ABSTRACT
After the extensive confessionalisation undergone by Sweden during the seventeenth century, in the eighteenth century the country faced growing demands for increased freedom in the field of religion. In this chapter we intend to focus on one of the priests who chose to work politically for greater liberty – Anders Chydenius, the vicar of Gamlakarleby in Österbotten. The issue was freedom of religion as well as other liberties, such as freedom of the press, economic freedom and freedom in the labour market. For this reason he was to play an important political role in the Swedish Diets during the period 1765–1780. 1
