Ritröð Guðfræðistofnunar - 01.01.1998, Qupperneq 44

Duncan B Forrester
O King ofnight and day?
More safe am I within thy hand,
Than ifa host did round me stand.
These Celtic emissaries of many centuries ago serve to remind us how the
history of our two nations has been intertwined down the generations. The High-
lands and islands of Scotland are full of Norse place names - the mountain called
Hecla in South Uist is an example. Thus we recall that much of Scotland was
occupied by the Norsemen for many years, and there are parts of Scotland such
as the Orkney and Shetland isles where the culture and even the language is still
perceptibly Norse. Almost the whole of the Orkneyinga Saga is set in what is
now Scotland, and other sagas as well have episodes set in Scotland. Our tem-
pestuous histories often meet, and still today Scotland and Iceland stress particu-
larly highly democratic and egalitarian values.
Our churches also, despite the fact that you are for the most part Lutherans,
and we are predominantly Calvinists, share much in common. Both are people’s
churches, chosen by a popular movement rather than imposed from above, chur-
ches which encourage the interaction of Christianity and national identity but are
aware of the dangers of absolutising nationalism, or of putting another story,
however ancient and beloved, on a level with the story of our salvation. I am
aware how when the sagas’ accounts of heroic events which took place in pagan
times came to be written down they were retold in such a way as to accommo-
date their values to the Christian faith. And I have often meditated on the signifi-
cance of the magnificent stained glass windows which I saw many years ago in
the great church at Akureyri. The upper part of each depicts a story from the
gospels, while below is depicted the last Roman Catholic bishop of Iceland and
his sons - national heroes, I understand, despite the fact hat they represented the
medieval version of the Christian faith, because they resisted Danish dominance.
So, in both our nations, does the story of the nation and its faith interact with the
gospel narrative, to challenge, broaden and enrich the sense of national identity
of which in both our countries we are so justly proud.
Our two Faculties of Theology have had for many years close and fruitful
relations. Our life in Edinburgh has been enriched by a succession of excellent
theological students from Iceland, and we have hopes that in future there may be
exchanges of staff and collaborative research projects.
The Centrality of Passion
I want to speak today about passion and practice for a variety of reasons. As a
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