Saga - 1980, Blaðsíða 235

TRÚARLEGAR HREYFINGAR
223
period. Reykjavik became the centre for these changes. The essay
■will appear in SAGA in three instalments under the overall title of
Religious Movements in Reykjavík in the First two Decades of this
Century.
In the present number an analysis is given of the social and
cultural factors underlying the new religious trends at the turn of
the century, followed by brief descriptions of some of the sects and
denominations that found their base in Reykjavík then and later on.
The following instalments deal more thoroughly with the two new
rnovements that were integrated most firmly into Icelandic society
and exerted the greatest influence on religious life in the country,
viz. the Y.M.C.A. and related associations on the one hand and the
sPiritualist and mystical movement on the other. The former has
^een the stronghold of “conservative” (fundamentalist) theology in
Iceland whereas the latter has been associated in a somewhat special
Icelandic” way with liberal theology.
T'he (Lutheran) state church was virtually the sole authority in
^eligious matters in the country during the 19th century and such
foreign” alternatives as appeared on the scene were stigmatised
as ahen sects and failed to acquire popular following. The Icelandic
c°mmunity was a farming one and clergymen largely shared a com-
Pion lot with the richer farmers. They were often local leaders and
active in the Althing as well as in other secular matters. There
was within the church no lay tradition nor popular religious revival
as in the other Nordic countries. Things remained so until the turn of
fhe century. Nevertheless changes were brewing in the spiritual life
°f the nation. Icelandic intellectuals living in Copenhagen, the capi-
ai of the state and its centre of education and political power
'Vere in a position to observe the cultural and politieal development
°f mainland Europe. They saw to it that some of the new European
icleas and cultural currents found their way to Iceland. In the 1880's
ley became increasingly influenced by scientific materialism and
radical humanism, and they discussed freely in their perodicals and
1 erary works the new ideas which were quite critical of religion and
ie church. The Danish literary critic, Georg Brandes, notably influ-
f^ced them in this respect. The new ideas became more widespread
a the 1890’s when many of these intellectuals moved to Iceland.
°me friends of the church realized the dangers of this anti-church
r°Paganda and it had become a matter of public discussion as the
°f the century drew near. It was a common attitude that some-
lRg was wrong with the church, and a general feeling of distress
f0Se conceming the relation of traditional christian values and soci-
ety.