Religion in Norway

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Religion in Norway is overwhelmingly Protestant (Evangelical-Lutheran) with 82.7% belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway.^[1] Early Norwegians, like all of the peoples of Scandinavia, were pagans believing in Norse mythology; the Sámi having a shamanistic religion. Due to the efforts of Christian missionaries, Norway was gradually Christianized in a process starting at approximately 1000 AD and which was substantially finished by 1150AD. Prior to the Reformation, Norwegians were part of the Catholic Church with the conversion to Protestantism occurring in 1536. Islam is now the second largest religion due to recent migration trends although the census shows that there are more people with no religious beliefs.^{[citation needed]}

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,^[2]

• 32% of Norwegian citizens responded that "they believe there is a God".
• 47% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force".
• 17% answered that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force".

Contents 1 Norse religion 2 Sámi religion 3 Judaism 4 Islam 5 Christianisation 6 Religion from the reformation until 1964 7 Bahá'í Faith 8 Religion in Norway today 9 See also 10 Notes 11 External references

[edit] Norse religion

Main article: Norse mythology

Norse religion developed from the common mythology of the Germanic people. Scandinavian mythology developed slowly and the relative importance of gods and heroes. Thus, the cult of Odin in Norway probably spread from Western Germany not long before they were written down. Gods shown as minor gods such as Ullr, the fertility god Njord and Heimdall are likely to be older gods in Norway who lost popularity.

Most information about Scandinavian mythology is contained in the old Norse literature including Norwegian literature, the Eddas and later sagas. Other information comes from the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus with fragments of legends preserved in old inscriptions. Unfortunately, we know relatively little about old religious practices in Norway or elsewhere as most of the knowledge was lost in the gradual Christianisation.

[edit] Sámi religion

Main article: Sami religion

The Sámi followed a shamanistic religion based on nature worship. The Sámi pantheon consisted of four general gods the Mother, the Father, the Son and the Daughter (Radienacca, Radienacce, Radienkiedde and Radienneida). There was also a god of fertility, fire and thunder Horagalles, the sun goddess Beive and the moon goddess Manno as well as the goddess of death Jabemeahkka.

Like many pagan religions, the Sámi saw life as a circular process of life, death and rebirth. The shaman was called a Noaide and the traditions were passed on between families with an ageing Noaide training a relative to take his or her place after he or she dies. While training went on as long as the Noaide lived but the pupil had to prove his or her skills before a group of Noaidi before being eligible to become a fully fledged shaman at the death of his or her mentor.

The Norwegian church undertook a campaign to Christianise the Sámi in the 16th and 17th century with most of the sources being missionaries. While the vast majority of the Sámi in Norway have been Christianised, some of them still follow their traditional faith and some Noaidi are still practising their ancient religion.

[edit] Judaism

Main article: Jews in Norway

[edit] Islam

Main article: Islam in Norway

[edit] Christianisation

The conversion of Norway to Christianity began in 1000 AD. The raids on the British isles and on the Frankish kingdoms had brought the Vikings in touch with Christianity. Haakon the Good of Norway who had grown up in England tried to introduce Christianity in the mid tenth century, but had met fierce resistance from pagan chieftains and soon abandoned the idea.

Anglo-Saxon missionaries from England and Germany had tried to convert Norwegians to Christianity but only had limited success although they succeeded in converting Olaf I of Norway to Christianity. Olaf II of Norway (later Saint Olaf) had more success in his attempts to convert the population with many Norwegians converting in the process, and he is credited with Christianising Norway.

The Christians in Norway often established churches or other holy sites at places that had previously been sacred under the Norse religion. The spread of conversion can be measured by burial sites as Pagans were buried with grave goods while Christians weren't. Christianity had become well established in Norway by the middle of the 11th century and had become dominant by the middle of the 12th century. Stave churches were built of wood without the use of nails in the 13th century.

[edit] Religion from the reformation until 1964

The Norwegians were Catholics until the Danish king Christian III of Denmark ordered Denmark to convert to Lutheranism in 1536 and as Norway was then ruled by Denmark, the Norwegians converted as well. The Danish Church Ordnance was introduced in 1537 and a Norwegian Church Council officially adopted Lutheranism in 1539. Monasteries were dissolved and church property confiscated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway established and funded by the state. Bishops still adhering to Catholicism were deposed with Archbishop Olav of Nidaros fleeing the country in 1537 and another bishop dying in prison in 1542. Catholicism held on remote parts of Norway for another couple of decades. Many pastors were replaced with Danes and Norwegian clergy being trained at the University of Copenhagen as Norway didn't have a university. The Danish translation of the Bible was used as were Danish catechisms and hymns. The use of Danish in religious ceremonies had a strong influence on the development of the Norwegian language.

