“True Christianity and Civic Virtue”: Currents in Swedish Religious Instruction, ca. 1670–1870

Abstract

In the history of education in Sweden, religious goals have always been intertwined with secular ones. The literacy campaign of the late 17th century was inaugurated to foster national stability and coherence by creating a confessionally-founded nation of Lutherans. The Saami mission was part of this national project, but the Saami school curriculum of 1735 reveals massive Pietist influences. In Pietist pedagogy, religious instruction was directed not only towards the mind, but also towards the will, aimed at reshaping the total personality by creating a sensitive consciousness and imprinting new moral standards.By the 18th century, the status of religion was motivated by its promotion of morality and virtue, the foundation blocks of society. In order to achieve “the improvement of the whole man, in terms of intellect, will and way of living”, the new catechism of 1810 both presented a developed moral teaching and stressed reading comprehension of essential texts in favour of the prevailing memorising tradition, which during the 18th century had come to embrace an increasing number of religious texts, among which Luther's Haustafel was significant for reinforcing the patriarchal norms of society. Both the conservative view of restricted home instruction and the liberal school model with general civic education were focused on the same goal of moral improvement.When the school reform bill of 1842 was implemented, the traditional ecclesiastical curriculum proceeded to dominate. The Lancaster method contributed to the prevalence of the memorising tradition within catechetical instruction. Not until the “small school” and the school inspection reforms were undertaken, and new pedagogical directions had been issued, did the dominance of the memorising tradition start to break down. Most important for the breakthrough of the civic education was the ministry's decision to make the school minimum level a requirement for admittance to confirmation instruction.