Logo: to the web site of Uppsala University

Is free church religiosity a threat to democracy? The democratic legacy of free churches in Sweden has been questioned in recent debates. The occurrence of an authoritarian Christian right has been claimed in research based on qualitative analysis of religious opinion makers. But the extent of authoritarian values among free church Christians is disputed in the literature. 

This essay brings a first quantitative contribution to this research gap. By comparing democratic attitudes and values among free church Christians in Uppland with the general public, the degree of authoritarianism is estimated. Variations within the group based on theological differences are also utilized to further test the claims of a supposedly authoritarian Christian right. 

The results depict a democratically aligned religious group with some internal variations. Free church Christians in Uppland seems to support democracy and dismiss authoritarian alternatives to a higher extent than Swedish citizens in general. They also show greater respect towards basic democratic rights and freedoms, are more tolerant, and engage less in self-censorship.  

Some variation was found in within the group. Theologically conservative respondents are more prone to restrict the right to protest, and self-censor more compared to theologically moderate respondents and Swedes in general. Despite this, the claims of an authoritarian Christian right can be falsified for the group – better described as a democratic Christan right and left respectively. In conclusion, this essay has contributed with insights on how different political and theological orientations can be combined with democratic norms among free church Christians in Sweden.