Religion in Iceland

Religious affiliation in Iceland (2023)

Church of Iceland(Lutheran) (58.61%)

Free Lutheran Church in Reykjavík (2.57%)

Free Lutheran Church in Hafnarfjörður (1.94%)

Independent Lutheran Congregation (0.82%)

Catholic Church(3.83%)

Other Christian denominations (1.78%)

Heathenism(1.5%)

Humanism(1.39%)

Buddhism(0.42%)

Islam(0.4%)

Zuism(0.14%)

Other and unspecified (18.89%)

Unaffiliated (7.71%)

Religion in Icelandhas been predominantlyChristianitysinceits adoptionas thestate religionby theAlthingunder the influence ofOlaf Tryggvason,theking of Norway,in 999/1000 CE. Until then, in the 9th and 10th centuries, the prevailing religion among the earlyIcelanders— who were mostlyNorwegiansettlers fleeingHarald Fairhair's monarchical centralisation in 872–930, with someSwedesandNorse British settlers— was thenorthern Germanic religion,which persisted for centuries even after the official Christianisation of the state.

Starting in the 1530s,Iceland,originallyRoman Catholicand under theDanish crown,formally switched toLutheranismwith theIcelandic Reformation,which culminated in 1550.The LutheranChurch of Icelandhas since then remained the country'sstate church.Freedom of religion has been granted to Icelandic citizens since 1874; the Church of Iceland is supported by the government, but all religions officially recognised in the state'scivil registryreceive support from achurch tax(sóknargjald) owed by their respective populations of adherents over the age of sixteen, who are counted by the state'sstatistical officeon a yearly basis; citizens who declare that they are not affiliated with any religion owe an equivalent tax to theUniversity of Iceland.

Since the late 20th century, and especially in the early 21st century, religious life in Iceland has become more diverse, with a decline in the main forms of Christianity, the rise of unaffiliated people, and the emergence of new religions, notablyGermanic Heathenism(or Heathenry; Germanic Neopaganism) in Iceland also calledÁsatrú,which seeks to reconstruct the Germanic folk religion; asecular grouping of Humanism;Buddhism;Islam;Mesopotamian Zuism(Mesopotamian Neopaganism); and others.

As of 2023, Christians constituted 69.55% of the Icelandic population, a marked decline from the 97.8% observed in 1990 according toStatistics Iceland.Within the Christian category, 58.61% identified as Lutherans belonging to the Church of Iceland. This is a significant decrease from the 92.6% who identified this way in 1990. Other minor Lutheranfree churchesaccounted for 5.33%, Roman Catholicism for 3.83%, and other Christian denominations for 1.78%.The Roman Catholic community has grown from 0.9% in 1990, and other Christian denominations saw growth mainly between 1990 and the 2010s, stabilizing thereafter.

The data for 2023 also indicate an increase in non-Christian religious affiliations and in those who identify asnon-religious.Heathenry, a polytheistic religion native to Iceland, accounted for 1.5% of the population. Humanists made up 1.39%, Buddhists 0.42%, and Muslims 0.40%. Zuists and adherents to other religions represented 0.14% and 0.16%, respectively.

A growing segment of the population—18.73% as of 2023—adheres to religions, philosophies, or life stances not recognized in the civil registry, or did not declare any religious affiliation. This category has seen a substantial increase from 0.6% in 1990 and has tripled from 6.2% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of Icelanders who declared themselves explicitly unaffiliated with any religion, philosophy, or life stance was 7.71% in 2023, up from 1.3% in 1990.

Demographics

1990–2020 quinquennial statistics for major religions and philosophies yielded byStatistics Iceland

