Many consider Sweden as one of the most secularised countries in the world. While the country is rapidly growing more religiously and culturally diverse there still remains a Lutheran touch in the school curriculum. Skolverket depicts itself as being nondenominational and objective, but many have argued against this statement. The educational system’s roots of both being organised and run using Christian religious materials clearly presents the complex situation that can be recognized even today.  Researchers and students alike agree that there is an issue regarding the representation of all cultural and religious groups in the Swedish educational system. The students in the work of Carina Holmqvist Lidh testify of the lack of representation or frequent misrepresentation in their formal education. Many feel the religion they meet in schools cannot be recognized as their own. This is a problem both in the condensed teaching materials which are used and the very limited lesson time a teacher has at hand. An active didactical choice, deeming what’s important knowledge or not, falls in the lap of educators and the consequences that I want to present in this essay is that many religious orientations risk going unnoticed.  That’s why in this essay my goal is to create a discussion about the ways the Lutheran Christian faith has historically, and continues to affect religion education, all while deeming itself as non-confessional and neutral. Furthermore, owing to fellow students’ essays and professors' analysis of textbooks depiction of non-Lutheran religious groups I hope to present the problem with this Lutheran-touch, which leaves many students from other religious orientations feeling their faith is misrepresented or left out in traditional teaching.

In this study the medializing of the Church of Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic have been examined to see the impact on youths’ freedom of religion during the time of the Swedish national restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The digital adaption of the Church of Sweden was analysed through the concept of amplification, framing and co-structuring, whilst Klasson Sundins theory on the child’s freedom of religion was adapted to investigate if the rights of the child have been limited by the restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Sweden. The conclusions are that the youth have been benefiting from the increased digitalization of the church, which has been more inviting for the youth and has made volunteering more accessible for the youth as well. It is not only the digitalization that have contributed to this. The fact that the recommendations to elderly have been more severe due to the increased risk of COVID-19 with age, has created a gap in the church when people who used to volunteer was not able to do that anymore. This gap has been filled by the youth of the church. To confirm these conclusions further research must be done, preferably by asking the people who have been working with the youth of the church and by letting the youth themselves, tell us their story about being a part of the church during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study uses the coping theory and search for significance by Kenneth Pargament (1997) applied to the issue of occupational burnout among parish deacons in the Church of Sweden. The Social Insurance Report of 2020:8 presents deacons and priests as a profession at high risk of falling ill in stress related mental illness and sick leaves. The aim with this essay is to try to find whether there are aspects of Pargament’s coping theory that can be applied on this problem. Two main questions were answered:- What does the Church of Sweden’s governing documents state regarding the deaconry related to structure and role clarity? - How can we use Pargament’s coping theory on search for significance to understand the burnout issue among deacons as it is presented in the Social Insurance Report of 2020:8? Through a thematic analysis, three themes were distinguished: Clarity of Mission, Religions as Motivation and Structure and Management. These themes set the foundation for the result presented in this report. The chapter of Analysis deepens the connection to the coping theory and three specific assumptions of Pargament. The conclusion is that the governing documents are quite vague in presenting the deaconry related to structure and role clarity. There is also a lack of understanding, regarding deaconry and diakonia of the church, amongst parish leaderships which in turn leads to challenges and frictions for the local parish deacons. Many of them also wish for more liturgical elements and time for religious praxis within their working hours which results in a discussion of conserving or transforming the individuals’ significance.

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This thesis examines the role played by the Church of Sweden in the field of social work, with some comparison to the social services. The Church of Sweden has a rich history of engaging with communities, delivering social support, and addressing the welfare needs of its congregants and the wider population. Employing qualitative research methods and interviews of a selection of priests and deacons, this thesis aims to gain a greater understanding of the church’s social work initiatives, contrasting them with the more bureaucratic and secular approach of the social services. The study also examines the difference between social work driven by faith and mercy, compared to that based on justice and rights. The results have led us to the conclusion that there are certain innate advantages to a mercy-based model of social work, but also inherent drawbacks of such nature that it would not make such an approach to social work a viable alternative as a basis for building a reliable social safety net, but also makes it a valuable complement.

