The
National Church of Iceland, or
Þjóðkirkjan, formally called the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, is the state church in
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
. Like the established churches in the other
Nordic countriesThe Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories which include the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
, the National Church of Iceland professes the Lutheran branch of
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
. Its head is the
Bishop of IcelandList of the Lutheran bishops of Iceland:* 1801-1823: Geir Vídalín* 1824-1845: Steingrímur Jónsson* 1846-1866: Helgi G. Thordersen* 1866-1889: Pétur Pétursson* 1889-1908: Hallgrímur Sveinsson* 1908-1916: Þórhallur Bjarnason* 1917-1939: Jón Helgason...
. The current bishop of Iceland is The Rev. Karl Sigurbjörnsson.
In the beginning
From the very beginning of human habitation in
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
, Christianity was present. In that respect, Iceland is unique, at least in European context. The first people setting foot on Icelandic soil were Celtic hermits, seeking refuge on these remote shores to worship Christ. Later,
NorseNorsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language. The meaning of Norseman was "people from the North"...
settlers drove them out. Some of the settlers were Christians, although the majority were heathen, worshipping the old Norse gods. When Iceland was constituted as a republic in year 930, it was based on the heathen religion. In the late 900s missionaries from the continent sought to spread Christianity among the population.
Adoption of Christianity
Soon the nation was deeply divided between the adherents of the different religions that would not tolerate each other. At the legislative assembly, the Alþingi at Þingvellir, in the year 1000, the country was on the brink of civil war. The leaders of the two groups realized the danger and found a solution. They chose a person that everybody respected for his wisdom, the heathen priest and chieftain, Þorgeir of Ljósavatn, to decide which way the people should go. Þorgeir retired to his dwelling and lay there all day meditating. The next day he called the assembly together and made his decision known. "If we put asunder the law, we will put asunder the peace," he said. "Let it be the foundation of our law that everyone in this land shall be Christian and believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit." He also decreed that pagan sacrifice, the exposure of infants, and the eating of horseflesh would be tolerated for the time being, if practiced in private. The people agreed and many were subsequently baptized. This remarkable story marks the beginning of the church in Iceland. Ever since it has been an important part of the Icelandic culture and identity.
Through the centuries
At the inauguration of Christianity in Iceland, the church was undivided. Missonary bishops and priests from
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and
Eastern EuropeEastern Europe is a region lying in the Eastern part of Europe. The term is highly context-dependent and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
worked among the population until the church was organized under the Roman Catholic church order. The first Icelandic bishop, Ísleifur, was consecrated in
BremenThe City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A port city along the river Weser, about south from its mouth on the North Sea, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area...
in 1056, and he made Skálholt the episcopal see. Thereafter, Skálholt was the center of Christian learning and spirituality in the country through the 18th century.
In spite of all the upheavals of history there is a marked continuity within the church of Iceland. For the first five centuries the Icelandic church was Roman Catholic. In the beginning of 1056, it was part of the province in Bremen. Later, the Icelandic church came under the archbishops of Lund and in 1153 it became a part of the province of
NidarosNidaros was the old name of Trondheim , a city of Norway, in the Middle Ages. Nidaros was Northern Europe's most important Christian pilgrimage site during this time, the pilgrims' goal being the Christ Church, also known as the Nidaros Cathedral, established as the seat of the archdiocese of all...
. Iceland was divided into two dioceses, Skálholt, established 1056, and Holar in 1106. These continued until 1801, when Iceland became one diocese under one bishop of Iceland, residing in
ReykjavíkReykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland. Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's most northern capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
The country was an independent republic from 930 until 1262. Then Iceland, having suffered civil war and anarchy, came under the rule of the Norwegian king and in 1380 with Norway under the Danish crown. In 1944 Iceland regained its independence as a republic.
Holy men and venerable books
Three Icelandic churchmen were revered as saints, even though none of them actually canonized. The most famous of them is Þorlákur, St. Thorlac of Skálholt (1133-1193). He was educated in Lincoln, England, and in Paris. Returning to Iceland Þorlákur became an abbot of the monastery of Þykkvibær, soon gaining a reputation for his sanctity. As a bishop of Skálholt, he sought to enforce the decrees of Rome regarding the ownership of church property and morality of the clergy. The Icelandic calendar has two days dedicated to Þorlákur, July 20th and December 23rd. The other two saintly bishops are Jón Ögmundsson (1106-1121) and Guðmundur Arason (1203-1237).
