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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName THRIVENT SERIES FUND INC
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Apr. 30, 2018
Thrivent Partner All Cap Portfolio  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Thrivent Partner All Cap Portfolio
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The investment objective of Thrivent Partner All Cap Portfolio (the "Portfolio") is to seek long-term growth of capital.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio. If you own a variable annuity contract or variable life insurance contract, you will have additional expenses including mortality and expense risk charges. Please refer to the prospectus for your variable contract for additional information about charges for those contracts.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption SHAREHOLDER FEES
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption ANNUAL PORTFOLIO OPERATING EXPENSES
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of
the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Portfolio shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 51% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 51.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading EXAMPLE
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Portfolio is an investment option for variable contracts, and the example does not include charges imposed by variable contracts. If variable contract charges were imposed, your expenses would be higher than those shown. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual cost may be higher or lower, based on the foregoing assumptions, your cost would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The Portfolio’s principal strategy for achieving its objective is normally to invest the Portfolio’s assets primarily in common stocks.

FIAM LLC (“FIAM”), the Portfolio’s subadviser, is not constrained by any particular investment style. At any given time, FIAM may tend to buy “growth” stocks or “value” stocks, or a combination of both types.

In buying and selling securities for the Portfolio, FIAM uses a disciplined approach that involves computer-aided, quantitative analysis supported by fundamental analysis. FIAM’s computer model systematically reviews thousands of stocks, using data such as historical earnings, dividend yield, earnings per share, and other quantitative factors. Then, the issuers of potential investments are analyzed further using fundamental factors such as growth potential, earnings estimates, and financial condition.

FIAM may use various techniques, such as buying and selling futures contracts and exchange-traded funds, to increase or decrease the Portfolio’s exposure to changing security prices or other factors that affect security values. If FIAM’s strategies do not work as intended, the Portfolio may not achieve its objective.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock The Portfolio is subject to the following principal investment risks. Shares of the Portfolio will rise and fall in value and there is a risk that you could lose money by investing in the Portfolio. The Portfolio cannot be certain that it will achieve its investment objective.

ETF Risk. An ETF is subject to the risks of the underlying investments that it holds. In addition, for index-based ETFs, the performance of an ETF may diverge from the performance of such index (commonly known as tracking error). ETFs are subject to fees and expenses (like management fees and operating expenses) that do not apply to an index, and the Portfolio will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any such fees and expenses paid by the ETFs in which it invests.

Futures Contract Risk. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Portfolio’s initial investment in such contracts. In addition, the value of the futures contract may not accurately track the value of the underlying instrument.

Growth Investing Risk. Growth style investing includes the risk of investing in securities whose prices historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term. Growth stock prices reflect projections of future earnings or revenues and, if a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically.

Investment Adviser Risk. The Portfolio is actively managed and the success of its investment strategy depends significantly on the skills of the Adviser or subadviser in assessing the potential of the investments in which the Portfolio invests. This assessment of investments may prove incorrect, resulting in losses or poor performance, even in rising markets.

Issuer Risk. Issuer risk is the possibility that factors specific to a company to which the Portfolio is exposed will affect the market prices of the company’s securities and therefore the value of the Portfolio. Common stock of a company is subordinate to other securities issued by the company. If a company becomes insolvent, interests of investors owning common stock will be subordinated to the interests of other investors in, and general creditors of, the company.

Large Cap Risk. Large-sized companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology. They may also not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity is the ability to sell a security relatively quickly for a price that most closely reflects the actual value of the security. Certain securities (i.e., small-cap stocks) often have a less liquid resale market. As a result, the Adviser or subadviser may have difficulty selling or disposing of securities quickly in certain markets or only be able to sell the holdings at prices substantially less than what the Adviser or subadviser believes they are worth.

Market Risk. Over time, securities markets generally tend to move in cycles with periods when security prices rise and periods when security prices decline. The value of the Portfolio’s investments may move with these cycles and, in some instances, increase or decrease more than the applicable market(s) as measured by the Portfolio’s benchmark index(es). The securities markets may also decline because of factors that affect a particular industry.

Small and Mid Cap Risk. Smaller, less seasoned companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume, and less liquidity than larger, more established companies. These companies tend to have small revenues, narrower product lines, less management depth and experience, small shares of their product or service markets, fewer financial resources, and less competitive strength than larger companies. Such companies seldom pay significant dividends that could cushion returns in a falling market.

Value Investing Risk. Value style investing includes the risk that stocks of undervalued companies may not rise as quickly as anticipated if the market doesn’t recognize their intrinsic value or if value stocks are out of favor.

Volatility Risk. Volatility risk is the risk that certain types of securities shift in and out of favor depending on market and economic conditions as well as investor sentiment.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney Shares of the Portfolio will rise and fall in value and there is a risk that you could lose money by investing in the Portfolio.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Portfolio’s average annual returns for one-, five-, and ten-year periods compared to a broad-based securities market index. The index is the S&P Composite 1500 Index, which combines the S&P 500 Index, the S&P MidCap 400 Index, and the S&P SmallCap 600 Index to cover approximately 90% of the U.S. market capitalization. Call 800-847-4836 or visit Thrivent.com for performance results current to the most recent month-end.

The bar chart and table include the effects of Portfolio expenses, but not charges or deductions against your variable contract, and assume that you sold your investment at the end of the period. Because shares of the Portfolio are offered through variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts, you should carefully review the variable contract prospectus for information on applicable charges and expenses. If the charges and deductions against your variable contract were included, returns would be lower than those shown.

How a Portfolio has performed in the past is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Performance information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio’s performance over time.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Portfolio’s average annual returns for one-, five-, and ten-year periods compared to a broad-based securities market index.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone 800-847-4836
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress Thrivent.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture How a Portfolio has performed in the past is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN
Annual Return (%)
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads The bar chart and table include the effects of Portfolio expenses, but not charges or deductions against your variable contract, and assume that you sold your investment at the end of the period. Because shares of the Portfolio are offered through variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts, you should carefully review the variable contract prospectus for information on applicable charges and expenses. If the charges and deductions against your variable contract were included, returns would be lower than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
Best Quarter:
     Q2 '09         +15.71%
  
Worst Quarter:
      Q4 '08         (20.90)%   
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
(PERIODS ENDING DECEMBER 29, 2017)
Thrivent Partner All Cap Portfolio | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (load) Imposed On Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (load) (as a percentage of the net asset value at time of purchase or redemption, whichever is lower) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.65%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.16%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.81%
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 83
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 259
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 450
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,002
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (42.91%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 28.48%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 16.34%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 (4.82%)
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 14.74%
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 32.85%
2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014 12.26%
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 2.26%
2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 5.77%
2017 rr_AnnualReturn2017 20.24%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 15.71%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (20.90%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 20.24%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 14.17%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 6.10%
Thrivent Partner All Cap Portfolio | S&P Composite 1500 Index (reflects no duduction for fees, expenses or taxes)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 21.13%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 15.74%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 8.69%