Religion and State: Complexity in Change

Kühle, Lene; Schmidt, Ulla; Jacobsen, Brian Arly; Pettersson, Per

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-55678-9_3

Cited by 46 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…The community involves "the creative energy of interacting people" with "shared bonds that hold a group together," whereas institution is the objective structure that "controls and channels this energy" (Haight 2008, 47). A distinct development of the Nordic Churches has been their association with the nation-state and its institutions as part of the Nordic welfare model where social security has been externalized to state institutions (Kühle et al 2017;Nivala 2008, 159). In this context the ELCF could also afford to build an institution run by highly educated professionals.…”

Section: Institution or Community?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Modernization has challenged Christian worldviews in many ways, among which the emphasis on individual freedom of choice has conflicted with the role of mass institutions, such as national majority Churches, as sources of meaning and belonging (Kühle et al 2017;Woodhead 2016, 197;Inglehart 2018, 64). Membership in the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland (later the ELCF) remained a strong part of the national identity until recently, but during the last few decades this union has faced a serious weakening, in particular among young adults, the "generation Y" (Niemelä 2015;Mikkola, Niemelä and Petterson 2007;Furseth et al 2017, 45-49).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Emerging Patterns of Church Participation. The Community Movement in the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland

Hannikainen¹

2020

NJRS

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This article examines an emerging "community movement" in the national Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Finland. Emerging from the local level, with links to wider renewal networks across Protestant Churches, the movement consists of a variation of 30-40 worship communities that are based on strong roles for laymen, challenging the traditional models of church life. Many communities are expanding and drawing young adults, in contrast to general developments in the Church. This article asks: What kinds of patterns of participation exist among the members and how are they related to experiences of membership? The results of a quantitative survey (N=529), conducted 2017, revealed three types of participation: "traditional," "community-oriented" and "experiential." The main finding is the distinct community process typical to these communities, which is connected to a strong sense of membership, commitment, and contentment, and which is actualized through lay participation. The article sheds light on the developments in a specific Nordic majority church in response to a changing cultural environment.

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Section: Institution or Community?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging Patterns of Church Participation. The Community Movement in the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland

Hannikainen¹

2020

NJRS

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“…Nevertheless, in 2019, all Nordic Lutheran churches still enjoy constitutional preference, though the state's legislative authority over the church has been restricted and the state executive authority over the church has either been annulled or restricted. Among its Nordic neighbours, the ELCF is the most independent from the state (Kühle et al 2018).…”

Section: The Same-sex Legislation and The Response In The Churchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Same-sex marriage and the Lutheran Church in Finland: How rapid change in values and norms challenges the church and its decision-making

Ketola

Helander

2019

Z Religion Ges Polit

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The effect of legislative changes on same-sex unions on people's attitudes toward homosexuality is a fairly well-researched topic. There is less research on how state legislation on same-sex unions has affected churches' attitudes and policies on registered partnership and same-sex marriage. In this paper we focus on attitudinal polarisation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) in the matter of same-sex marriage and why there is a gap in the attitudinal development of the church and the society. The analysis is based upon six sets of representative surveys among the Finnish population, the employees of the ELCF and the elected officials of the ELCF between the years 2012-2017. Whereas the majorities (55%) among the Finnish population and among the ELCF members (54%) are already favourable to the idea that same-sex couples should have the right to marry in the church, the ELCF has not approved of it. This situation has polarised the ELCF from within. Empirical analysis shows that the reason for the discrepancy between popular opinion and the ELCF stance stems from the fact that ELCF decision makers are older and more religious than the general membership. However, the data also shows that even among the most religious, younger age groups are already more favourable towards the same-sex marriage. Therefore, it is likely that the polarisation will lessen over time as more and more religious people accept same-sex marriage.

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“…However, they do get personal and company tax reductions if they have been granted so-called (Kühle et al, 2017). In contrast, the legal procedures in Sweden and Denmark are centralised, albeit with the significant difference that recognised faith communities in Sweden are afforded financial and administrative support by the state.…”

Section: Legal and Financial Governance Of The Multi-religious Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…15 As illustrated above, Norway not only facilitates the most extensive financial state support for religious groups and organisations in Scandinavia, but the state also enables the most equal religious system because the majority church and various minority religions are supported in equal measure. As such, Norway stands out as the Scandinavian exception in being the most liberal country on minority religions when recognising faith communities that do not afford any fixed definition of 'faith community', minimum membership requirements or formal advisory committees, leaving local county governors to handle applications for state recognition of religions (Kühle et al, 2017). In contrast, the legal procedures in Sweden and Denmark are centralised, albeit with the significant difference that recognised faith communities in Sweden are afforded financial and administrative support by the state.…”

Section: Legal and Financial Governance Of The Multi-religious Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Routes and relations in Scandinavian interfaith forums: Governance of religious diversity by states and majority churches

Galal¹,

Liebmann

Nordin

2018

Social Compass

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In the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as elsewhere in Europe, governance of religious diversity has become a matter of renewed concern. A unique aspect of the Scandinavian situation is the hegemonic status of the respective Lutheran Protestant majority churches, usually referred to as 'folk churches', with which the majority of the population associates, alongside a prevalence of high degrees of regional secularism. As such, the majority churches have played a key role as both instigators and organisers of several interfaith initiatives, and have thereby come to interact with the public sphere as providers of diversity governance. Based on country-level studies of policy documents on majoritychurch/interreligious relations and field studies, this article sets out to explore the prompting and configuration of majority-church-related interfaith initiatives concerning church-state relations and the governance of religious diversity.

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Religion and State: Complexity in Change

Cited by 46 publications

References 53 publications

Emerging Patterns of Church Participation. The Community Movement in the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland

Emerging Patterns of Church Participation. The Community Movement in the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland

Same-sex marriage and the Lutheran Church in Finland: How rapid change in values and norms challenges the church and its decision-making

Routes and relations in Scandinavian interfaith forums: Governance of religious diversity by states and majority churches

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