largest Christian community in Sweden.

What does the constitution say?

The Instrument of Government (regeringsformen) is one of Sweden’s fundamental laws (grundlagar). Under it, everyone has the right to practise their religion. No one may be discriminated against because of their faith or religious views.

Religion in school

School teaching in religious studies (religionskunskap) must give pupils a broad understanding of different religions, beliefs and outlooks on life (livsåskådningar) from all over the world. The aim is understanding, tolerance and respect for differences. So the school teaches knowledge about religions, not a particular faith. This applies to all pupils, whatever religion their family has.

What role does religion play in Sweden today?

Christianity has shaped Sweden for many hundreds of years and left many cultural traces. The number of members of the Church of Sweden is falling. Even so, many Swedes celebrate Christian holidays such as Christmas (jul) and Easter (påsk), even if they do not see themselves as religious. Baptism, church weddings and Christian funerals are still common, even among members who do not call themselves believers.

The role of religion in society has decreased. At the same time, religion has received more attention in public debate in recent years. As immigration increased, so did the number of religions practised in Sweden. Today almost all the world’s religions are represented here.

This pattern is worth recognising: fewer people are members and fewer call themselves believers, but the traditions live on. You can read about how the holidays are celebrated today in chapter 13 on traditions and holidays.

Which religions exist in Sweden?

Sverige i fokus gives a short overview of the history in Sweden of the five largest world religions. The five are Christianity (kristendom), Judaism (judendom), Hinduism (hinduism), Buddhism (buddhism) and Islam (islam). Christianity is the world’s largest religion and Judaism the smallest. Here is the most important information about each religion in Sweden.

Christianity

Christianity is the world’s largest religion. Sweden has many Christian communities representing the three main branches: Orthodox churches, the Catholic church and various Protestant churches. The Church of Sweden has around five million members. Its roots are in the Lutheran, Protestant tradition from the 1500s. Before that, in the Middle Ages (medeltiden), Sweden was a Catholic country. About 1,400 churches and church ruins of medieval origin are preserved in Sweden.

Judaism

The history of Judaism in Sweden goes back to the 1700s. That is when Jews were given the right to live here and practise their religion. Antisemitism (antisemitism) was widespread across Europe for a long time. Not until 1870 did Jews get full civil rights in Sweden. Judaism is the smallest of the world religions. Today there are several Jewish congregations (församlingar) and synagogues in Sweden. They preserve and promote Jewish tradition and community.

Hinduism and Buddhism

Contact with Hindus and Buddhists began mainly in the 1900s. It happened partly through travel to Asia and a growing interest in meditation and yoga. Today Hindus and Buddhists in Sweden are found mainly among immigrants from countries where these religions are large. There are congregations and temples in various parts of the country, with prayers, rituals (ritualer) and religious festivals.

Islam

At the start of the 1900s there were only a few Muslims in Sweden. After the Second World War the number grew through immigration. Sweden’s first mosques were built in the 1970s. The Stockholm mosque was opened in 2000. Today Islam is the second largest religion in the country. There are mosques and prayer rooms all over Sweden. The Muslim congregations reflect different branches of Islam, such as Sunni and Shia. They offer prayer, teaching and community.

What the test usually asks about

UHR has only published a few sample questions. This list is based on what the chapter emphasises, not on real test questions.

  • What a secular state is and why Sweden is also called multi-religious.
  • The years 1860, 1951 and 2000 and what happened in each.
  • That the Instrument of Government gives everyone the right to practise their religion.
  • What religious studies in school should give pupils.
  • That the Church of Sweden is the largest Christian community, with around five million members.
  • That Sweden was Catholic in the Middle Ages and became Lutheran in the 1500s.
  • When Jews got the right to live in Sweden and when they got full rights.
  • That Islam is the second largest religion and that the first mosques were built in the 1970s.

Practise the questions for chapter 12. The questions are our own, not UHR’s. You can also try the practice test.

Difficult words in this chapter

sekulär
secular: not religious; a secular state is religiously neutral
religionsfrihet
freedom of religion: the right to choose your religion, change religion or have no religion
trossamfund
religious community: an organisation for people with the same religion, for example a church or a mosque association
mångreligiös
multi-religious: that many different religions exist in the same country
livsåskådning
outlook on life: a person's view of life and what matters, with or without religion
församling
congregation: a local group of believers who gather for prayer and worship
antisemitism
antisemitism: hatred of and discrimination against Jews
ritual
ritual: an act performed in a set way, for example baptism or a funeral
medeltiden
the Middle Ages: the period in Europe roughly between the years 500 and 1500

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a secular state and a multi-religious country?

Secular state is about the state: it is neutral and favours no religion. Multi-religious country is about the people: almost all the world's religions exist in Sweden. Sweden is both at the same time.

What does the constitution say about religion?

The Instrument of Government (regeringsformen) gives everyone the right to practise their religion. No one may be discriminated against because of their faith or religious views.

How many members does the Church of Sweden have?

Around five million, according to Sverige i fokus. The number is falling, but the Church of Sweden is still the largest Christian community in the country.

When did Jews get full rights in Sweden?

Jews were given the right to live in Sweden and practise their religion in the 1700s. They did not get full civil rights until 1870.

What does school teach about religion?

Religious studies (religionskunskap) should give pupils a broad understanding of different religions, beliefs and outlooks on life from all over the world. The aim is understanding, tolerance and respect for differences.

The course

The full course, all 13 chapters

99SEK per month

or 499 SEK for a full year

  • Lessons for every chapter of Sverige i fokus
  • Practice questions with explanations and page references
  • A mock test in the same form as the August test
  • Difficult words explained in plain Swedish
Coming soon

Want an email when the course opens? Write to us.

Sources