Renegotiating the Role of Majority Churches in Nordic Parliamentary Debates on Same-Sex Unions: Table 1.

Abstract

The introduction of legislation on same-sex unions causes tensions between religious denominations and more or less secular states in different parts of the world. What are perceived to be modern liberal values such as gender and sexual equality here get contrasted with traditional family values, which to a high degree have become associated with religiosity.1 In turn, this makes the public debates on same-sex unions an interesting case of the changing public role of religious denominations, particularly in advanced industrial societies where the tension between secular-rational and traditional religious values may be expected to be the highest. With this backdrop, the Nordic countries pose an interesting case as pioneers in legislation on same-sex unions.2 On the one hand, this may not have come as a surprise as the Nordic citizens express the highest levels of secular-rational values in the world.3 On the other hand, these countries also retain close relationships or an ongoing process between the states and the Evangelical Lutheran majority churches.4 These relationships include a double track system, which permits both civil and religious marriages with full civil law effects.5 Thus, the introduction of legislation on same-sex unions has had to be negotiated also in relation to the religious denominations, despite the alleged secular legislation and legislators.