A Diversity of Roles: The Actions Taken by Religious Communities in Sweden during the "Refugee Crisis" in 2015

Abstract

This study investigates the roles local religious communities took and how they balanced their religious and social role, as well as their critical voice in the support of refugees in Sweden during the so-called refugee crisis of 2015. Interviews were held with representatives from Christians and Muslim local congregations in a large Swedish city. Through the exploratory approach, this study can show that the local congregations acted and functioned in a manner strongly connected to how they view their role in society. In other words, the actions taken during a state of emergency by religious communities seems to be a representation of how they view their role in a state of normality. Three ideal types were identified; Emergency Responders, Community-based Continuers and Spiritual Integrators. The difference in how they combine the religious and social role, as well as the critical voice, clearly illustrates the complexity in presenting religious communities role in civil society in a unified manner.