Secularization, religious plurality and position: Local inter-religious cooperation in contemporary Sweden

Abstract

Swedish society is characterized by secularization, and at the same time, as a result of migration, the country has become more pluralistic. An important consequence of this is the increasing possibilities for cooperation between different religious communities, and a variety of inter-religious cooperation are currently taking place in Sweden. The aim of the article is to show how inter-religious cooperation arises and is maintained at a local level in Sweden today, but also to highlight what the hurdles are. The article is based on interviews with people who in different ways were involved, or had chosen not to be involved, in inter-religious cooperation at a local level in Sweden. It is also based on participation in five local inter-religious groups during 2010 and 2011. The study shows that inter-religious cooperation at local level in Sweden is largely influenced by differences in conditions between religious communities. These differences mainly derive from the positions the religious communities have in society, i.e. there is a strong power imbalance between the religious communities that is clearly reflected in the inter-religious cooperation.