About ten percent of employees of the Finnish Lutheran Church admit that they feel only slightly or not at all committed to the teachings of the church.
The remaining 90% say that they are very committed - seven in ten describe their commitment as very strong. Commitment to the tenets of the Lutheran faith is strongest among workers in the diocese of Lapua and Oulu, and the weakest in Helsinki.
The information was published on Monday in a study conducted by Kati Niemelä for the Research Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The survey, conducted in 2002, involved 792 responses to questionnaires sent to clergy and other spiritual workers of the church. Niemelä also conducted 21 in-depth interviews.
Archbishop Jukka Paarma was pleased with the results. "Any company would jump for joy if it could say that nine out of ten of its employees are committed to its core-values", he commented.
Paarma takes an understanding view of the doubters in his midst, noting that it is good that church workers do not simply follow a ready formula, and that they are capable of asking questions. "This is what theological training aims at. It seeks to ask questions. Doubt is a part of faith."
Paarma also observed that in the case of many respondents, ethical questions involving family life and sexual ethics were paramount.
One very topical issue involves the church's attitude toward homosexuality. "In that respect church workers criticise the church as being either too liberal or too conservative."
The study reveals that at a young age church workers are usually quite strong in their faith. Later in life, many of the certainties are questioned. Niemelä writes that the focus of faith turns more toward mercy and forgiveness.
With age, individual articles of doctrine take a lesser role, and doubts become more a part of an individual's faith. Proclaiming the Word in the pulpit takes a back seat to listening to the concerns of people.
According to the survey, concepts of faith tend to alter between the ages of 40 and 50.
Archbishop Paarma said that the results confirm the importance of continued spiritual training of church workers.
According to Kati Niemelä, the biggest issue facing the church in the light of her study is not a lack of faith, but the ability to listen to different views within the church.
The existence of hell is an issue that doubters within the church often question.
On Monday Archbishop Paarma reiterated that the concept of damnation is a part of the doctrine of the Lutheran Church, and that clergy who say that everyone goes to heaven have overstepped the boundaries of propriety.
"Damnation is a part of faith, but what that damnation is, is a different question", Paarma said.
In recent years the question of adherence by clergy to church doctrine has focused on one pastor, Antti Kylliäinen, who stated that hell does not exist in a book he wrote in 1997 called Kaikki pääsevät taivaaseen ("Everyone gets into heaven").
Numerous complaints of heresy were made to the Helsinki Cathedral Chapter over Kylliäinen's views, but he was allowed to continue in his post.
Kylliäinen does not feel that he has exceeded the bounds of propriety, and he stands by the statement contained in the title of his book more firmly than ever. He has written a second book on the same theme, which is scheduled for publication in the autumn.
"If mercy and love are true, and if there is something after this life, then there is no other possibility than that there has to be something good", Kylliäinen says. He also says that he is not alone in his conviction. "There are hundreds of others who think like this."