Religion in Iceland

By: Luisanna Granillo

Religion has always held a very important role in todays world. It is classified as a
system of belief, faith, and worship. Although there are about 41 different registered religions in
Iceland, an interesting question remains how did these religions first make their way into this
country? To begin, it is important to realize that the first settlers of Iceland were the Irish monks.
They first brought in the religion known as Celtic Christianity in AD 400. Thereafter, the Vikings
settled in Norway and began getting rid of the Irish monks in the 11th century. As stated in A
Brief History of Iceland from Viking Times to Today by Tim Lambert, The Norwegians were
converted to Christianity. The Norwegian kings sent missionaries to Iceland. Some Icelanders
accepted the new religion but many were bitterly opposed (Lambert, 2015).
Throughout time, Iceland has been labeled as, one of the most Christian countries in the
world and also one of the least Christian countries in the world (Religion in Iceland). The
reason that this is possible is because 94.8% of the Icelanders are registered as a certain religion.
However, it seems to not play such a huge role in their lives because very few attend churches. In
fact, no more than 10% of the population is actively engaged with their church. Even though this
is true, what is surprising is the fact that there are churches everywhere in Iceland (Religion in
Iceland)!

This map shows that Iceland is mostly Protestant, meaning any type of Western Christian religion, separate from the
catholic church.

Furthermore, because there are numerous churches in Iceland they are very sacred
locations to the people. For example, Domkirkjan, Reykjavik is a very sacred Lutheran church of
historical importance. It is located in Reykjavik since 1200 AD. Another sacred location would

be Hallgrimskirkja, which is also located in Reykjavik. It is the tallest church in Iceland, rising
about 244 ft. In addition, the Kopavogskirkja, Kopavogur church is also very sacred in this
country. It located on Borgarholt hill and it has been around since 1963. Lastly, Landakotskirkja
is a Landakot Church and it is the Catholic cathedral, also located in Reykjavik (Sacred Sites in
Iceland).

Here is a map of Reykjavik, you can find all the sacred places on here. Northern Comfort Apartments. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 25, 2016, from http://www.hotelsiceland.net/castlemap.htm

As mention in Religion and State in Iceland by Petur Petursson, The Icelandic

constitution guarantees religious freedom and also obliges the state to support and protect the
Evangelical Lutheran Church as the National Church of Iceland. Due to this, there are many
issues when it comes to religion v. government. Yes, everyone is guaranteed religious freedom,
however, because the country has a nation church things get complicated when it comes to
politics. In fact, since Iceland is a republic nation the President is also responsible for being the
head of the National Church. It does not matter what religion he or she previously had, they must
take over that responsibility (Petursson, 2011).
All in all, religion does play an important role in this country. As previously mentioned,
almost 95% of all people are registered under some sort of religion. Although it is true that less
than 10% of the population is actively engaged in church that does not mean they dont practice
their beliefs at a personal level. Also, it is important to remember the fact that in Iceland there is
a national church but the constitution also guarantees everyone religious freedom.

References
(Better Life Index, OCED). (n.d.). Culture and Social Development. Retrieved October 25, 2016,
from http://cleonardiceland.weebly.com/culture-and-social-development.html
(n.d.). Religion in Iceland. Retrieved October 25, 2016, from
https://wowair.us/magazine/religion-in-iceland/
Lambert, T. (2015). A Brief History of Iceland - Local Histories. Retrieved October 25, 2016,
from http://www.localhistories.org/iceland.html
Northern Comfort Apartments. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2016, from
http://www.hotelsiceland.net/castlemap.htm
Petursson, P. (2011). Religion and State in Iceland. Retrieved from
https://rafhladan.is/bitstream/handle/10802/8787/2011-02-6.pdf?sequence=1
Sacred Destinations. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2016, from http://www.sacreddestinations.com/iceland/sacred-sites