Based on the model of the
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, the society was founded on 27 March 1771 on the initiative of (1727–1786), a priest in service to the
royal court (). After a nine-year position as pastor of
Gloria Dei Church in Philadelphia, in which he had "been preparing the way for
Methodism in Philadelphia" and contact with Methodist
John Wesley, he felt the necessity to found an organization to "[propagate] practical religion", with a promise of support from Wesley. Its motto was "A society, which with utmost diligence should promote the growth and spread of Christianity in the Kingdom of Sweden". The society, with its
Pietist influence, was to serve as a platform for the spread of Christian faith and knowledge through the ideas of Christian enlightenment, education,
mission and
temperance during its early years, as well as a counter to
neology in the
state church. It has been called Sweden's first missionary and
tract society. Its goal was to "work against the decline of Christian knowledge and civic virtues". At a time when the view of the state and its responsibilities did not allow for state intervention in public education and enlightenment, the society carried out voluntarily what it considered the time required, but which the state was unable to carry out. Its ideas later became generally accepted and were gradually taken over in part by other organizations. The society is thus the earliest surviving example of how Swedish civil society began to take shape. The society's work was divided into two divisions, the education division and the pastoral or catechism division. It grew quickly in the beginning, with 76 members in the first year, 23 of whom lived in Finland and
Pomerania and 28 in other countries. Expenses were paid partly by voluntary contributions from members (after 1819, annual fees were paid by each member) and partly by quite substantial donations. For a long time efforts were made to produce a new
catechism; this attempt, however, ran aground. Hans Magnus Melin, , and others. In the 1940s, the society published a new translation of the Lutheran
Book of Concord.
Impact Pro Fide et Christianismo initiated the founding of several societies: the
Swedish Missionary Society, the
Swedish Bible Society, the Exchange Teaching Society (), the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (), and, at least indirectly, provided the impetus for the establishment of
normal schools.
Today Today, the society's main task is to provide financial support for the publication and dissemination of Christian literature. It financially supports the Nordic peer-reviewed academic journal
Theofilos. It also awards scholarships to students of theology. It has approximately 200 members. Pro Fide et Christianismo is Sweden's oldest existing Christian association. == Members ==