“Not Just Like Talking to a Chatbot”: Religious Literacy as a Dialogical Practice in Diaconal Mental Health Services for Youth

This article examines religious literacy in professional practice within diaconal mental health organizations in Norway. Drawing on 24 in-depth interviews with young service users and professionals, we analysed how religion plays a role in young people’s existential struggles and what characterizes religious literacy practices in diaconal low-threshold services for youth. Three stories were chosen to illustrate religious diversity among service users. The analysis further revealed four pathways used by professionals to enhance religious literacy dialogues: navigating religious sensitivity, connecting through religious language, selective self-disclosure, and making room for the existential dimension. We highlight religious literacy as a social practice that not only informs professional competence but also requires organizational environments in which a language for religion, spirituality, and existential concerns can be cultivated.