Research and higher education

There is no specialized training program in the sociology of religion on offer at Norwegian universities and colleges. The universities in Agder, Bergen, Oslo and Trondheim offer Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Religious Studies, in which the sociology of religion is a significant component.

Additionally, several university colleges and private schools provide specialized training in religious subjects, mostly as part of teacher training degrees and theological subjects. In most of these courses, the sociology of religion is a minor component.

D 22 September 2016    AHelge Årsheim

There is no specialised training in law and religion on offer at Norwegian universities and colleges. Theology students receive some rudimentary training in the Act on Faith Communities and surrounding legislation relevant to their work, and several universities offer smaller electable courses that provide a general overview of the relationship between religion and human rights.

D 7 June 2022    AHelge Årsheim

Outside the universities, the main actor in the sociological research on religion in Norway is KIFO, Institute for Church, Religion, and Worldview Research, which regularly conducts surveys and reports on the role of religion in Norwegian society. KIFO recently completed the NOREL project, examining religious changes during the past twenty years in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden.

D 7 June 2022    AHelge Årsheim