The missionary impulse in Norwegian history

Abstract

The paper discusses the influence of church and mission in Norwegian politics during the nineteenth century. Norway, a rather small country by European standards, was a major missionary provider in Zululand. The influence of mission in Norway is demonstrated by the fact that the missionary school in Stavanger was the second national educational institution to have its own building after the Napoleonic wars, the University of Oslo being the first one. The “missionary impulse” was also important in Parliament as many of the leading politicians were active believers – though split between liberals and conservatives. The power of religion in Norwegian history – both locally and at the national level as well as politically and socially - was so overwhelming that it has become imperative to recognise the “missionary impulse” as a key area of research for an understanding of 19th century Norwegian history.