Church and State in the Constitutional System of Norway

From a comparative perspective, the Nordic countries always used to represent the world of church establishment and were traditionally associated with the idea of the state church. However, over the last two decades this world has undergone a significant transformation, not only in Norway, but also in Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Accordingly, the Lutheran Churches in these countries – for the most part due to both its historical role and the fact that the vast majority of the population belongs to it – maintains a special responsibility towards the nation as a whole. In Norway, the bond between the state and Church of Norway has been significantly weakened since 2012, but is still firmly grounded in the Constitution as well as in the new legislation to be adopted by the Parliament and in the de facto administrative intertwinement of the Church of Norway with the state and its municipalities.