Religion in Norway - Religion in Norway Today

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. The state also supports religious aid organisations such as Norwegian Church Aid financially. Bishops are formally nominated by the Norwegian Monarch, 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 Tromsø, as well as Misjonshøgskolen (School of Mission and Theology) in Stavanger and Menighetsfakultetet (MF Norwegian School of Theology) in Oslo. Menighetsfakultetet is by far the most important educational institution for the Norwegian clergy. 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. 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 and 10 per cent on average attend church every month."

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.

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

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.

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005, 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".

• A hindu temple in Trondheim.

• The synagogue in Oslo.

• Orthodox church in Oslo.

• Jehovah's Witnesses inn Hønefoss.

• Saint Paul Catholic Church, Bergen.

• St. Olav's Cathedral in Oslo.

• Nor mosque in Oslo.