Religion in Denmark
Encyclopedia
Christianity in Denmark
Christianity is the predominant religion of Denmark, with 80% of the Danish population estimated as adherents of the "Folkekirken" , Denmark's national Lutheran church...
in the form of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark
Church of Denmark
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Church of Denmark or Danish National Church, is the state church and largest denomination in Denmark and Greenland...
, the official state church. However, pockets of virtually all faiths can be found among the population. The second largest faith is Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, due to mass immigration in the 1980 and 90s. In general, however, Danes are secular, and church attendance is generally low.
Overview
Another study by Eurobarometer PollEurobarometer
Eurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973. It produces reports of public opinion of certain issues relating to the European Union across the member states...
2005, 31% of Danish citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 49% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 19% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".
Though Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
or jul (yule
Yule
Yule or Yuletide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic people as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January...
) is considered to be Denmark's most celebrated holiday, this is mostly due to cultural, rather than religious, reasons.
By the end of 2007, 82.1% of the Danish population were members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church which dropped to 81.5 % in 2008 . However, similar to the rest of Scandinavia, North-west Europe and Britain, only a small minority (less than 10 % of the total population) attends churches for Sunday services. In Copenhagen, membership of the Danish state church dropped to 65% in 2008.
Denmark's Muslims
Islam in Denmark
Islam is the largest minority religion in Denmark. According to the U.S. Department of State, approximately 3.7% of the population in Denmark is Muslim...
make up less than 2% of the population and is the country's second largest religious community. As per an overview of various religions and denominations by the Danish Foreign Ministry, other groups comprise less than 1% of the population individually and approximately 2% when taken all together. About 15% of the Danes do not belong to any denomination.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS Church) has been sending missionaries to Denmark since 14 June 1850. Most of the early converts emigrated to the United States. There are currently over 4,500 Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
in Denmark. There is a LDS temple
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
in Copenhagen, known as the Copenhagen Denmark Temple
Copenhagen Denmark Temple
The Copenhagen Denmark Temple is the 118th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Copenhagen Denmark Temple is one of the few temples that have been converted from existing buildings....
.
According to Danish Jørn Borup, (Department of the Study of Religion at the University of Aarhus, Denmark), there are around 20,000 followers of Buddhism in Denmark
Buddhism in Denmark
Buddhism is the 4th largest religion in Denmark with approximately 20,000 - 25,000 members.-History:In the 19th century, knowledge about Buddhism was brought back from expeditions that explored the East and but interest was mainly from authors, Buddhologists and Philologists. In 1921, Dr. Christian F...
. Also, there are about 500 registered heathens (0.01% of the population) belonging to the old Norse beliefs.
With the exception of the Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs (and only some of them), politicians will not generally be found using religious rhetoric and arguments, especially not government ministers. The Christian Democrats
Christian Democrats (Denmark)
The Christian Democrats are a political party in Denmark. The party was founded in 1970 to oppose the liberalization of restrictions on pornography and the legalization of abortion....
is the only major political party which regularly uses religious rhetoric and arguments, and they have not been represented in the Folketing
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
since 2001, as they have not been able to acquire the necessary 2 % of the votes.
Religion in the Danish Constitution
The Constitution of DenmarkConstitution of Denmark
The Constitutional Act of Denmark is the Kingdom of Denmark's constitution, or fundamental law. Originally verified in 1849, the last revision was signed on 5 June 1953 as "the existing law, for all to unswerving comply with, the Constitutional Act of Denmark".-Idea and structure:The main...
contains a number of sections related to religion.
- §4 establishes the Evangelical Lutheran Church of DenmarkChurch of DenmarkThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Church of Denmark or Danish National Church, is the state church and largest denomination in Denmark and Greenland...
as the state churchState churchState churches are organizational bodies within a Christian denomination which are given official status or operated by a state.State churches are not necessarily national churches in the ethnic sense of the term, but the two concepts may overlap in the case of a nation state where the state...
of DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. - §6 requires the Danish monarchMonarchy of DenmarkThe monarchy in Denmark is the constitutional monarchy of the Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.As a constitutional monarch, the Queen is limited to non-partisan, ceremonial functions...