Religion	1990		1995		2000		2005		2010		2015		2020
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Christianity	250,501	97.9%	260,311	97.2%	268,642	95.0%	277,863	92.8%	284,146	89.5%	276,649	83.2%	273,321	75.1%
└Church of Iceland	236,959	92.6%	245,049	91.5%	248,411	87.8%	251,728	84.0%	251,487	79.1%	237,938	71.5%	231,112	63.47%
└ Other non-CatholicChristians	11,146	4.3%	12,709	4.7%	15,924	5.6%	19,684	6.6%	22,987	7.2%	26,297	7.9%	27,577	7.57%
└Catholic Church	2,396	0.9%	2,553	0.95%	4,307	1.5%	6,451	2.15%	9,672	3.0%	12,414	3.7%	14,632	4.02%
Heathenry	98	0.03%	190	0.07%	512	0.2%	953	0.3%	1,422	0.4%	3,210	1.0%	4,764	1.31%
Humanism	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,456	0.4%	3,507	0.96%
Buddhism	–	–	230	0.08%	466	0.2%	685	0.2%	1,090	0.3%	1,336	0.4%	1,495	0.42%
Islam	–	–	–	–	164	0.05%	341	0.1%	591	0.2%	865	0.3%	1,281	0.35%
Zuism	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,087	1.0%	1,213	0.33%
Baháʼí Faith	378	0.1%	402	0.15%	386	0.1%	389	0.1%	398	0.1%	365	0.1%	353	0.1%
Other and unspecified	1,505	0.6%	2,753	1.0%	6,325	2.2%	11,794	3.9%	19,647	6.2%	26,359	7.9%	52,086	14.3%
Unaffiliated	3,373	1.3%	3,923	1.4%	6,350	2.2%	7,379	2.5%	10,336	3.2%	19,202	5.7%	26,114	7.17%
Population	255,855	100%	267,809	100%	282,845	100%	299,404	100%	317,630	100%	332,529	100%	364,134	100%

Membership of religious and philosophical organisations in 2023

Organisation	Religion	Members	%
Church of Iceland (Þjóðkirkjan)	Christianity	227,259	58.61
Other religions and unspecified	Various	72,631	18.73
Unaffiliated	Unknown	29,883	7.71
Catholic Church (Kaþólska kirkjan)	Christianity	14,869	3.83
Free Church in Reykjavík (Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík)	Christianity	9,953	2.57
Free Church in Hafnarfjörður (Fríkirkjan í Hafnarfirði)	Christianity	7,509	1.94
Asatruar Fellowship (Ásatrúarfélagið)	Heathenry	5,770	1.49
Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association (Siðmennt félag siðrænna húmanista á Íslandi)	Secular humanism	5,401	1.39
Independent Congregation (Óháði söfnuðurinn)	Christianity	3,166	0.82
Pentecostal Church in Iceland (Hvítasunnukirkjan á Íslandi)	Christianity	2,076	0.54
Buddhist Fellowship of Iceland (Búddistafélag Íslands)	Buddhism	1,101	0.28
Russian Orthodox Church (Rússneska rétttrúnaðarkirkjan)	Christianity	783	0.20
Fellowship of Muslims in Iceland (Félag múslima á Íslandi)	Islam	569	0.15
Seventh-day Adventist Churchin Iceland (Kirkja sjöunda dags aðventista á Íslandi)	Christianity	598	0.15
Jehovah's Witnesses (Vottar Jehóva)	Christianity	565	0.15
Organisation of Muslims in Iceland (Stofnun múslima á Íslandi)	Islam	551	0.14
Faith Fellowship of Zuism (Zuism trúfélag)	Zuism Mesopotamian Neopaganism	525	0.14
The WayChurch for You (Vegurinn kirkja fyrir þig)	Christianity	441	0.11
Islamic Cultural Centre of Iceland (Menningarsetur múslima á Íslandi)	Islam	409	0.11
Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbneska rétttrúnaðarkirkjan)	Christianity	391	0.10
Church of Smárinn (Smárakirkja)	Christianity	363	0.09
Baháʼí Community (Baháʼí samfélagið)	Baháʼí Faith	324	0.08
Faith Fellowship of theSalvation Army (Hjálpræðisherinn trúfélag)	Christianity	241	0.06
Icelandic Church of Christ (Íslenska Kristskirkjan)	Christianity	231	0.06
Zen in Iceland (Zen á Íslandi)	Buddhism	207	0.05
DíaMat	Dialectical materialism	192	0.05
Catch the Fire (Catch the Fire)	Christianity	191	0.05
SGIin Iceland (SGI á Íslandi)	Buddhism	158	0.04
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Kirkja Jesú Krists hinna síðari daga heilögu)	Christianity	141	0.04
Christian Community of Betania (Betanía kristið samfélag)	Christianity	136	0.04
Wat Phra Dhammakaya Buddhist Association in Iceland (Wat Phra Dhammakaya búddistasamtökin á Íslandi)	Buddhism	131	0.03
Church of the Annunciation (Boðunarkirkjan)	Christianity	118	0.03
Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ International (Alþjóðleg kirkja Guðs og embætti Jesú Krists)	Christianity	113	0.03
Free Church of Kefas (Fríkirkjan Kefas)	Christianity	95	0.02
Lakulish Yoga in Iceland (Lakulish jóga á Íslandi)	Hinduism	60	0.02
Home Church (Heimakirkja)	Christianity	59	0.02
Baptist Church of the Emmanuel (Emmanúel baptistakirkjan)	Christianity	55	0.01
Cultural Fellowship of Jews in Iceland (Menningarfélag Gyðinga á Íslandi)	Judaism	55	0.01
First Baptist Church (Fyrsta baptistakirkjan)	Christianity	51	0.01
Tibetan Buddhist Fellowship (Félag Tíbet búddista)	Buddhism	45	0.01
Diamond Way Buddhism (Demantsleið búddismans)	Buddhism	38	0.01
Heaven on Earth (Himinn á jörðu)	Christianity	37	0.01
Godword of Reykjavík (Reykjavíkurgoðorð)	Heathenry	36	0.01
Congregation of Sjónarhæð (Sjónarhæðarsöfnuðurinn)	Christianity	35	0.01
Theosophical Society of Iceland (Lífspekifélag Íslands)	Theosophy	28	0.01
House of Prayer (Bænahúsið)	Christianity	26	0.01
Fellowship of Believers (Samfélag trúaðra)	Christianity	24	0.01
Church of the Resurrected Life (Kirkja hins upprisna lífs)	Christianity	22	0.01
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Churchin Iceland (Eþíópíska Tewahedo rétttrúnaðarkirkjan á Íslandi)	Christianity	22	0.01
Reborn Christian Church of God (Endurfædd kristin kirkja af Guði)	Christianity	21	0.01
Iceland Christian Nation (Ísland kristin þjóð)	Christianity	19	0.00
World Peace Association of Families (Heimsfriðarsamtök fjölskyldna)	Christianity	16	0.00
Ananda Marga (Ananda Marga)	Hinduism	10	0.00
New Avalon Centre (Nýja Avalon miðstöðin)	Theosophy	5	0.00
Vitund (Vitund)	Spirituality	3	0.00
Population		387,758	100.00

