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Church of Sweden

Coat of arms of the Church of Sweden.
Classification Protestant
Orientation Mainline/High Church Lutheran
Polity Episcopal
Origin 1523
Separated from Roman Catholic Church
Separations Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
Associations Lutheran World Federation
Geographical Area Sweden
Statistics
Members Approx. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument for other uses see Mainline (disambiguation The mainline (also sometimes called Mainstream) or mainline Protestant denominations High Church Lutheranism is the European name for the Lutheran movement that emphasises worship practices and doctrines that are similar to those found within both Roman Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a Church or Christian denomination. Episcopal polity is a form of church governance which is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a Bishop (Greek The word schism (ˈsɪzəm or /ˈskɪzəm/ from the Greek σχίσμα skhísma (from σχίζω skhízō, "to tear to split" The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (in Finnish Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; in Swedish Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. 6. 9 million

The Church of Sweden (Swedish: Svenska kyrkan, Northern Sami: Ruoŧa girkui) is the largest church in Sweden. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Northern or North Sami ( Davvisápmi, formerly Davvisámi or Davvisaami; improperly Lappish or Lapp) is the most widely "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Church of Sweden professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Porvoo Communion is the community formed through an agreement between twelve European churches none of which are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church or With almost 6. 9 million members, It is the largest Lutheran church in the World. Until 2000 it held the position of state church. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially As of 2006 75. 6% of the Swedes were members of the church. However, only approximately 2% of the church's members regularly attend Sunday services [1]. The reason for the large number of inactive members is that until 1996, all children automatically became members at birth, if at least one of their parents was a member.

The Church describes itself in the following manner:

The Primate of the Church of Sweden is the Archbishop of Uppsala, currently Anders Wejryd. Primate (from the Latin Primus, "first" is a title or rank bestowed on some Bishops in certain Christian churches The Archbishop of Uppsala (spelled Upsala until early 20th century has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164 first during the Catholic Anders Harald Wejryd (born 8 August 1948) is a Swedish Lutheran clergyman

Contents

History

Middle Ages

For details, see Early Swedish History. The Swedish pre-history ended around 800 CE when the Viking Age began

While some Swedish areas had Christian minorities in the 9th century, Sweden was, because of its geographical location in northernmost Europe, not Christianized until around AD 1000, around the same time as the other Nordic countries, when the Swedish King Olof was baptized. The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, However, because of the unclear national borders, it can not be said that the whole of Sweden was fully Christianized until the 12th century, after the Temple at Uppsala had been demolished; while in the northern district Laplandia, little effort was made to introduce Christianity for another century. The Temple at Uppsala was a religious site in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala near modern Uppsala, Sweden, that was created to worship the Norse gods Lapland (Lappland is a province in northernmost Sweden. It borders Jämtland, Ångermanland, Västerbotten, Norrbotten

The Christian church in Scandinavia was originally governed by the archdiocese of Bremen. The Archdiocese of Bremen is a historical Roman Catholic diocese and a former eccesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire. In 1104 an archbishop for all Scandinavia was installed in Lund. The Diocese of Lund is the southernmost diocese in the Church of Sweden. Uppsala was made Sweden's archdiocese in 1164, and remains so today. The Archbishop of Uppsala (spelled Upsala until early 20th century has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164 first during the Catholic The papal diplomat William of Modena attended a church meeting in Skänninge in March 1248, where the ties to the Roman Catholic Church were strengthened. William of Modena, also known as William of Sabina, Guglielmo de Chartreaux, Guglielmo de Savoy, Guillelmus (c Skänninge is a town in Mjölby Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden, which has about 3500 inhabitants

The most cherished national Catholic saints were the Swedish King Eric the Saint in the 12th century and the visionary Saint Birgitta in the 14th century, but other regional heroes also had a local cult following, including Saint Botvid and Saint Eskil in Södermanland, Saint Helena and Saint Sigfrid in Småland. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity Eric ( IX) of Sweden (or Erik the Lawgiver or Erik the Saint. Defined narrowly a visionary is one who experiences a vision or Apparition connected to the supernatural Saint Birgitta, also known as Santa Brigida or St Bridgid of Sweden and Birgitta of Vadstena, born Birgitta Birgersdottir ( 1303 Saint Botvid was a Catholic Missionary in the Swedish County of Södermanland in the 11th Century Saint Eskil was an Anglo-Saxon monk particularly venerated during the end of the 11th in the Province of Södermanland, Sweden. sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. Saint Sigfrid (Sigfried Siegfrid Siegfried Sigfridus Sigurd ( Glastonbury, England, ? – Växjö, 1045 was a Benedictine evangelist is a historical province ( landskap) in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne Halland, In their names, miracles were performed and churches were named. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation

