Abstract
In 2017 the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation was celebrated. Then there was a huge discussion about the impact of the Reformation on church, culture and society. In this article and in an another one published in last number of this journal, this question will be raised, especially in Icelandic context. Here it is assumed that it is only possible to state that a change has occurred or a novelty has arised because of Lutheran influence if it can be demonstrated that the Reformation is a necessary prerequisite for the change / innovation being discussed. Here it is particularly pointed out that various changes that until now have been traced to the Reformation can have been due to the development of the central-controlled state power. It is also pointed out that, due to the small population, rural areas and simple social structure, various changes that occurred in urban areas did not succeed in Iceland until long after the Reformation. Such cases are interpreted as delayed Lutheran effects. Then, in Iceland, many changes, which were well matched to the core areas of the Reformation, did not work until the 18th century and then because of the pietism. Such cases are interpreted as derivative Lutheran effects.In Iceland two generalizations have been evident in the debate on the influence of the Lutheran Reformation. The first one emphasizes extensive and radical changes in many areas in the Reformation period and subsequent extensive decline. It is also stated that this regression can be traced directly to the Reformation and not to other fenomenons, e.g. the development of modern, centralized state. The other one states that the Reformation was most powerful in the modernization in both the church and society in Iceland.This article focuses on the influence of the Reformation in the field of culture and society. These include e.g. the closure of monasteries and the consequences of it in the field of welfare, which have been widely discussed in recent times.The final conclusion of these two articles is that the main influence of the Reformation is found in the field of faith itself, and that the Reformation made it easier for the Lutheran Church than the two traditional denominations, the Roman Catholic Church and that Orthodox one, to meet the modernization in culture and society.
Highlights
Síðari greinÁrið 2017 var þess minnst að 500 ár voru liðin frá því Marteinn Lúther gerði opinbera gagnrýni sína á kaþólsku miðaldakirkjuna og þá einkum aflátssölu hennar og hóf í kjölfarið umbóta- og breytingastarf í heimaborg sinni, Wittenberg
There was a huge discussion about the impact of the Reformation on church, culture and society
It is pointed out that, due to the small population, rural areas and simple social structure, various changes that occurred in urban areas did not succeed in Iceland until long after the Reformation
Summary
Árið 2017 var þess minnst að 500 ár voru liðin frá því Marteinn Lúther gerði opinbera gagnrýni sína á kaþólsku miðaldakirkjuna og þá einkum aflátssölu hennar og hóf í kjölfarið umbóta- og breytingastarf í heimaborg sinni, Wittenberg. Leiddi það ásamt keimlíkum hreyfingum annars staðar til að kirkjan klofnaði upp í nokkrar kirkjudeildir sem þróuðust síðan í nánum tengslum við hið miðstýrða ríkisvald sem samtímis var í sókn hvarvetna í álfunni. Confessional state).[1] Fól þetta í sér umfangsmiklar trúarlegar, menningarlegar og félagslegar breytingar sem sögðu til sín hvarvetna um álfuna og á flestum sviðum þjóðlífsins. Ekki er því að undra að Lúthers-árið leysti úr læðingi margháttaðar vangaveltur um áhrif Lúthers og/eða siðbótarinnar í bráð og lengd. Annað viðhorfið hefur lengi verið áberandi og var á sínum tíma samofið þjóðernislegri sagnaritum sem ástunduð var í tengslum við sjálf-
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