Religion in Norway : Contemporary Norwegian society

1. Religion in Norway:Contemporary Norwegian society Lars Laird Eriksen Sociology – Norwegian School ofTheology

2. From one religion… …towardsmany religions? … or no religion?

3. An overview of this lecture • Part one: • - A quickhistory • - The legal situation: changingtheconstitution • Part two: • - Religion amongstyoungNorwegianstoday • A story from my fieldworkonreligiouseducation in Norwegianschool. • Secular? • Cool? • Identity?

4. A quick history Pre-Christian Sami religion – BC 8000 Pre-Christian Norse religion AD 500 - 1000 • Shamanist • Animist • ”Noaider” • Part ofwidergermanicreligious system • MostlyknownthroughlaterChristian sources • Odin, Thor, Freya, Balder, Loke Even thisearly, therewas plenty ofculturalcommunicationsbetween Sami and germaniccultures.

5. Christianity enters the scene: • Scandinavianotisolated – a culturallycomplex time! • Christianityslowlyspreadsfrom about 950. • Traditionallyconnectedto King Olav Haraldsson(St. Olav) - • Politicalconsolidation or religiouschange?

6. Reformation In 1537 Christian the 3rd was King ofDenmark and Norway. Church of Norway: 1000 yearsof Christian Tradition? Half of it Catholic! He becameconvinced by Martin Luther, and leftthe Catholic Church. The bible in Danish Sermons in Norwegian/Danish A politicalmove as well as religious. A state church is established! The institutionsneeded to connect Norwegianness and religion established!

7. State pietism 1736: compulsoryconfirmation 1737: BishopPontoppidan’s Q&A book 1739: School for all! A mix ofcontrol and goodintentions. Religion a tool for shaping thepopulation Providing sharedexperiences Pietism – enforced by the state

8. Pietism – Challenges the state • Hans Nielsen Hauge • Preacher and writer(1771 - 1824). • Anti-Clergy • Illegal religiousmeetings • Industry and socialwork • Imprisoned • Religion a tool forexpressingdiscontentagaint foreign rule

9. Modes ofreligious life in the 20thC Religious”counter-culture” withprayer houses • Rural • Hard-working ”protestant capitalistethic” • South and west coast • Emphasis on personal faith • Politicallyconservative

10. Modes ofreligious life in the 20th Century • The «folkekirke» – or thepeople’schurch • Life rites: Christening, Confirmation, Weddings, Funeral • CofN Church buildingsoftenlocalhub • Open for all • More liberal ethics • Eastern, middle and Northern Norway

11. Modes of non-religious life in the 20th century:secularisation • Norway part ofbroader European trend – enlightenmentphilosophy • Religion and labourmovement : From hostile to ambivalent relationship • Strongsecular humanist movement • Norway is low on religiousparticipation, slightlyhigher on self-identification

12. Sami Religion today • Læstadianism • Swedish pastor Lars Levi Læstadius engagedwiththe Sami populations in Norway, Sweden and Finland • A pietist, anti-authoritymovement – establishing an indigenous Sami Christianity. • Counteringcolonialistmissionaryactivity • Still an influence – an asceticcounter-culture

13. Pre-Christian religions today • Sami traditional religion: revived? • Pockets ofrevivalof pre-christian Noaide-mythology • Not seen as continuoustradition – part of neo-pagan movement • Åsatro • Severalattempts to revive a nordic pagan tradition • Some turn to nature • Some have a clear right-wingnationalist agenda

14. Immigration and pluralisation • From about 1960, labourmigration to Norway. • Islam • Hinduism • Buddhism • Christian denominations (Catholic and pentacostal) • Changes in school • Changes in State-Church relations • Place of Islam in public life a huge issue

15. The constitution: State & Church • Established Church. • Part ofadministration, not legal entity • Government appoints bishops • 50% ofthegovernment must be membersofCofN. • King the head of Church • Financedthroughgovtbudgets – otherfaithorganisationscompensatedwithequivalent sum. • This willchange in 2012.

16. Article 2: • All inhabitantsoftheRealmshall have the right to freeexerciseoftheir religion. • The Evangelical-Lutheran religion shallremaintheofficial religion ofthe State. The inhabitants professing it arebound to bring up theirchildren in the same

17. Changes in Article 2 • 4 major changes - a fifth coming up • 1851: RemovingtheexclusionofJews. • 1897: Removingtheexclusionofmonasticorders • 1956: RemovingtheexclusionofJesuits • 1964: Includingthespecific right to religiousfreedom

18. A new article 2: • The foundational values remainour Christian and Humanist heritage. This constitutionshallsecuredemocracy, ruleoflaw and human rights. • Whatdoes ”foundational values” mean? Are heritages and values the same? Are ”christian” and ”humanist” heritagescompatible or at odds?

19. What do thenewchangesadd up to? • Greater liberty for the Church of Norway - ending Governmentinfluence on Church matters (especiallyappointingBishops) • Ending the formal connectionsbetweenthe Church of Norway and structuresofgovernance • Retaining (evenstrengthening) thesymbolicimportanceof a Christian heritage for a Norwegian identity • Retaining a priviligedposition for the Church of Norway

20. PART TWO - Religion today • Join me in meeting the ninth grade in south-east Oslo • I met over 400 kids • 3 self-identified as Christian • Surprisingly few considering • Norwegian history • public debate • statistics of membership in religious organisations

21. Christians in the closet? • Whydid so few kids callthemselves Christian? • A sociological (not a moral!) inquiry. • Four tentative explanations: • Secularisation? • Pluralism - Christianity not PC? • Not cool? • Identity - Religion and Norwegianness

22. Secularization • ”Religion 1991 - 2008” Part of an international survey. • Stronglybelieves: • 1991: 20% • 2008: 15% • Does not believe • 1991: 10% • 2008: 18% • 2008:

23. Monthly or more 1991: 11% 2008: 7% Never 1991: 35 2008: 43 Secularization: Participation in religious services 2008:

24. Strongly religious 1991: 10% 2008: 7% Strongly non-religious 1991: 13% 2008: 22% Secularization: Self-identification

25. Secularization • YUPP! Check! • But not enough to explain my finding! • Secularization theory has been countered worldwide, but seems to hold for Norway.

26. Pluralisation - Membership

27. Pluralisation - which organisations?

28. Pluralism • YES - Norway has become more plural • More peopleactive in a more organisations • Theseorganisationsare cover a widerscopeofreligiousdifference. • Greateracceptanceof religion? • Greatercontroversyaround religion?

29. Religiousdiscrimination • Marie von der Lippe: • Therearetwo things going on in terms of Islam: • Tolerance in everydayinteraction • Criticism and debate – sometimesdiscriminatoryattacks – in public sphere • Issuesconcerning religion • Education • Religiouscovering

30. Not cool to be a believer? • A ”majoritymisunderstanding”? • Norwegian protestantismhighemphasis on personal faith - a barrier for self-identification? • Shame? • Privatisationof religion? • ”Proud muslims make it easier for everyone to be openabouttheirfaith” - saysteacher. I didn’t see it. • ”Christian values” oftenmentioned in public debate

31. Identity • I mentionedthethreewhocalledthemselves Christian? • All connected to a ”pseudo-ethnicity” • Maybethis is the case with non-christian religions? • Maybe kids easilyclaim a religiousidentitywhen it is framed as group belonging, not personal statement?

32. The ”whiteness” theory: • Majoritybackground Norwegians walk ”unmarked” in society. • They have theprivilegeof controlling whentheirreligiousidentity is relevant. • Religion as FAITH privatised • Religion as IDENTITY public • The ”religionizationofidentity”