ABSTRACT
The point of departure is the processes of changes that the Swedish welfare state has gone through in the past few decades, implying far-reaching deregulations and patterns of privatisation and contracting. The Church of Sweden has gradually lost influence and authority over societal institutions and individuals. Sweden is generally considered to be a highly secularised country, as stressed in comparative literature. The Church also conducts outreach work in hospitals, prisons and nursing homes, etc. However, it is the parish that is the site for most of the diaconal work. The need to broaden and deepen this work through community building in line with traditional theology, and the difficulty of achieving this, was pointed out by pastors and deacons in a study of the role of the Church of Sweden parishes in end-of-life care. The Church is just one of many organisations in civil society that are expected to offer fellowship and community as well as caring and social support.