Sweden remained Catholic until the Protestant reformation in the 1530s. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time

Reformation

Shortly after seizing power in 1523, Gustav Vasa addressed the Pope in Rome with a request for the confirmation of Johannes Magnus as Archbishop of Sweden, in the place of Gustav Trolle who had been formally deposed by the Riksdag of the Estates and was actually an outlawed exile. Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson (Colloquial 15th century Upplandic Gösta Jerksson) and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Johannes Magnus (a modified form of Johannes Magni, a Latin translation of his birth name Johan Månsson) was born March 19, 1488 in Linköping The Archbishop of Uppsala (spelled Upsala until early 20th century has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164 first during the Catholic Gustav Eriksson Trolle (1488-1535 was Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden in two sessions during the turbulent Reformation events The Riksdag of the Estates, or Ståndsriksdagen, was the name used for the Estates of the Swedish realm, or Rikets ständer, when they were assembled

Gustav promised to be an obedient son of the Church, if the pope would confirm the elections of his bishops. But the pope requested Trolle to be re-instated. Gustav protested by promoting the Swedish reformers Olaus, Laurentius Petri, and Laurentius Andreae. Olof Persson (sometimes Petersson; born January 6, 1493 in Örebro, died April 19, 1552 in Stockholm better known under Laurentius Petri Nericius ( Örebro 1499 – 27 October 1573) was a Swedish clergyman and the first Evangelical Lutheran Laurentius Andreae (c 1470 &ndash April 14, 1552) was a Swedish clergyman and scholar who is acknowledged as one of his country's preeminent intellectual He supported the printing of reformation texts, with the Petri as their main teachers. In 1526 all Catholic printing-presses were suppressed, and two-thirds of the Church's tithes were appropriated for the payment of the national debt.

As Gustav Vasa triumphs 3 was formulated, a final breach was made with the traditions of the old religion. Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson (Colloquial 15th century Upplandic Gösta Jerksson) and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September [1]

Other changes of the reformation included the abolition of some Catholic rituals. However, the changes were not as drastic as in Germany; in many Swedish churches there still today remain artifacts from Catholic times, such as crosses, crucifixes and icons. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. A crucifix (from Latin cruci fixus meaning "(one fixed to a cross" is a cross with a representation of Jesus ' body or corpus An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. And many holy days, based on Saints days, were not removed from the calendar until the late 18th century due to strong resistance from the population. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system

After the death of Gustav Vasa, Sweden was ruled by a king with Catholicizing tendencies, John III, and another openly Catholic one, John's son Sigismund, who was also ruler of Catholic Poland but eventually deposed from the Swedish throne by his uncle. John III (Johan III Juhana III (20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592 was King of Sweden from 1568 until his death Sigismund III Vasa (Zygmunt III Waza ( 20 June 1566 Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The latter, who acceded to the throne as Charles IX used the Lutheran church as an instrument in his power struggle against his nephew, but is known to have had Calvinist leanings. Charles IX (Karl IX ( 4 October 1550 – 30 October 1611) was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the

The New Testament was translated to Swedish in 1526 and the entire Bible in 1541. Revised translations were published in 1618 and 1703. New official translations were adopted in 1917 and 2000. Many hymns were written by Swedish church reformers and several by Martin Luther were translated. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer A semi-official hymnal appeared in the 1640s. Official hymnals of the Church of Sweden (Den svenska psalmboken) were adopted in 1695, 1819, 1937 and 1986. The latter one is ecumenical and combines traditional hymns with songs from other Christian denominations, including Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, Catholic, Mission Covenant, Methodist, Pentecostalist, and Salvation Army. Ecumenism (also oecumenism, œcumenism) refers to initiatives aimed at greater Religious unity or cooperation The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance The Mission Covenant Church of Sweden (Svenska Missionskyrkan founded in 1878, is a Swedish Reformed Free church.

