Svenska kyrkan, det lutherska och ekumeniken. Svenska kyrkans identitet

Abstract

The article discusses questions related to the identity of the Lutheran Church of Sweden. The need to clarify the Lutheran identity is more and more articulated in the new Swedish society, which is more secular, more religious pluralistic and more Christian pluralistic than before.

One of the theses is that the Lutheran identity of the Church of Sweden is rather low. It is, however, rather difficult to analyse the Lutheran identity because of the uncertainty of criteria: Luther’s own theology or any part of it? Lutheran tradition, Lutheran confessional texts, or only some minimal theological statements?

It is argued that much in Lutheran theology and churches is very much connected to the polemical situation in Luther’s lifetime. Such situation-bound polemics has no value of its own. It is a task for the Lutheran Church and all other Churches to identify what can be abandoned. The theology of justification, Bible and tradition, power and decision-making and other questions are discussed.

The task for the Lutheran Churches of today is to take up the central and common Christian tradition in ecumenical dialogue. The common and future tasks are greater than the historical and dividing conflicts of the past. The evangelical and the catholic are central, not the Lutheran and the Roman.