Changes likely to church-state link in Norway
-11/01/06
A clear majority of the member
Changes likely to church-state link in Norway
-11/01/06
A clear majority of the members of a government-appointed commission studying Norway’s state church system wants to loosen the (Lutheran) Church of Norway’s ties to the state, writes Oivind Ostang of Ecumenical News International.
A report in the Vart Land newspaper stated that 14 out of 20 commission members wanted to relax the ties between church and state, but without moving to a complete separation.
Since the Lutheran-led reformation in 1537, the Church of Norway, the country’s dominant church, has had the reigning king as its formal head.
But in recent years, Norwegian society has been reflecting its increasingly multi-faith nature, particularly in urban areas.
The commission set up in March 2003 is expected to publish its formal conclusions at the end of January or in early February, and members have made no public comment on the newspaper report.
Four members of the commission want a clear separation of church and state, while two members want to keep the present system with the king and the government having the final say in the country’s majority church, Vart Land reported on earlier this month.
Those favouring a relaxation of church-state ties, but not a complete separation, include a Muslim member of the commission, Lena Larsen, wrote Vart Land’s church correspondent, Jan Arild Holbek.
“Ms Larsen’s attitude is a signal that many Muslims and members of other religious minorities in Norway do not want a secular state or a situation where the religious dimension may disappear from public life,” Holbek noted.
The commission includes representatives of major political parties, and members of the Church of Norway as well as of other churches and religions. The commission’s moderator is Kare Gjonnes, a former government minister.
According to the Vart Land report, the commission majority will propose that Norway follows to a large extent the changes made in neighbouring Sweden in 2000, where the country’s constitution no longer refers to the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden.
The newspaper report stated the commission would propose that the church’s general synod take over the authority that now rests with the king and the government, including for finance and the appointment of bishops and clergy.
About 85 per cent of Norway’s 4.5 million inhabitants belong to the Church of Norway.
Simon Barrow adds: The issue of church-state relations is one of increasing importance across Europe, as evidenced by the recent changes in Sweden.
The lessening of Christendom arrangements, such as the church tax in Germany, combined with reductions in membership across the historic denominations and the growth of new religious movements and secularism means that it is time for a rethink, say critics.
Those advocating a post-Christendom form of Christianity say that formal church-state arrangements undermine the subversive meaning of the Gospel and opportunities for more creative engagements with wider society, as well as being contrary to the spirit of plural societies.
So far the Church of England has resisted calls from within the UK and beyond for a rethink on its established status, however.
[Also on Ekklesia: C of E disestablishment debate gathers pace; Methodists join disestablishment debate; Christian think tank calls for disestablishment; Support for established church fades; Global leaders query Church of England state link; Make the institutional church history, says theologian; God and the politicians – BBC2 a response; Humanists and Christians argue against faith schools; Thinktank says church faces two ways about politics]
Changes likely to church-state link in Norway
-11/01/06
A clear majority of the members of a government-appointed commission studying Norway’s state church system wants to loosen the (Lutheran) Church of Norway’s ties to the state, writes Oivind Ostang of Ecumenical News International.
A report in the Vart Land newspaper stated that 14 out of 20 commission members wanted to relax the ties between church and state, but without moving to a complete separation.
Since the Lutheran-led reformation in 1537, the Church of Norway, the country’s dominant church, has had the reigning king as its formal head.
But in recent years, Norwegian society has been reflecting its increasingly multi-faith nature, particularly in urban areas.
The commission set up in March 2003 is expected to publish its formal conclusions at the end of January or in early February, and members have made no public comment on the newspaper report.
Four members of the commission want a clear separation of church and state, while two members want to keep the present system with the king and the government having the final say in the country’s majority church, Vart Land reported on earlier this month.
Those favouring a relaxation of church-state ties, but not a complete separation, include a Muslim member of the commission, Lena Larsen, wrote Vart Land’s church correspondent, Jan Arild Holbek.
“Ms Larsen’s attitude is a signal that many Muslims and members of other religious minorities in Norway do not want a secular state or a situation where the religious dimension may disappear from public life,” Holbek noted.
The commission includes representatives of major political parties, and members of the Church of Norway as well as of other churches and religions. The commission’s moderator is Kare Gjonnes, a former government minister.
According to the Vart Land report, the commission majority will propose that Norway follows to a large extent the changes made in neighbouring Sweden in 2000, where the country’s constitution no longer refers to the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden.
The newspaper report stated the commission would propose that the church’s general synod take over the authority that now rests with the king and the government, including for finance and the appointment of bishops and clergy.
About 85 per cent of Norway’s 4.5 million inhabitants belong to the Church of Norway.
Simon Barrow adds: The issue of church-state relations is one of increasing importance across Europe, as evidenced by the recent changes in Sweden.
The lessening of Christendom arrangements, such as the church tax in Germany, combined with reductions in membership across the historic denominations and the growth of new religious movements and secularism means that it is time for a rethink, say critics.
Those advocating a post-Christendom form of Christianity say that formal church-state arrangements undermine the subversive meaning of the Gospel and opportunities for more creative engagements with wider society, as well as being contrary to the spirit of plural societies.
So far the Church of England has resisted calls from within the UK and beyond for a rethink on its established status, however.
[Also on Ekklesia: C of E disestablishment debate gathers pace; Methodists join disestablishment debate; Christian think tank calls for disestablishment; Support for established church fades; Global leaders query Church of England state link; Make the institutional church history, says theologian; God and the politicians – BBC2 a response; Humanists and Christians argue against faith schools; Thinktank says church faces two ways about politics]