Lutheran Orthodoxy

Main article: Lutheran Orthodoxy


The 19th century back to one found in Uppsala Cathedral. Lutheran Orthodoxy was an era in the history of Lutheranism, which began in 1580 from the writing of the Book of Concord and ended at the Age of Enlightenment The Cathedral of Uppsala (Uppsala domkyrka located centrally in the city of Uppsala, Sweden, dates back to the late 13th century and at a height It is blazoned Or, on a cross Gules an open crown of the field and thus features a yellow field with a red cross on which there is an open red crown. The crown is called the victory crown of Christ, based on the medieval tradition. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed "

Church politics

The Church adopted, at the time that it was still a state church, an administrative structure largely modelled after the state. Direct elections are held to Church, Diocese, Community (Samfällighet) and Parish (Församling) assemblies. The electoral system is the same as used in the parliamentary or municipal elections. The groups that take part in the elections are called nominating groups (nomineringsgrupper). Nominating groups (in Swedish: Nomineringsgrupper) is the name given to political parties and other outfits that take part in the elections to the various In some cases the nationwide political parties take part in the elections, such as the Social Democrats, the Moderates and the Centre Party. A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral The Swedish Social Democratic Party, (Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti 'Social Democratic Workers' Party of Sweden' contests elections as 'Workers' Party - Social Democrats' This article refers to the Swedish political party for the group that dominated the Church of Scotland in the 18th century see Moderate Party (Scotland The Centre Party ( Centerpartiet, abbreviated c) is a centrist Political party in Sweden. In other cases individual members of political parties form separate associations to launch candidatures in the church elections. A growing phenomenon is various 'non-partisan' groups putting up candidatures.

Administrative divisions

The Church of Sweden is divided into thirteen dioceses (stift). Elections were held to the Church Assembly ( Kyrkomötet) ie the "parliament" of the Church of Sweden on September 18 2005. In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. A diocese is divided into "contracts" (kontrakt), which are then divided into parishes (församlingar). A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches One or several parishes may together form a larger parish (pastorat).

Dioceses, with seats, cathedrals and bishops

Diocese Seat Cathedral Bishops Current bishop
Diocese of Uppsala Uppsala Uppsala Cathedral List of Archbishops of Uppsala Anders Wejryd (Archbishop of Uppsala)
Ragnar Persenius (bishop)
Diocese of Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg Cathedral List of bishops of Gothenburg Carl Axel Aurelius
Diocese of Härnösand Härnösand Härnösand Cathedral List of bishops of Härnösand Tony Guldbrandzén
Diocese of Kalmar Kalmar Kalmar Cathedral List of bishops of Kalmar Existed as superintendentia 1603–1678 and as diocese 1678–1915; merged with the Diocese of Växjö
Diocese of Karlstad Karlstad Karlstad Cathedral List of bishops of Karlstad Esbjörn Hagberg
Diocese of Linköping Linköping Linköping Cathedral List of bishops of Linköping Martin Lind
Diocese of Luleå Luleå Luleå Cathedral List of bishops of Luleå Hans Stiglund
Diocese of Lund Lund Lund Cathedral List of bishops of Lund Antje Jackelén
Diocese of Mariestad Mariestad Mariestad Cathedral List of superintendents of Mariestad Existed as superintendentia 1580–1646; replaced by Karlstad
Diocese of Skara Skara Skara Cathedral Diocese of Skara#Bishop list Erik Aurelius
Diocese of Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm Cathedral List of bishops of Stockholm Caroline Krook
Diocese of Strängnäs Strängnäs Strängnäs Cathedral List of bishops of Strängnäs Hans-Erik Nordin
Diocese of Visby Visby Visby Cathedral List of bishops of Visby Lennart Koskinen
Diocese of Västerås Västerås Västerås Cathedral List of bishops of Västerås Claes-Bertil Ytterberg
Diocese of Växjö Växjö Växjö Cathedral List of bishops of Växjö Sven Thidevall

See also


References

  1. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, article Sweden

External links

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