Cemeteries are an integral part of the cityscape, which as a societal function are responsible for the interment of the deceased in a dignified manner. Cemeteries as a space imbued with cultural, historical, religious and emotional significance - as a site for grief, reflection and contemplation they also have a significant physical presence in the city. Cemeteries are a somewhat hidden issue in urban planning in Sweden today, but as a land intensive development that locks the land from future reuse it is paramount that the complexity is examined. The Burial Act (SFS 1990:1144) governs burial practice, services and the organisation structure of cemeteries in Sweden which creates an interesting set of conditions. The thesis investigates future cemetery planning in the context of Gothenburg, Sweden, as the city is faced with a shortage of burial space in the coming decade. Simultaneously, Gothenburg is growing and land for future development is highly contested. This provides motivation for why cemetery planning needs to be understood in an urban context. The thesis will use two case studies, first the case of Järva cemetery in Stockholm as inspiration for cemetery planning in current society and secondly the case of Gothenburg to guide the research regarding how to plan for cemeteries that are socially just. An extensive literature review and interviews with relevant actors, are used to gain knowledge of cemetery planning and the functions of cemeteries in a European context, as well as future trends regarding cemetery planning. The interviews are examined through the themes of physical considerations, qualities of cemeteries, diversity in burial provision and governance. Results of the interviews indicate the multifaceted nature of planning for cemeteries. The method of scenario planning is subsequently utilized as a tool to explore how a future cemetery in Gothenburg can be planned, developed and designed through four possible scenarios - small-peripheral, small-urban, large-urban and large-peripheral. A scenario analysis is carried out using a social justice theoretical framework to illuminate how a socially just cemetery development can be established and potential challenges regarding this. The concepts analysed through the theoretical framework are planning, ownership and management, finance, social infrastructure and environmental impact. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the cemetery scenarios analysis and providing recommendations for future cemetery planning in Gothenburg.

The aim of this study is to examine some of the employees in the Church of Sweden and their knowledge and view on the concepts of tolerance, integration, assimilation and diversity. Besides that the study also examines if those employees motivate these concepts based on what I defined as Swedish values or confessional values. The study was done through submitted questionnaires from 26 employees within 15 parishes. To answer the survey's main questions, qualitative variables method was used that looked for variables and connections in the survey responses. Furthermore the study was based on the political philosopher Rainer Forst theory regarding tolerance. The analysis of the study shows that the 26 employees in the Church of Sweden have a high influence of Swedish values and/or Swedish legislation and low influences of confessional values in their answers. In addition to that the analysis also shows that 26 employees have lack of knowledge applicable concepts assimilation and integration. The analysis shows that the 26 employees have a partially similar view and knowledge regarding the concepts of diversity, tolerance and where they draw the line for tolerance. Lastly the 26 employees' view on tolerance according to the analysis gravitate towards the political philosopher Rainer Forst theory of tolerance as a respectful concept. The aim of the study has been to contribute to studies on the Church of Sweden's employees and their knowledge and view regarding contemporary concepts in order to provide an opportunity for increased knowledge within the subject. The study can also be used as a pilot study or a starting point for a more comprehensive survey of Church of Sweden's employees attitudes towards tolerance and diversity issues. / Sammanfattningsvis syftade uppsatsen till att undersöka vilken syn och kunskap anställda i ett antal församlingar i Svenska kyrkan har på begreppen tolerans, mångfald, assimilering och integration. Dessutom undersöktes det i uppsatsen om de anställda motiverade dessa begrepp utifrån vad jag definierade som svenska eller konfessionella värderingar. Undersökningen gjordes genom inskickade enkäter från 26 anställda inom 15 församlingar. För att besvara uppsatsens syfte och frågeställningarna så användes kvalitativa variabler som letade efter variabler och samband i enkätsvaren. Förutom detta så utgick uppsatsen från Rainer Forst teori gällande tolerans. Resultatet visar att de 26 anställda i Svenska kyrkan har höga genomslag av svenska värderingaroch/eller svensk lagstiftning, låga genomslag av konfessionell profil, att de möjligtvis är tveksamma, obeslutsamma, undrande eller osäkra gällande begreppen assimilering och integration och att de anställda har en delvis liknande syn och kunskap gällande begreppen mångfald, tolerans och vart de drar gränsen för tolerans. Synen på tolerans utifrån hur den analyserats i uppsatsen visar att de 26 anställda drar mot Rainer Forst teori “tolerans som respekterande koncept”. Trots detta så har vissa av de anställda ändå genomslag av “tolerans som tillstånd koncept”. Forskning framåt skulle därför kunna undersöka om de anställda i Svenska kyrkan är stadiga eller föränderliga gällande sin syn och kunskap i frågor kopplade till migration.

