What is the Church of Norway?
A large majority of Norwegians (around 65 percent in 2021) belong to the Church of Norway and many people's religious lives find expression in church rituals and holidays.
The Church of Norway confesses an Apostolic, Christian faith, based on God’s revelations in the Bible. In all the services in the Church of Norway, the creed is confessed by the congregation. Usually the Apostles’ creed is used, as a distillate of the apostles’ (Jesus’ disciples) teaching.
What does the Church of Norway believe in?
The Church of Norway is an Evangelical-Lutheran church that share an Apostolic, Christian faith, and the most commonly used Christian creeds from the early church. Church of Norway has two sacraments, Baptism and Eucharist. Infant Baptism is common in Church of Norway, but all who wish are welcome to Baptism.
Eucharist, also called the Holy Communion and the Lord’s supper, is celebrated in Sunday worship services. This is a meal in commemoration of Jesus Christ, where we believe that Jesus Christ is present. All who wish to take part in the Eucharist are invited.
Learn more about what it is to be lutheran, on lutheranworld.org.
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Church of Norway's five Confessions
The Church of Norway has five Confessions. Three that are from the early church, and around which most churches are united:
- The Apostles’ creed
- The Nicene creed
- The Athanasian Creed
And two from the time of the Reformation:
- The Augsburg Confession of 1530 (Confessio Augustana)
- Luther's Small Catechism
The most important basis for the church's confession is the Bible. Expressions of key aspects of Christian faith are also found in the hymns in the Norwegian Hymn Book.
Although the Lutheran Church emphasizes the sovereign authority of the Bible, it also acknowledges the confession texts as authoritative. The key to an Evangelical Lutheran understanding of the Bible's message is that it is about demandss and gifts, law and gospel.