(currently Margrethe II of DenmarkMargrethe II of DenmarkMargrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
) to be a member of the state church. - §67 grants freedom of worshipFreedom of religionFreedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
. - §68 states that no one is required to personally contribute to any form of religion other than his own. As state subsidies are not considered personal contributions the Church of Denmark receives subsidies - according to §4 - beyond the church taxChurch taxA church tax is a tax imposed on members of some religious congregations in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and several other countries.- Germany :About 70% of church revenues come from church tax...
paid by the members of the church. The Church of Denmark is the only religious group to receive direct financial support from the state. Other religious groups can receive indirect support through tax deductions on contributions. - §70 grants freedom of religionFreedom of religionFreedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
by ensuring civil and political rights can not be revoked due to race or religious beliefs. It further states race and religious beliefs can not be used to be exempt from civil duties. - §71 ensures no one can be imprisoned due to religious beliefs.
See also
- Christianization of ScandinaviaChristianization of ScandinaviaThe Christianization of Scandinavia took place between the 8th and the 12th century. The realms of Scandinavia proper, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, established their own Archdioceses, responsible directly to the Pope, in 1104, 1154 and 1164, respectively...
- Christianity in DenmarkChristianity in DenmarkChristianity is the predominant religion of Denmark, with 80% of the Danish population estimated as adherents of the "Folkekirken" , Denmark's national Lutheran church...
- The Church of DenmarkChurch of DenmarkThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Church of Denmark or Danish National Church, is the state church and largest denomination in Denmark and Greenland...
- Baptist Union of DenmarkBaptist Union of DenmarkThe Baptist Union of Denmark is a national organization of Baptists in Denmark for promoting cooperation in missions, benevolence, and education....
- Roman Catholicism in DenmarkRoman Catholicism in DenmarkThe Roman Catholic Church in Denmark is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.The number of Catholics in Denmark, a predominantly Protestant country, comprises less than 1% of the population....
- Reformed Synod of DenmarkReformed Synod of DenmarkThe Reformed Synod of Denmark is a synod of four Reformed free church congregations in Denmark. A member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, it has approximately 700 members.The current Moderator is Sabine Hofmeister...
- The Church of Denmark
- Christianity in Denmark
- Buddhism in DenmarkBuddhism in DenmarkBuddhism is the 4th largest religion in Denmark with approximately 20,000 - 25,000 members.-History:In the 19th century, knowledge about Buddhism was brought back from expeditions that explored the East and but interest was mainly from authors, Buddhologists and Philologists. In 1921, Dr. Christian F...
- Bahá'í Faith in DenmarkBahá'í Faith in DenmarkThe Bahá'í Faith in Denmark began in 1925, but it was more than 20 years before the Bahá'í community in Denmark began to grow after the arrival of American Bahá'í pioneers in 1946. Following that period of growth, the community established its Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly in 1962...
- Islam in DenmarkIslam in DenmarkIslam is the largest minority religion in Denmark. According to the U.S. Department of State, approximately 3.7% of the population in Denmark is Muslim...
- Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyThe Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
- Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
- History of the Jews in DenmarkHistory of the Jews in DenmarkThe Jewish community of Denmark constitutes a small minority with a known history back to the 17th century.-Origins:Medieval Danish art contains depictions of Jews – visibly wearing pointed hats – but there is no evidence any Jews actually lived in Denmark during that time...
- Rescue of the Danish JewsRescue of the Danish JewsThe rescue of the Danish Jews occurred during Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark during World War II. On October 1st 1943 Nazi leader Adolf Hitler ordered Danish Jews to be arrested and deported...
- Rescue of the Danish Jews
- Religion in EuropeReligion in EuropeReligion in Europe has been a major influence on art, culture, philosophy and law. The largest religion in Europe for at least a millennium and a half has been Christianity. Two countries in Southeastern Europe have Muslim majorities, while two more Muslim countries located mostly in Asia have...
- Religion by country
External links
- Religion in Denmark
- Religion in Denmark - From the Danish Foreign Ministry.