History

9th–10th century: early Germanic settlement

Statue representing the godThor,c. 1000,National Museum of Iceland.

Further information:Old Norse religionandGermanic paganism

When Iceland was first settled byNorwegians(but also by someSwedesand people from theNorse settlements in Britain) in the mid-9th century, approximately in 870,it was inhabited by a small number ofIrishChristiananchoritesknown aspapar(singularpapi).WhenScandinavians began to arrive in larger numbers,the anchorites left of their own or were driven out.The migration of Norwegians was partly in response to the politics ofHarald Fairhair,who was unifyingNorwayunder a centralised monarchy.

The first Icelanders, though accustomed to a society in which the monarch was essential for religious life, did not establish a new monarchy in the colony, but rather a yearly assembly of free men, theAlthing.The "things"were assemblies of free men who governed Germanic societies, and they were led by a holy kingship.The Icelandic thing developed peculiar characteristics; in place of the loyalty to a holy king, the Icelanders established the loyalty to a law code, first composed by Úlfljót who studied Norwegian laws.

Icelandic landowners (landnámsmenn) were organised intogoðorð( "god-word(s)" ), religio-political groups under the leadership of agoði( "god-man" ).Thegoðarwere part-time priests who officiated ritual sacrifices at the local temple and had some qualities of the Germanic kings; they organised local things and represented them at the Althing.Úlfljót was chosen as the first lawspeaker (lögsögumaðr), who presided the Althing which met annually atThingvellir.The religio-political organisation of early Iceland has been defined as "pagan and anti-monarchic", which distinguished it from other Germanic societies.Concerning other religious practices, the Icelanders followed Scandinavian norms; they built temples enshrining images of the gods.

The religion was namedGoðatrúorÁsatrú,"truth of the gods (theAses) ".The Icelanders worshippedlandvættir,local land spirits, and the gods of the commonnorthern Germanic tradition,withinhofandhörgar.Different social orders worshipped different divine representations: the class of poets worshipped the supremeOdin,as highlighted by the poems ofHallfreðr Óttarsson,in theLandnámabókand in theEyrbyggja saga;among the general population, the most worshipped deity was apparentlyThor,whom the Icelanders worshipped as represented by high pillars; while the class of farmers worshippedFrey,as attested in theVíga-Glúms saga.

