The Church of Sweden

Like most countries in Europe, Sweden embraced Roman Catholicism. In 1517, the German theologian Martin Luther questioned Catholic beliefs and practices which ultimately resulted in a Protestant movement and divided the Roman Catholic Church. Those who believed and followed the teachings of Luther came to be know as Lutherans, and the Lutheran Church was born.

During a meeting of parliament in 1527, Swedish King Gustav Vasa publicly broke ties with the Catholic Church and declared Lutheranism to be the official church of Sweden. Seventeen years later, in 1544, it was announced that the King of Sweden would also be the head of the Church of Sweden. Since Sweden had severed ties with the Roman Catholic dynasty it was no longer obliged to support Catholicism financially, and Sweden would be in a much better position to liquidate past war debts and build greater wealth as the Swedish government was in complete control of the new evangelical kingdom.

In 1686, under the reign of King Karl XI, all Swedes were required to be active members of the State Church and practice the evangelical faith. Not only was the Roman Catholic Church banned in Sweden at that time, but Swedish citizens could be sentenced to death for belonging to a faith other than the Church of Sweden. Foreigners who wanted to practice another form of religion could do so as long as it was done behind closed doors and in private.

The Church of Sweden was tightly structured and controlled. The countries' parishes were the backbone of the church. Parish priests were required to keep detailed records on each individual and every household (which has become a goldmine of information for modern genealogists). The priest would monitor each person's church attendance, he would visit each family at least once a year to test them on their religious knowledge, and he also acted as tax collector to insure property owners paid their fair share to the church and the crown. Failure to pay, attend, or report could result in fines or even imprisonment. It was said that The Lutheran Church of Sweden was one of the most despotic ecclesiastical bodies in existence, that it bound its members to absolute and unquestioning submission,  and was intolerant of free thinking and allowing citizens autonomous acts of conscious. 

Baptist missionaries were the first to attempt to lure prospective converts in Sweden in the early 1850s. Tracts were distributed and secret meetings were held, but proselyting missionaries who were caught by authorities were deported, jailed, or fined. However, the fear and bondage which the people felt from the state church made them highly receptive to other forms of Christianity. Mormon missionaries, having had much success in England and Scotland, set their sights on Scandinavia and began sending missionaries to Sweden in 1855.

Because of strict religious control, an exploding population, a scarcity of land and resources, and other factors (all of which I'll discuss in more depth in upcoming posts), Sweden's growing poor set their sights on experiencing freedom and prosperity in other parts of the world. After mass emigration during the remainder of the 1850s, the Dissenter Law was passed in 1860, making it legal to leave the Church of Sweden but only under the provision of officially joining another Christian denomination. The following year, foreign missionaries were allowed more liberty to preach openly without fear of arrest or deportation. 

It wasn't until 1951 that The Law of Freedom of Religion was passed which allowed complete religious freedom, including the right to not be affiliated with any church.

https://slakthistoria.se/livet-forr/sockenprasten-var-bygdens-nav

http://www.hhogman.se/church-of-sweden-history.htm

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Sweden_Church_History

Next Post - Brännvin (Brandy) and a Culture of Heavy Drinking