The church undertook a program to convert the Sámi in the 16th and 17th century with the program being largely successful. The University of Oslo was established in 1811 allowing priests to train in Norway. The Norwegian Constitution of 1814 did not grant religious freedom as it stated that Jews and Jesuites were denied entrance in Norway. Moreover, adherence to Evangelical Lutheran Christianity was compulsory, and so was church attendance. A ban on lay preaching was lifted in 1842, allowing several free church movements and a strong lay movement being established in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Three years later, the so-called Dissenter Law came into effect, allowing other Christian congregations to establish in Norway. Atheism became allowed as well, and the ban on Judaism was lifted in 1851. Monasticism and Jesuites were allowed starting in 1897 and 1956 respectively.

The Norwegian Constitution was amended in 1964 allowing freedom of religion. Exceptions are the Norwegian royal family, who are required by the Constitution to be Lutherans. Furthermore, at least one half of the Government must belong to the state church.

Church pastors were active in the Norwegian resistance movement during World War II. The church was also active in the moral debate which arose in the 1950s.

[edit] Bahá'í Faith

Main article: Bahá'í Faith in Norway

The Bahá'í Faith in Norway began with contact between traveling Scandinavians with early Persian believers of the Bahá'í Faith in the mid-to-late 1800's.^[3] Bahá'ís first visited Scandinavia in the 1920s following `Abdu'l-Bahá's, then head of the religion, request outlining Norway among the countries Bahá'ís should pioneer to^[4] and the first Bahá'í to settle in Norway was Johanna Schubartt.^[5] Following a period of more Bahá'í pioneers coming to the country, Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies spread across Norway while the national community eventually formed a Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly in 1962.^[6] There are currently around 1000 Bahá'ís in the country.^[7]

[edit] Religion in Norway today

The Evangelican Lutheran Church is still established and administered through a Government department. There is, however, an ever ongoing political debate on separation of church and state. ^[8] The state also supports religious aid organisations such as Norwegian Church Aid financially. Bishops are formally nominated by the Norwegian Monarch^[9], who is the head of the church, and clerical salaries and pensions regulated by law. Clergy train in the theological faculties of the University of Oslo and the University of Bergen. Men and women can both become members of the clergy of the church. The church has two sacraments namely Baptism and Holy Communion.

In Norway, 82.7% of the population are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as compared to 96% in the 1960s.^{[citation needed]} Kevin Boyle, a professor of history at the Ohio State University says, "Most members of the state church are not active adherents, except for the rituals of birth, confirmation, weddings, and burials. Some 3 per cent on average attend church on Sunday."^[10]

Approximately 9-10% are probably not members of any religious or philosophical communities, while 8.6 % of the population are members of other religious or philosophical communities outside the Church of Norway.^[11]

Other religious groups operated freely and include Roman Catholics. Buddhists, Jews, Orthodox, Sikhs, and Hindus were present in very small numbers, together comprising less than 1 percent of the population.

• Other Protestant Christian Denominations: 152,975, 3.9% ^[12]
• Norwegian Humanist Association ~79,000 members (including informal children membership) ^[13]
• Other No Formal Religious Practice: ~252,000, 5.6% ^[14]
• Islam 79,068 members, 1.9% ^[15]
• Roman Catholic Church 51,508^[16]
• Pentecostal Movement 40,398^[17]
• Evangelical-Lutheran Free Church 19,524^[18]
• Methodists 11,299^[19]
• Seventh-day Adventist Church 5,281^[20]
• Jehovah's Witnesses, 14,756 ^[21]
• Buddhists 10,753^[22]
• Jews 868^[23]
• Hindus 4,098 ^[24]
• Bahá'í Faith has around 1,000 adherents.^[7]

In 2005, a survey conducted by Gallup International in sixty-five countries indicated that Norway was the least religious country in Western Europe, with 29% counting themselves as believing in a church or deity, 26% as being atheists, and 45% not being entirely certain.^{[citation needed]}

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,^[2] 32% of Norwegian citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 47% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 17% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

[edit] See also

• Roman Catholicism in Norway
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway
• Islam in Norway
• Judaism in Norway
• Religion by country

[edit] Notes

[edit] External references

• Official Norwegian site in the UK on Norwegian religion
• Statistics Norway: More members in religious and philosophical communities)
• The Church in Norwegian life
• BBC Ancient History article on Viking religion and their gradual conversion to Christianity
• Site on Viking religion
• Site on Sámi religious beliefs
• Site on Norwegian reformation
• Boise State University on Danish reformation
• Religious and philosophical communities, 1 January 2006

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