There was great literary activity during the 12th and 13th centuries producing extensive religious literature in the Icelandic language as well as the well known sagas. Clergy doubtless wrote most of them. Parts of the Bible were already translated into Icelandic in the 13th century. This powerful and enduring literary tradition with its strong national character has shaped the Icelandic language and inspired literary activity.
IcelandicIcelandic is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. Its closest relatives are Faroese and certain Norwegian dialects such as Telemark dialect and Sognamål....
has had a continuity that makes it the oldest living language in Europe. Every child in
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
can read texts dating from the 13th century. The Icelandic hymnal contains hymns from the 12th century and the 14th centuries in their original linguistic forms.
Reformation
In 1540 the Lutheran Reformation was established in Iceland, enforced by the Danish crown. Monasteries were dissolved and much of the property of the episcopal sees confiscated by the King of Denmark who became the supreme head of the church. A dark spot in the history of the Reformation is the lawless execution in 1550 of the last Roman Catholic bishop of Hólar, Jón Arason and his two sons. Most of the Roman priests continued in their parishes even under the Lutheran church ordinance. The Reformation unleashed a renewed literary activity in the country. The publication of the Icelandic translation of the
New TestamentThe New Testament is the name given to the second major division of the Christian Bible, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament, both terms being associated with Supersessionism...
in 1540 and the entire
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
in 1584 marks important milestones in the history of the
Icelandic languageIcelandic is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. Its closest relatives are Faroese and certain Norwegian dialects such as Telemark dialect and Sognamål....
and is a major factor in its preservation. The "Hymns of the Passion," 50 meditations on the cross by the 17th century poet and minister
Hallgrímur PéturssonHallgrímur Pétursson was one of Iceland's most famous poets and a minister at Hvalneskirkja and Saurbær in Hvalfjörður. The Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík and the Hallgrímskirkja in Saurbær are named after him. He was one of the most influential pastors during the Age of Orthodoxy...
(1614-1674), were for generations the most important school of prayer and wisdom. The same can be said of “The Postil”, the sermons of Jón Vídalin, bishop of Skálholt (1698-1720). His eloquent and dynamic sermons were read in every home for generations.
The Icelandic Bible Society was founded in 1815. Its foundation was the fruit of the visit of the Scottish clergyman, Ebenezer Henderson, who travelled around the country distributing Bibles and New testaments.
The nineteenth century witnessed the beginning of a national revival in
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
and a movement towards a political independence. Many churchmen played an important part in that movement.
The Modern Era
The constitution of 1874 guarantees religious freedom. But the constitution also specifies that the "Evangelical Lutheran Church is a national church and as such it is protected and supported by the State." This provision is still in the constitution of the Republic of Iceland of 1944. Around the turn of the last century the church legislation was reformed, parish councils were established and the congregations gained the right to elect their pastors. A new translation of the Bible was printed in 1912, and revised in 1981. A new translation will be published in 2007. In the early 1900s liberal theology was introduced in Iceland, causing great theological strife between liberal and conservative adherents. Textual criticism of the Scriptures and radical theological liberalism was quite influential in the Department of Theology within the newly founded University of Iceland. Spiritism and theosophical writings were also influential in intellectual circles. Opposed to this were the inner mission, the YMCA/YWCA, and missionary societies with a pietistic leadership. This conflict marred church life in the country well into the 1960s.
At the turn of the century two Lutheran free churches were founded, based on the same confessions as the national church and using the same liturgy and hymnal, but structurally and financially independent. Earlier Roman Catholic priests and nuns established missions and founded hospitals. In the early decades of the 20th century Seventh Day Adventist and Pentecostal missions were quite successful.
Until this century the population of the country was predominately rural, farmers and fishermen, whose lifestyle was traditional. The church was a part of this way of life, prayers and devotions in every home and religious customs surrounding everyday life and work of the people taken for granted. Modern social upheavals have brought with them problems for the church in Iceland. Iceland is a modern and highly urbanized society, highly secularized with increasing pluralism of belief.
