This study treats participants' attitudes and interpretations of participation in communion within the denomination Church of Sweden. This study has had an inductive approach by conducting interviews and questionnaires during the spring of 2023. Interviews were conducted with 6 informants and questionnaires were handed out at one worship with mass on 2 April, which generated 68 answered questionnaires. The questions this study has sought to answer are: - Which attitudes do worship participants have towards walking procession and kneeling when participating in communion? - Which interpretations do worship participants have regarding walking procession and kneeling when participating in communion? The result which in itself is an inductive processing of the material was analyzed by two main theoretical standpoints. The first was implicit ecclesiology and theology and the second was participation. What emerged was that there are a variety of attitudes and interpretations regarding both walking procession and kneeling, when participating in communion. The result points towards that participating in communion overall is a rite people appreciate and have a variety of interpretations regarding. The majority of the informants tend to show a more positive attitude towards walking procession when participating in communion contra kneeling. The material is constricted regarding only having handed out questionnaires at oneworship occasion with a walking procession. For future studies within this field, it would be sufficient to also hand out questionnaires at worship occasions where kneeling, when participating in communion, is the normative practice.

Ignatian spirituality in the Church of Sweden,a qualitative study ABSTRACTThe purpose of this qualitative research study is to investigate the meaning of Ignatian spirituality for some employees in the Church of Sweden. The method used in the study is individual, semi-structured interviews with five employees in the Church of Sweden. To meet the purpose, three questions have been asked: 1)     What has the meeting with Ignatian spirituality meant to the informants of the study? 2)    How do the informants integrate their experiences from the Ignatian spirituality in their parish practice? 3)    How do the informants relate to their ecumenical encounters? The empirical material was then analyzed according to the three questions, mentioned above and in the relation to the thinkers within the field of Ignatian Spirituality. In the analysis, the material was organized according to three themes: the personal experience of Ignatian spirituality, the integration in the parish practice and ecumenical encounters. The results of the research show that the priests and deacons are indeed submitted to the Ignatian spirituality, in their whole life. They are familiar with the Ignatian tools and well informed about Ignatius of Loyola and his Spiritual Exercises. In their parish practice they tend to feel lonely, and they long for colleagues acquainted with the Spiritual Exercises, but since the Spiritual Exercises imbue their whole life, the Spiritual Exercises are evident in all their practices. They also dwell on how they can reach out, making the Gospel accessible also to those somewhat more resistant or not interested. All informants are ecumenical and talk about experiences of ecumenical encounters. The study indicates a clear parallel between the Ignatian Spirituality and Receptive Ecumenism, both movements obviously grounded in an introspection that opens possibilities for true meetings.

Under pandemiåren 2020 - 2021 förändrades förutsättningarna att vara kyrka i grunden. I denna uppsats analyseras kören som ett uttryck för församlingsgemenskap. Genom en intervjuundersökning bestående av fokusgrupper med körsångare och enskilda intervjuer med körledare och kyrkoherde beskrivs den församlingsgemenskap som framträder och hur den påverkades under perioden. Hur digitala verktyg användes som resurs under pandemin beskrivs också. Intervjuerna har transkriberats och analyserats utifrån Andreas Holmbergs avhandling om levd ecklesiologi i Svenska kyrkan.

The issues surrounding asylum seekers in host countries like Sweden are severe concerns that need immediate attention, issues ranging from daily stressors constitute major problems to their mental health. There is therefore a need for both governmnet and non-government organizations to provide services that will upkeep the mental health status of these people. Notwithstanding, this study aimed to have a holistic view on the services provided by Soulidarity and Human Rights and Svenska Kyrkan organizations in Sweden. Through semi-structured interviews conducted with represntatives from these organizations based on the research questions that target the perception of their services, challenges, and recommendations. The empiricial data collected were analyzed using the theoretical framework of social support theory. The empricial result from this study shows that; asylum helped organizations provided a dimension of services ranging from individual, counseling, and leisure support services. Also, the services provided by these organizations were impactful to; build the self-confidence, abilities to perform tasks and build the self-esteem of these traumatic stress asylum seekers who came for help.  Furthermore, the workers in these organizations encountered challenges with working under complex migration and intergration policies that do not favor these asylum seekers, financial challenges, language difficulties, and internal problematic behaviors displaced from traumatic stresses asylum seekers. Finally, the workers in these organizations recommend that; changes in policies, financial improvement, and recruitment of more staff, strengthening sensitization, and empowerment of group rights are better ways of improving their services.

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.

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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.

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.

The purpose of this study is to map the ethical arguments presented in the Church of Sweden Bishops’ letter of "The Beginning and End of Life: Tools for Orientation in Ethical Choices", and to analyse and discuss these in relation to Sören Kierkegaard's philosophical concepts of choice, freedom and anxiety. The research questions focus on understanding Kierkegaard's view of choice, identifying the ethical arguments in the Bishops’ letter and investigating how Kierkegaard's concepts can contribute to a deeper understanding of the ethical arguments therein. The method includes conceptual analysis to clarify Kierkegaard's ideas and argumentation analysis to discuss the ethical arguments that appeared in the bishops’ letter. The study's questions are answered through the essay's two methods of a analysis, followed by a summary and conclusions. The study has shown that there are arguments in Sören Kierkegaard that contribute to deepening the Bishops’ letter. In particular, a) potential risks of allowing communities to participate in decision-making, b) the anxiety as an opportunity in decision-making and c) call to see ethically difficult choices as the possibility of the meeting with God. The result shows that Kierkegaard's philosophy of choice, freedom and anxiety offers a deeper perspective to the ethical reasoning behind the Bishops’ letter, based on Lutheran theology and a Christian view of humanity Keywords: Søren Kierkegaard, choice, freedom, anxiety, Bishops' letter, Church of Sweden,ethics, ethical arguments, ethical principles, Christian view of humanity.

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.