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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. [5] 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. [ 5 ]
[15] [17] Since Norway was Iceland's main trading partner, Icelanders needed to maintain the peace. [15] Accordingly, two Christian chieftains who were related to King Olaf, [9] Gissur Teitsson and Hjalti Skeggjason, were sent to Norway. [18] They promised the monarch that they would be making every effort to convert the whole island. [18]
Beginning in 980, Iceland was visited by several Christian missionaries who had little success; but when Olaf Tryggvason (who had converted around 998) ascended to the Norwegian throne, there were many more converts, and the two rival religions soon divided the country and threatened civil war.
Freedom of religion in Iceland is guaranteed by the 64th article of the Constitution of Iceland. However at the same time the 62nd article states that the Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the national church (þjóðkirkja) [ 1 ] and the national curriculum places emphasis on Christian studies.
These continued until 1801, when Iceland became one diocese under one bishop of Iceland, residing in Reykjavík. The country was an independent republic from 930 until 1262. Then Iceland, having suffered civil war and anarchy, came under the rule of the Norwegian Realm and in 1380 with Norway under the Danish crown. In 1944 Iceland regained its ...
The largest Christian denomination is the Catholic Church, with 1.3 billion baptized members. [9] The second largest Christian branch is either Protestantism (if it is considered a single group), or the Eastern Orthodox Church (if Protestants are considered to be divided into multiple denominations).
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Thereafter, the island territory became for the Catholic Church an independent unit, first as the Apostolic Prefecture of Iceland on 23 June 1923 and then, not many years later, on 6 June 1929, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Iceland. It was on 18 October 1968 that this entity matured into the Diocese of Reykjavík. Even though the Catholic ...