10th–11th century: Christianisation

Early Icelandic churches maintained the style ofHeathen hofs,often featuring dragon finials on the roof, such as in the case of the old church ofThingvellir(the current one goes back to 1859, while the steeple was rebuilt in 1907), built by initiative of King Olaf of Norway, who provided timber and the bell, to mark the official Christianisation of Iceland in the year 1000.

Carved statue ofJesus Christ,c. 1200,National Museum of Iceland.

Main article:Christianisation of Iceland

Further information:Germanic Christianity

Apart from the Irishpapar,Christianity had been present in Iceland from the beginning even among the Germanic settlers.TheLandnámabókgives the names of Christian settlers, including an influential woman named Aud the Deep-Minded.Icelanders generally tended tosyncretism,integratingJesus Christamong their deities rather than converting to the Christian doctrine.For instance, Aud the Deep-Minded was amongst the baptised and devout Christians and she established a Christian cross on a hill, where she prayed; her kinsmen later regarded the site as holy, and built anÁsatrútemple there.These first Christians were probably influenced by contact with Norse people in Britain, where Christianity already had a strong presence.Among the first settlers, the vast majority followed the ancient Germanic religion, and organised Christianity probably died out in one or two generations.The syncretic attitude of the Icelanders made possible for the Germanic religion to survive and intermingle with Christianity even in later periods: it is recorded in theEyrbyggja sagathat as Norway was being Christianised, a pagan temple was dismantled there to be reassembled in Iceland.

The adoption of Christianity — which at that time was still identical to theRoman Catholic Churchand its official doctrine — as thestate religion(kristnitaka,literally the "taking of Christianity"), and therefore the formal conversion of the entire population, was decided by the Althing in 999/1000,pushed by theking of Norway,Olaf Tryggvason.In that year, Christianity was still a minority in Iceland, while the belief in the Germanic religion was strong.Nonetheless, some Christians had acquired high positions in thegoðorðsystem and therefore considerable power in the Althing.

Christian missionaries began to be active in Iceland by 980.One of them was the Icelandic nativeThorvald Konradsson,who had been baptised on the continent by theSaxonbishop Fridrek, with whom he preached the gospel in Iceland in 981, converting only Thorvald's father Konrad and his family.They were unsuccessful and even had a clash with pagans at the Althing, killing two men.After the event, in 986 Fridrek returned toSaxonywhile Thorvald embarked forViking expeditionstoEastern Europe.Amongst the other proselytisers, King Olaf of Norway sent the Icelandic nativeStefnir Thorgilssonin 995–996 and the Saxon priestThangbrandin 997–999.Both the missions were unsuccessful: Stefnir violently destroyed temples and ancestral shrines, leading the Althing to enact a law against Christians — who were declaredfrændaskomm,a "disgrace on one's kin", and could now be denounced to authorities — and to outlaw Stefnir, who returned to Norway; Thangbrand, a learnt but violent man, succeeded in converting some important families, but he also met many opponents, and, when he killed a poet who had composed verses against him, he was outlawed and he too went back to Norway.

At this point, Olaf Tryggvason suspended Iceland's trade with Norway, which resulted in a concrete danger for Icelandic economy, and also threatened to execute Icelanders residing in Norway, who were for the most part sons and relatives of prominentgoðar,as long as Iceland remained a pagan country.Iceland sent a delegation, belonging to the Christian faction, to obtain the release of the hostages and promise the conversion of the country to Christianity.Meanwhile, in Iceland the situation was worsening, as the two religious factions had divided the country and a civil war was about to break out.However, the mediation of the Althing, presided by the lawspeakerThorgeir Thorkelsson,thwarted the conflict.Thorgeir was trusted by both the religious factions, and he was given the responsibility to decide whether the Icelanders would have converted to Christianity or would have remained faithful to the Germanic religion of their ancestors.After one day and one night, he decided that, in order to keep peace, the population would be united under one law and one religion, Christianity, and all the non-Christians among the population would receive baptism.At first, it was maintained the right for people to sacrifice to the old gods in the private of their homes, although the practice was punishable if witnesses were provided.A few years later, these provisions allowing private cults were abolished.

