Un cas d’ecclesiolae in ecclesia en Norvège à la lumière de la théorie culturelle d’Emmanuel Todd

Abstract

This article discusses the coexistence between the Lutheran State Church and the Lutheran lay movement in Norway. Despite strong conflicts over theology and Church order, the lay movement, whose stronghold is the western periphery, has generally chosen to remain within the Church. This phenomenon of hostile cohabitation is analysed in relation to the theoretical framework developed by Emmanuel Todd, who argues that European regions are highly divergent when it comes to anthropological patterns and dispositions. One of the main anthropological fault lines separates west and south-east Norway. In adapting Todd’s perspective to a well known debate, the author reveals new insights into the social rationales for the behaviour of the lay movement.