Even though
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
is becoming increasingly multicultural with a variety of faiths, 82% of the population belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland and over 90% of the popular belong to Christian churches. Nine out of 10 children are baptized in their first year, more than 90% of adolescents are confirmed, 85% are married in the church and 99% of funerals take place in the church. Regular Sunday morning worshippers are a much lower percentage of the population, even though church festivals and special events frequently draw large crowds. A recent
Gallup pollThe Gallup Poll is the division of Gallup that regularly conducts public opinion polls in more than 140 countries around the world. Gallup Polls are often referenced in the mass media as a reliable and objective measure of public opinion...
shows that 10% of adults in Iceland attend church service at least once a month. Most children are taught evening prayers in their homes. The primary schools teach Bible stories and children services are an important part of the worship life of every parish. The National radio transmits church services every Sunday morning, and daily devotions morning and evening. In the year 2000 the Icelandic people celebrated the millennium of Christianity in Iceland
Organization
On January 1st 1998 a new law came into effect defining the status of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland and its relations to the government. The annual Church Assembly, Kirkjuþing, is now the highest legislative authority of the church, making most church law was previously enacted by the Alþing. The Kirkjuþing has 29 elected representatives, 12 ordained and 17 lay-people and a lay-person as president. The highest executive authority is the Church Council, Kirkjuráð, with two clergy and two lay-persons elected by the Kirkjuþing, and presided by the bishop of Iceland. Annually the bishop summons all the pastors and theologians of the church to the Pastoral Synod, to discuss the affairs of the church and society. The synod has a say in all matters of theology and liturgy to be decided by the bishop and Kirkjuþing.
Iceland is one diocese under the Bishop of Iceland. His office is in
ReykjavíkReykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland. Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's most northern capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
. Two assistant or suffragan bishops, vígslubiskup, reside at the old episcopal sees of Skálholt and Hólar. They are responsible for the cathedrals of their sees and the building up of these as centers of study and spirituality. They assist the Bishop of Iceland in pastoral matters and with him form the Bishops´ meeting.
The Bishop’s Office in the Church House in
ReykjavíkReykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland. Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's most northern capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
is also same time the office of the Kirkjuráð. Besides dealing with financial matters and personnel, it also has departments of education and diaconia, ecumenical affairs, church and society and communication. The Church’s Publishing House is also situated in the Church House.
There are about 300 Lutheran parishes nation wide. Each parish is a financially independent unit, responsible to for the construction and upkeep of its church buildings and all the work of the congregation. Besides worship services, parish work covers wide range of educational and diaconal activities, children and youth work. In rural areas up to several parishes are served by the same priest.
There are about 150 priests and 27 ordained deacons. Fourteen priests work in specialized ministries in hospitals and other institutions. The Church of Iceland also has priests serving Icelandic congregations abroad.
The Theological faculty of the University of Iceland, founded in 1911, educates the clergy and deacons for the Lutheran Church. Many theologians go abroad for further studies in Seminaries and universities on both sides of the Atlantic. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland is far from being isolated and is subjected to all contemporary influences and theological trends.
Ecumenical Alliances
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland is a member of the
Lutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the many differing Lutheran...
, the
World Council of ChurchesThe World Council of Churches is an international Christian ecumenical organization. Based in Geneva, Switzerland , it is a fellowship of about 340 churches of which 157 are members...
and the
Conference of European ChurchesThe Conference of European Churches was founded in 1959 to promote reconciliation, dialogue and friendship between the churches of Europe at a time of growing Cold War political tensions and divisions. It is an ecumenical fellowship of Christian churches in Europe; its membership consists of most...
. It is also a member of the
Porvoo CommunionThe Porvoo Communion is the community formed through an agreement between twelve European Christian churches, none of which is in communion with the Roman Catholic Church or the Orthodox Churches. The agreement, entitled , establishes full communion between and among the churches. The agreement was...
agreement between the Anglican Churches of the
British IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain, Ireland and numerous smaller islands. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland...
and the
NordicThe Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories which include the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
and Baltic Lutheran churches and has signed an agreement of mutual exchange and cooperation with the
Evangelical Lutheran ChurchEvangelical Lutheran Church can refer to many different Lutheran churches in the world. Among them are the following:*Evangelical Lutheran Church in America*Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina...
in Canada.
The Missionary Federation of Iceland in cooperation with the Norwegian Missionary Federation has operated missions in China, Ethiopia and Kenya. The Icelandic Church Aid has worked in cooperation with international agencies in relief and development work in various parts of the world.
Other current and former state and national churches in the Nordic Evangelical-lutheran tradition
- Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest church in Sweden. The Church of Sweden professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With almost 6.9 million members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world. Until 2000 it held the position of state church. As of...
- Svenska kyrkan
- Danish National Church - Folkekirken
- Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith. It has as its foundation the Christian Bible, the Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Luther's Small Catechism and the Augsburg Confession...
- Den norske kirke
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the Lutheran national church and the largest church of Finland. The church professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is a member of the Porvoo Communion....
- Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko (Swedish: Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland)
External links