The decision of the Althing was a turning point; theretofore, it was difficult for individuals to convert to Christianity, since it would have meant to abandon the traditions of one's own kin, and would have been seen asættarspillar— that is to say, "destruction of kinship".However, despite the official Christianisation, the old Germanic religion persisted for long time, as it is proven by the literature produced bySnorri Sturluson— he himself a Christian — and by other authors in the 13th century, who wrote theProse Eddaand thePoetic Edda.After the conversion of the country, members of thegoðorðoften became Christian priests and bishops.The first consecrated bishop in Iceland was Ísleif Gizursson, who was the bishop ofSkálholtfrom 1057 to his death in 1080.He is credited with having instituted a tithe system (sóknargjald) which made the Icelandic church financially independent and strengthened Christianity.

16th century: Protestant Reformation

The LutheranCathedral of Hólar,andHólar University College.

1889 map showing the location in Iceland of the two major Catholic bishoprics, and of the Catholic monasteries under their jurisdiction, before theProtestant Reformation.

Main article:Icelandic Reformation

Further information:Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein

The last two Catholic bishops of Iceland were Øgmundur Pállson ofSkálholtand Jón Arason ofHólar.Jón was a poet of some importance and was married with many children, a usual thing among the clergy in Iceland.The two bishops, who were not well versed in theology but were men of great power, were in conflict with one another and threatened open conflict.At the Althing of 1526 they came with their own armed contingents, although they reconciled because of the threat posed by a new, common enemy, the spread ofLutheranism.

Lutheran pamphlets were introduced in Iceland through trade withGermany.In 1533, the Althing bade that "all shall continue in the Holy Faith and the Law of God, which God has given to us, and which the Holy Fathers have confirmed".One of the first Icelandic Lutherans wasOddur Gottskálksson,who had converted to Lutheranism while living in continental Europe for many years.When he went back to Iceland, he became the secretary of the bishop of Skálholt and translated theNew Testamentinto theIcelandic language.

The most important figure in early Icelandic Lutheranism was, however,Gissur Einarsson,who during a period of study in Germany learnt about the Reformation.In 1536, he became assistant at the Skálholt bishopric, though he did not formally embrace Lutheranism yet.When Lutheranism became the state religion ofDenmarkand Norway under KingChristian III,the king tried to convert Iceland too.In 1538, the "Church Ordinance" was put before the two bishops Øgmundur and Jón at the Althing as a royal invitation to convert to Lutheranism, but it was rejected.Thereupon, Christian III ordered the dissolution of themonasteriesin Iceland.Bishop Øgmundur, now old and almost blind, chose Gissur Einarsson as his successor.He was examined by theologians inCopenhagenand in 1540 the king appointed him as the superintendent of Skálholt.Gissur was only 25 years old and it was difficult for him to maintain power, especially as he was opposed by the clergy and even by the old bishop.A royal emissary was sent to uphold the ordinance, and Øgmundur was arrested and died on the way to Denmark.The ordinance was accepted in Skálholt, but was rejected by Jón Arason in Hólar.Bishop Gissur, who was ordained by the Danish bishopPeder Palladius,reorganised the church in his diocese according to Lutheran principles, including the suppression of Catholic ceremonies and the exhortation of priests to get married.He entrusted Oddur Gottskálksson with the task of translating German sermons, and he himself translated parts of theOld Testamentand the Church Ordinance.

Gissur Einarsson died in 1548, and thereupon Jón Arason took possession of the Skálholt diocese, even though the clergy opposed him.He also imprisoned Gissur's appointed successor.Jón Arason was consequently outlawed by the king; he was arrested together with two of his sons, and all three were executed in November 1550.In 1552, the Hólar diocese too accepted the Church Ordinance.Institutional opposition to the Reformation had now vanished completely, so that church properties were secularised and churches and monasteries were plundered.However, it took many decades for Lutheranism to become firmly established in Iceland.Church manuals and hymnals were in bad Danish translations, and new schools had to be set up in cathedral towns in order to train the Lutheran clergy.The Danish bishop Palladius was in charge of the development of the Icelandic Lutheran church in those early years.The able and energetic Gudbrandur Thorláksson, bishop of Hólar from 1571 to 1627, devoted his energies in improving church literature, clergy training and community education.In 1584, the first complete Icelandic translation of theBiblewas published.

