Social Innovation Now and Then in the Church of Sweden

Abstract

Social innovation – referring to the development and implementation of new social practices to improve the quality of life, well-being, relations and empowerment of individuals and communities – shares similarities with the diaconal work performed as part of Christian social practices and the welfare services provided by Christian communities and parishes. Based on the results from a study of innovative social practices in the Church of Sweden, this article scrutinizes the character of a selection of historical and contemporary examples of social innovation in the Church, in order to further develop the knowledge of how to develop new forms of diaconal work related to welfare services as the societal context changes. By pinpointing the content, process, empowerment, innovation and normativity of social innovation, the analysis highlights pivotal components in the transition from social exclusion to social inclusion in the Church’s specific settings.

Keywords

• diaconia
• innovation
• social innovation
• societal challenges
• welfare services