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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 Growth Stock Portfolio  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Thrivent Partner Growth Stock Portfolio
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objectives
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The investment objective of the Thrivent Partner Growth Stock Portfolio (the "Portfolio") is to achieve long-term growth of capital and,
Objective, Secondary [Text Block] rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock secondarily, increase dividend income.
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 52% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 52.00%
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 investment objectives under normal circumstances is to invest at least 80% of net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in common stocks. Should the Adviser determine that the Portfolio would benefit from reducing the percentage of its assets invested in common stocks from 80% to a lesser amount, it will notify you at least 60 days prior to such a change.

The Portfolio concentrates its investments in growth companies. The Portfolio’s subadviser, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (“T. Rowe Price”), seeks investments in companies that have the ability to pay increasing dividends through strong cash flow. The subadviser generally looks for companies with an above-average rate of earnings growth and a lucrative niche in the economy that gives them the ability to sustain earnings momentum even during times of slow economic growth. T. Rowe Price believes that when a company increases its earnings faster than both inflation and the overall economy, the market will eventually reward it with a higher stock price. The Portfolio may at times invest significantly in technology stocks.

In pursuing the Portfolio’s investment objectives, T. Rowe Price has the discretion to purchase some securities that do not meet its normal investment criteria, as described above, when it believes such purchase will provide an opportunity for substantial appreciation. These situations might arise when T. Rowe Price believes a security could increase in value for a variety of reasons including a change in management, an extraordinary corporate event, a new product introduction or innovation, or a favorable competitive development.

While the Portfolio invests primarily (at least 80%) in common stocks, it may also invest in foreign stocks (up to 30% of total assets), and futures and options to obtain investment exposure or for hedging, in keeping with the Portfolio’s objectives. The Portfolio may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or reposition assets into more promising opportunities.
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 objectives.

Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives (such as futures and options) involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Portfolio in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the contract. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate as intended with the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Portfolio could lose much more than the original amount invested. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. Certain derivatives may also be subject to counterparty risk, which is that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations due to its financial condition, market events, or other reasons.

Foreign Securities Risk. To the extent the Portfolio is exposed to foreign securities, it is subject to various risks associated with such securities. Foreign securities are generally more volatile than their domestic counterparts, in part because of higher political and economic risks, lack of reliable information and fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Foreign securities may also be more difficult to resell than comparable U.S. securities because the markets for foreign securities are often less liquid. Even when a foreign security increases in price in its local currency, the appreciation may be diluted by adverse changes in exchange rates when the security’s value is converted to U.S. dollars. Foreign withholding taxes also may apply and errors and delays may occur in the settlement process for foreign securities.

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 the Portfolio's 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.

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.

Technology-Oriented Companies Risk. Common stocks of companies that rely extensively on technology, science or communications in their product development or operations may be more volatile than the overall stock market and may or may not move in tandem with the overall stock market. Technology, science and communications are rapidly changing fields, and stocks of these companies, especially of smaller or unseasoned companies, may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than the stock market in general. There are significant competitive pressures among technology-oriented companies and the products or operations of such companies may become obsolete quickly. In addition, these companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and the management of such companies may be more dependent upon one or a few key people.

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. 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 projection of future earnings or revenues and, if a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically.
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 500 Growth Index, which measures the performance of the growth stocks in the S&P 500 Index. 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:
     Q1 '12         +18.98%
  
Worst Quarter:
      Q4 '08         (23.96)%   
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
(PERIODS ENDING DECEMBER 29, 2017)
Thrivent Partner Growth Stock 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 0.14%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.79%
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 81
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 252
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 439
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 978
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (42.13%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 43.17%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 16.62%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 (1.48%)
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 18.66%
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 38.84%
2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014 8.52%
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 10.65%
2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 1.35%
2017 rr_AnnualReturn2017 33.61%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Mar. 31, 2012
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 18.98%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (23.96%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 33.61%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 17.69%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.81%
Thrivent Partner Growth Stock Portfolio | S&P 500 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 27.44%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 17.00%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.99%