20th–21st century: decline of Christianity and rise of new religions

Membership rise in registered non-Christian religions in Iceland, 1965–2010. Red: Baháʼí Faith; green: Heathenry; dark blue; Buddhism; light blue: Islam.

Logo used by the 2015 board of directors of the Zuist Church.

Further information:Heathenry (new religious movement)andZuism

Since the end of the 19th century, Iceland has been more open to new religious ideas than many other European countries.In the 19th and early 20th centuries, religious life in Iceland, still mostly within the Christian establishment, was influenced by the spread ofspiritualistbeliefs.Theosophywas introduced in Iceland around 1900, and in 1920 the Icelandic Theosophists formally organised themselves as an independent branch of the international Theosophical movement, though within the fold of the Lutheran belief and led by a Lutheran pastor, Séra Jakob Kristinsson.

Since the late 20th century there has been a rapid diversification of religious life in the country, with the most notable phenomenon being a decline of Christianity (from 97.8% in 1990 to 65.55% in 2023) and a rise of other religions, notablyNeopagan religions,especiallyGermanic Heathenry(Germanic Neopaganism), in Iceland also calledÁsatrú,a movement of restoration of the pre-Christian Germanic religion.This may have been assisted by theIcelandic language's literary tradition that predates the island's conversion to Christianity, namely theEddas and theSagas, which are well known by most Icelanders and provide an unbroken link with the pagan past.In 1972, four men proposed to create an organisation for the revitalisation of the northern Germanic religion; they founded theÁsatrúarfélagið( "Asatruar Fellowship" ) and asked the Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs to given their group's high priest the same legal status as that of a Christian pastor.In the autumn of the same year, they asked for their organisation to be recognised by the state, and the registration was completed by the spring of 1973.

In the early 2010s, theZuism trúfélag( "Faith Fellowship of Zuism" ) or Zuist Church was founded as an organisation ofMesopotamian Zuism(Mesopotamian Neopaganism), and in 2013 it was recognised by the Icelandic state.In late 2015, the board of directors of the Zuist Church was taken over by people who were unrelated to the movement, and under the new leadership the church was turned into a medium for a protest against the state Lutheran church and the state church tax (sóknargjald): unlike other religious groups, the 2015 board of directors of the Zuist Church promised to redistribute the funds they received from the tax among the church's members, so that about three thousand people joined the group within a few weeks by the end of the year.After a legal struggle, in late 2017 the original founders of the Zuist Church were reinstated as its board of directors, and by the end of the year, after two years of frozen activity, they were allowed to dispose of the church's funds.The 2017 directors kept the principle of funds' redistribution among members, which is calledamargiin theSumerian language.Thereupon, in 2019 they were accused of tax fraud, but were later acquitted of all charges in the spring of 2022.

Religions, philosophies and life stances

Christianity

LutheranCathedral of Skálholt,the first church which converted to Lutheranism in Iceland.

CatholicCathedral of Christ the Kingin Reykjavík.

See also:Christianization of Iceland

Main articles:Church of Iceland,Catholic Church in Iceland,andThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Iceland

In 2023, according to the official statistics provided byStatistics Iceland,69.55% of the Icelandic population wereChristians,most of them adherents ofLutheranism,belonging to either theChurch of Iceland(58.61%) or minor Lutheranfree churches(5.33%), namely theReykjavík Free Church(2.57%), the Hafnarfjörður Free Church (1.94%) and the Independent Lutheran Congregation (0.82%).

At the same time,Roman Catholicismwas the largest non-Lutheran form of Christianity in the country, adhered to by 3.83% of the Icelanders, many of whom belong to thePolishimmigrant community;Catholics are organised in theDiocese of Reykjavík,led by the bishopDávid Bartimej Tencer(1963–) of theOrder of Friars Minor Capuchin.In the twentieth century, Iceland had some notable converts to Catholicism, includingHalldór LaxnessandJón Sveinsson.The latter moved toFranceat the age of thirteen and became aJesuit,remaining in the Society of Jesus for the rest of his life; he became a valued author of books for children, written in German, and even appeared on postage stamps.

