Baptism in times of change: Exploring new patterns of baptismal theologies and practices in Nordic Lutheran churches

Forthcoming book in the Church of Sweden Research Series:

Baptism in times of change: Exploring new patterns of baptismal theologies and practices in Nordic Lutheran churches

            A new book on the changing environment of baptism in the Nordic Lutheran Churches will be published this year in the Church of Sweden Research Series. The book is the result of a two years' research process and with its combination of empirical data (quantitative and qualitative), and practical and systematic theology it is a valuable contribution to Lutheran theological discussion.

            In the Nordic region, five nation-states are united culturally and socially through a shared history. This common history has led to the development of five societies that share many similarities while also exhibiting strong differences in their characteristics. A common denominator in the Nordic region is the religious history. In the sixteenth century, the region became part of the Lutheran Reformation, a development that led to the emergence of Lutheran state churches in the later five nation-states. The position of Lutheran Christianity as the state religion corresponded to a majority and monopoly situation, where adherence to the Lutheran Church and participation in ecclesial rites were compulsory and even prescribed by law. The Nordic countries were thus shaped by Lutheranism. This is radically changing.

Lutheranism’s status as a monopoly religion belongs to the past. Nordic societies today are religiously pluralistic, with a broad spectrum of beliefs and non-beliefs represented within a framework of religious freedom. In general, secularization has reduced the relative importance of church and religion in society. Religious pluralization has, among other factors, been fostered by the influx of immigrants from all parts of the world.

Nevertheless, despite this increasing secularization and religious pluralization, the five former Lutheran churches still hold a majority position as faith communities, meaning that more than half of the population in all the five countries are members of one of these churches. The churches still have a visible role in the life of Nordic societies, which includes their custodianship of historical church buildings and thus of a national cultural history and identity. In such roles, the churches are often referred to as “folk churches” by themselves and others. The exact content of this concept might vary according to the context, but it often refers to the ideal of being a church open to everyone, with low participation thresholds. How this ideal might be balanced with the need to have a distinct identity in a religiously pluralistic setting is frequently debated.

Traditionally, most newborns in Nordic societies were baptized as infants and thus became part of the church early on. Letting one’s child be baptized was, until recently, the dominant tradition in all the Nordic countries. For a newborn to be baptized not only implied becoming a member of the church, but also a part of society. Free church movements, with a Baptist understanding of “believer’s baptism,” challenged the tradition of infant baptism, even though they still practiced baptism at a later age. Of course, a growing number of adherents to non-Christian religions did not practice baptism. An increasing number of people with a non-religious worldview also weakened the baptismal tradition. However, in recent years, there has been a growing tendency for church members themselves to choose not to baptize their children. This development poses a severe challenge to Nordic Lutheran churches. It raises questions not only about the position of baptism, but also of the churches themselves, as baptism is the main entry point for membership.

Between 2020 and 2022, the Nordic folk churches conducted a joint study project, entitled “Baptism in Times of Change.” The project aimed to gather and analyze existing materials and practices and stimulate joint reflection, discussion, and ecumenical learning in the Nordic region among researchers, practitioners, and church leaders.

As stated earlier, a book is forthcoming in 2024, in the Church of Sweden Research Series.

The book is divided into four sections. The first section analyzes the present circumstances based on empirical data and thus highlights the challenges for the Lutheran churches.

In a changing cultural and religious context, churches are adapting their practices related to baptism by revising old ones and introducing new alternatives. The second section on practices analyzes some of these adaptations and innovations, including baptismal liturgy and the multi-faith environment.

Decreasing baptismal numbers have led churches to reconsider and revise their strategies and means of communicating about baptism and the third chapter introduces new practices and ideas.

The last section of the book deals with baptismal theology. How could a theology of baptism be developed that is relevant to the contemporary situation without losing its rootedness in inherited Christian insights?

The challenges that the new context poses in developing a Lutheran and ecumenical baptismal theology, and what effect that has on the practice, will be the focus of the presentation.

The value of the book for the churches and for Lutheran Theological studies in the Nordic countries is clear. We argue that the research and the theological challenges raised in the book are relevant for studies on Lutheran theology and practice everywhere. How these challenges reflect and interact with the ecumenical and interfaith environment and link baptism to ecological thoughts firmly places it as relevant contribution on development in Lutheran Theology.