Religious organization in sustainable development of regions: the case of Diocese Viborg of the Evangelic Lutheran Church of Denmark.

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the examination of the implementation by a Christian religious organization of various activities aimed at achieving the goals of sustainable development. The testing ground is the Viborg Diocese, one of the northern dioceses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark (ELCD), located within the mainland of the country. Based on the analysis of the content of the reporting financial documentation, a detailed description of the economic activity of a religious organization is presented, its regional specificity is indicated. The functions of the ELCD are identified, which are delegated to it by the state and partially duplicate its social obligations. On the example of the Diocese of Viborg the key directions in the field of interaction between the Church and the state are reflected in detail. An analysis of the factual materials led to the conclusion that in communes geographically coinciding with the designated diocese, the religious institution has the greatest influence on the achievement of socially oriented UN SDGs. Priority areas are: access to continuing education, intellectual development, physical and mental health of children and youth, strengthening family relations. The experience of the ELCD regional structural unit in achieving environmentally determined SDGs is also described. A rare example of the implementation of a joint social project of the Diocese of Viborg and municipal authorities in the commune of Ikast-Branne, aimed at providing comprehensive support to families in need, is highlighted. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark in the XXI century, when the society is embraced by the processes of secularization, remains an influential social institution, showing high activity through participation in various activities aimed at realizing social responsibility at the local and regional levels, so its experience can be useful for other countries and religious organizations.