A further 1.78% of the population were adherents of other Christian denominations, includingPentecostalism(0.54%),Orthodox Christianity(0.3%),Seventh-day Adventism(0.15%),Baptist Christianity(0.02%), and forms ofRestorationism,namelyJehovah's Witnesses(0.15%) andLatter-day SaintsMormonism(0.04%).The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintshas a meetinghouse in Reykjavík and another inSelfoss;the Reykjavík meetinghouse also hosts a family history center.The first Icelandic Mormon convert and missionary wasGudmund Gudmundson,who converted while staying inDenmarkand went back to Iceland to establish the very first Mormon community in the country.

Baháʼí Faith

Main article:Baháʼí Faith in Iceland

TheBaháʼí Faithin Iceland was the religion of 0.08% of the population of Iceland in 2023, organised into the Baháʼí Community (Baháʼí samfélagið).The Baháʼí Faith was introduced in 1924 by the AmericanAmelia Collins— who was later recognised as a prominent BaháʼíHand of the Cause—, and the first Icelander who converted to the religion was a woman named Hólmfríður Árnadóttir. The religion was recognised by the government in 1966, and a BaháʼíNational Spiritual Assemblywas elected in 1972. Iceland has the highest proportion in Europe of BaháʼíLocal Spiritual Assembliesin relation to the total population of the country. The Danish scholar of religionMargit Warburgspeculated, while discussing the relatively good establishment of the Baháʼí Faith in Iceland, that the Icelanders are culturally more open than other peoples to religious innovation.

Buddhism

Main article:Buddhism in Iceland

Buddhismwas the religion of about 0.42% of the Icelanders in 2023.Icelandic Buddhists are organised into a number of communities, the largest of which is the non-denominational Buddhist Fellowship of Iceland (Búddistafélag Íslands), followed byZen Buddhismrepresented by the community Zen in Iceland (Zen á Íslandi),Nichiren Buddhismrepresented by theSoka Gakkai Internationalin Iceland (SGI á Íslandi),Theravada Buddhismrepresented by the Wat Phra Dhammakaya Buddhist Association in Iceland (Wat Phra Dhammakaya búddistasamtökin á Íslandi), andTibetan Buddhismrepresented by the Fellowship of Tibetan Buddhists (Félag Tíbet búddista) and by a community ofDiamond Way Buddhism(Demantsleið búddismans).

Heathenry

Heathen ceremony atThingvellir,in Reykjavík.

Main article:Ásatrúarfélagið

From the 1970s there has been aNeopaganrebirth of thenorthern Germanic religionin Iceland, in the country known asÁsatrú,part of the broader movement ofGermanic Heathenry(Germanic Neopaganism).Icelandic Heathens are organised into two communities, namely the Asatruar Fellowship (Ásatrúarfélagið), adhered to by 1.49% of the population in 2023, and the Godword of Reykjavík (Reykjavíkurgoðorð), adhered to by a further 0.01% of the population in the same year.

Hinduism

As of 2023, there was a small community ofHindusin Iceland, representing 0.02% of the population, and organised into two communities:Ananda Marga,which was recognised by the state in 2019, and a community of Lakulish Yoga (Lakulish jóga á Íslandi) which was recognised in 2020.There are also aSri Chinmoycentre and other unregistered organisations of meditation and philosophy.

Islam

GrandMosqueof Iceland, in Reykjavík.

Main article:Islam in Iceland

Islamwas the religion of a minority representing 0.4% of the Icelandic population in 2023.The number of IcelandicMuslimsmight actually be larger, since many Muslims choose not to identify themselves in the Icelandic yearly count of religious populations.The Muslim population in Iceland is organised into three communities, namely the Islamic Cultural Centre of Iceland, the Fellowship of Muslims in Iceland (Félag múslima á Íslandi) and the Organisation of Muslims in Iceland (Stofnun múslima á Íslandi), all with about the same number of members.

Judaism

Main article:History of the Jews in Iceland

Iceland has a small population ofJewspractisingJudaism,which was officially recognised by the state in 2021 as incorporated by the Cultural Fellowship of Jews in Iceland (Menningarfélag Gyðinga á Íslandi), representing 0.01% of the population as of 2023.There was no significant Jewish population or emigration to Iceland until the 20th century, although some Jewish merchants lived in Iceland temporarily during the 19th century.The Icelanders' attitude towards the Jews has mostly been neutral, although in the early 20th century the intellectual Steinn Emilsson was influenced byanti-Semiticideas while studying in Germany.Although most Icelanders deplored the persecutions of Jews during theSecond World War,they usually refused entry to Jews who were fleeing Nazi Germany, so the Jewish population did not rise much during the war.The former IcelandicFirst LadyDorrit Moussaieff,is aBukharian Jewand is likely the most significant Jewish woman in Icelandic history.

