STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Seminaries in Sweden are being instructed by the government to de-emphasize theological education in favor of general religious studies.
“The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education reported in June that state-supported schools must favor religious studies over theological education,” reported Christianity Today. The government agency inspects and promotes higher education in the Scandinavian country, evaluates universities and colleges, conducts quality assessments and takes initiatives in updating teaching methods.
Higher education in Sweden is free of charge as the school system is largely financed by taxes. A result of the policy change is that “students could ultimately lose government allowances, a necessity in the Swedish system of higher education,” according to Christianity Today.
Karin Wiborn, general secretary of the Baptist Union of Sweden, said its seminary, the Stockholm School of Theology, would be adversely affected by the change if the policy is enforced. “This is a big problem in Sweden in many ways,” Wiborn explained to the Baptist World Alliance, adding that “a lot of theological institutions have great problems” with the proposed change.
A consequence of the agency’s directives is that theological schools could lose accreditation status for their degree programs or have their application for accreditation denied. Those that follow the government guidelines fear that pastors and priests may not be properly prepared for Christian ministry.
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