Ritröð Guðfræðistofnunar - 01.01.1990, Síða 243

Trúarlíf Islendinga
church as an open institution. In fact, unless the emphasis upon the idea of a
„pure church"—a church of the orthodox or of true believers—were to be
taken so far as to bring about a schism and break up the organization of the
national church, there need be no conflict. There is surely no conflict between
the ideal of the open church and efforts to tighten the ranks of the church by
means of well-aimed evangelism and well-organized congregational work, ef-
forts aimed at strengthening the image of the church both internally and with
respect to the outside world. Spokesmen of the church as a national church
have remarked upon the special need for such efforts in the pluralistic socie-
ties of today. Contemporary pluralism expresses itself in the growth and devel-
opment of a variety of new religious movements, and also in private or per-
sonal religious faith, as discussed above. It has also produced moral views
which are not grounded in Christianity. Some would go so far as to say that the
days of the national church are numbered if it fails to make its presence clearly
felt within the ideological, social and cultural upheaval which pluralism has
brought about. One may also say that the church will be able to perform its
function as a national church only by keeping faith with its calling as a church,
„a city set on a hill tht cannot be hid“, asJesus said in his Sermon on the Mount
(Matt. 5:14). Indeed, it may surely be asked what purpose is served by an open
church if those who are received into it are plunged into bottomless confusion
and uncertainty about the doctrines and values for which the church stands.
At its 1989 synod, the Church of Iceland decided that the rejuvenation of
the congregations was to be one of the principal tasks of the church in prepar-
ing for the millenary celebration of Christianity in Iceland which will take place
in the year 2000. This program may without hesitation be called a determined
effort to strengthen the image of the church. The rejuvenation of the congre-
gations has many components, but the most important of these is the shaping
of congregational consciousness and hence of awareness of the church.
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