Zuism

Further information:Zuism

Zuism (Mesopotamian Neopaganism) is the religion of about 0.14% of the Icelanders.It is aNeopaganrebirth of theancient Mesopotamian religions;the Icelandic Faith Fellowship of Zuism (Zuism trúfélag) was founded around 2010 and officially recognised by the Icelandic state in 2013.The Zuists worshipAn(the supreme God of Heaven),Ki(the Earth), as well asEnlil(the god of air) andEnki(the god of water),Nanna(the Moon) andUtu(the Sun),Inanna(Venus),Marduk(Jupiter),Nabu(Mercury),Nergal(Mars),Ninurta(Saturn), andDumuzi.

Other beliefs, humanism and unaffiliation

Main article:Irreligion in Iceland

According to official statistics yielded byStatistics Iceland,in 2023 a very small minority of the population declared that they adhered toTheosophy,represented by the Theosophical Society of Iceland (Lífspekifélag Íslands) and the New Avalon Centre (Nýja Avalon miðstöðin).Another very small minority is represented by followers ofSikhism,numbering about 40 individuals; the firstAkhand Pathceremony — the continued complete recitation of theGuru Granth Sahib— in Iceland was completed in 2013 at the country's smallgurudwara.

In 2023, a substantial part of the Icelandic population, that is to say 18.73%, were adherents of unspecified religions, philosophies or life stances not recognised in theIcelandic civil registryor did not declare either affiliation or unaffiliation with any religion, philosophy or life stance.An additional 7.71% of the population were explicitly unaffiliated with any religion, philosophy or life stance.A minority of Icelanders declared an affiliation with secular beliefs, namely, 1.39% declared that they belonged to theIcelandic Ethical Humanist Association(Siðmennt), which representssecular humanismand was officially recognised by the state in 2013, while 0.05% declared that they were affiliated toDíaMat,an organisation ofdialectical materialism.

Freedom of religion

In 2023, the country received the maximum score forreligious freedomfromFreedom House.

Gallery

• 
  A Russian Orthodox church in Reykjavík.
• 
  Lutheran cathedral of Reykjavík.
• 
  Catholic church ofAkureyri.
• 
  Building of theReykjavík Free Churchin the foreground, and theHallgrímskirkjain the background.
• 
  Building of theTheosophical Societyin Reykjavík.
• 
  Interior of the Lutheran cathedral ofSkálholt.
• 
  Wooden church in theWestfjords.
• 
  Stonen church in Hvalsnes,Reykjanes.
• 
  Turfenchurch in Víðimýri.
• 
  Modern church inKirkjubæjarklaustur.

See also

• Christianisation of Scandinavia
• Religion in Norway
• Religion in Europe

References

Sources

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• Hassall, Graham; Fazel, Seena (1998)."100 Years of the Baháʼí Faith in Europe".Baháʼí Studies Review(8): 35–44.
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• Jochens, Jenny (1999). "Late and Peaceful: Iceland's Conversion Through Arbitration in 1000".Speculum.74(74): 621–655.doi:10.2307/2886763.JSTOR2886763.S2CID162464020.
• Lacy, Terry G. (2000).Ring of Seasons: Iceland, Its Culture and History.University of Michigan Press.ISBN0472086618.
• Nash, Alexander (2020)."Zuism: History and Introduction"(PDF).Central European Journal of Contemporary Religion.4(1). Prague:Karolinum Press,Charles University:51–69.doi:10.14712/25704893.2021.31.Archived(PDF)from the original on 17 June 2022.
• Sigurbjörnsson, Sigurður Rósant (29 March 2016)."Fjöldi meðlima í trúfélögum og öðrum samanburðarhópum 1990–2016".Trúrýni – trúarbrögðin sneiðmynduð(analysis of the official data yoldenbyStatistics Iceland). Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2017.
• Swatos, William H.; Gissurarson, Loftur Reimar (1997).Icelandic Spiritualism: Mediumship and Modernity in Iceland.Transaction Publishers.ISBN1412825776.