Religious practices in Iceland have changed considerably in recent years. The changes involve yoga in churches around the country, meditation and various spiritual practices conducted within the state church. This is among the findings of research conducted by Haraldur Hreinsson, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Iceland. The research aimed to map the extensive changes that have taken place within the church over the past decades. Two students have contributed to the research.
“Diversity in the Icelandic religious landscape has increased significantly and has taken on various forms,” says Haraldur, noting that the research covers the period from 1998 to 2023. During the research period, the percentage of Icelanders that are members of the state church has gone down to 58 per cent from 90 percent. Haraldur says this reflects fundamental changes in the nation’s religious life.
The emergence of new forms of religious practices within the church is an interesting development according to Haraldur.
“We see, for instance, certain religious practices from the Middle Ages, certain meditation traditions and types of prayers. It is also interesting to examine how Eastern traditions have entered the church. We are particularly interested in the spread of yoga and how people offering such practices explain it theologically,” says Haraldur.
The study is in the field of contemporary history of Christianity and is first and foremost intended to map changes in religious life, and as such serve as a basis for further research. Haraldur uses a mapping method that aims at drawing a comprehensive picture of changes in religious life within the Icelandic State Church. “We do not dig very deep into these factors, at least not to begin with. The aim is to get a better understanding of the lay of the land,” says Haraldur.
He says that the changes in Iceland are a part of an international development that has occurred in North- and West Europe as well as North-America. “This is affiliated with increased globalisation, more travel and increased connections with other religions and world views." People feel that they do not necessarily need to follow a certain religious dogma. People experience more freedom to connect with what fascinates them,” he says.
The study is an important contribution to understand how Icelandic society is changing, in a field that is under-researched. “With better knowledge on changed emphasis in religious practices we can gain a better understanding of our own community,” says Haraldur Hreinsson.
The research findings were disseminated at a conference organised by the University of Karlstad, Sweden, last December.
Author of the article: Ásdís Inga Bjarnadóttir, student in journalism.