Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Religion: The Case of Sweden

Sweden did not follow the same route that most other European countries embarked on in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. When other countries closed as a response to the spread of the virus, Sweden decided not to impose a full lockdown. Rather, Sweden kept a large part of society open, such as keeping schools for children and bars and restaurants open, albeit with some restrictions. The focus was on information, relying on each individual to reduce the spread of the infection by following two clear recommendations: maintaining individual hand hygiene and physical distance between people. Public gatherings were regulated in terms of the number of participants, but never banned. Although the Swedish government followed a more liberal route in the handling of the pandemic, the recommended restrictions had a considerable effect on religious life. The aim of this chapter is to understand the background of Sweden’s different way of handling the COVID-19 pandemic and what impact it had on faith communities in Sweden, from both legal and sociological perspectives.