Gender equality and women's rights have long been a prioritised topic for Swedish aid agencies. In this thesis the aim is through qualitative interviews with employees at the Swedish aid organisation Act Church of Sweden, to unravel some of the challenges met when working with this issue. The respondents all worked at the office in Uppsala or with the office in Uppsala, but tightly with partner organisations. Act Church of Sweden works together with partner organisations in every part of the world with different topics, gender equality being one of them. The results of the interviews showed a wide range of challenges related to a local level at the partner organisations, but also at a global level with patriarchal structures and gender backlash, as well as at the organisational level with administration, resources and funding. Unique were aso the faith-based challenges highlighted by the respondents. The results were discussed together with two theories; Intersectional Feminist Theory and Jack Donnelly’s Universality of Human Rights.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka textilförvaringen i Svenska kyrkan, specifikt Visby och Strängnäs stift. Studiens fokus ligger på hur förvaringen ser ut i praktiken jämfört med vad litteratur och riktlinjer anser vara ”best practice”. Studien ämnar även att undersöka hur och i vilken utsträckning församlingarna använder rutiner och riktlinjer. För att undersöka hur textilförvaringen ser ut har enkäter skickats ut till ett antal församlingar och pastorat i stiften. Det har även hållits intervjuer med Visby stiftsantikvarie och fastighetssamordnare, samt Strängnäs stiftsantikvarier. Studien visar att textilförvaringen i stiften är modern, men att det finns förbättringspotential, specifikt inom rutiner, kommunikation och ansvar. Stiften prioriterar olika aspekter när det kommer till textilförvaringen, vilket kan förklara skillnader i till exempel inneklimat och förvaringslösningar. Riktlinjer och leddokument används och är följbara i viss utsträckning, men studien visar att vissa riktlinjer är svåra att följa på grund av ekonomiska begränsningar och brist på arbetskraft. Klimatförändringar, minskade intäkter och minskat ekonomiskt stöd kom-mer troligen göra detta ännu svårare i framtiden. / The purpose of this study is to investigate textile storage in the Church of Sweden, specifically Visby and Sträng-näs diocese. The focus of the study is on how the storage looks in practice compared to what literature and guidelines consider to be ‘best practice’. The study also aims to investigate how and to what extent the parishes use standards and guidelines. To investigate how textile storage looks, questionnaires have been sent out to a number of parishes and pastorates in the diocese. Interviews were also held with the Visby diocesan antiquarian and property coordinator, and the Strängnäs diocesan antiquarians. The study shows that textile storage in the dioceses is modern, but that there is potential for improvement, specifically in routines, communication and responsibility. The dioceses prioritise different aspects when it comes to textile storage, which may explain differences in, for example, indoor climate and storage solutions. Guidelines and guidance documents are used and followed to a certain extent, but the study shows that some guidelines are difficult to follow due to financial constraints and labour shortages. Climate change, reduced revenues and reduced financial support are likely to make this even more difficult in the future.

Through the lenses of religion’s role in society, the purpose of this thesis is to examine, the role of the Church of Sweden in providing support to people at the end of life. Questions asked are:  "What types of spiritual support is offered by the Church of Sweden during terminal care provided in patients' homes and how is this support expressed in church orders, assembly instructions, plans of operations and congregation letters?" and " How can the work of the Church of Sweden be understood, based on theories of religion's role in society? The method used is a content analysis of the Church Order, assembly instructions, plans of operations and congregation letters in 17 different congregations within the diocese of Lund. I then engage in a discussion with theories on differentiation and the privatization of religion as a means to interpret my results. My conclusion is that the investigated parishes in the diocese of Lund do not have any specific goals or targets documented for spiritual support to people who are at life’s end cared in their homes. This can be understood based on theories of differentiation. The privatization of religion may explain the phenomenon that people's religious needs are not linked to the collective institutional religion of the Church of Sweden.  This is despite of the fact that a large proportion of the Swedish population belongs to the Church of Sweden. The de-privatization of religion, at a societal level can explain the reason why these concerns are attracting an increased interest from the healthcare services as people's need of spiritual support are discussed. The question of who should meet the patients' needs for spiritual support is unclear.