Contents
Overview
The Christianization of Scandinavia occurred between the 8th and 12th centuries, during which Scandinavia and its people gradually converted to Christianity. This event wasn't caused by foreign missionaries or states pressuring Scandinavians to convert, but rather by Scandinavian kings willingly adopting Christianity for the perceived political advantage it gave them (Winroth, 2012). These kings in turn exerted their influence by building churches and diocese, dismantling pagan temples, and banning pagan worship. However, it's worth noting that in some regions, the people converted prior to their king.
Though Christianity spread for its political usefulness, Scandinavians were slow to actually adopt Christian practices and beliefs. Regional variations of Christianity developed, with many of them being the result of syncretizing old pagan practices with the new Christian ones. Even today, the Christianity found in the Nordic countries has far less "religiosity" to it than that of the United States.
You can read more about this event here.
Winroth, Anders (2012). The Conversion of Scandinavia: Vikings, Merchants, and Missionaries in the Remaking of Northern Europe. Yale University Press. pp. 161–162. ISBN 978-0-300-17026-9. JSTOR j.ctt1nq59r. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
