Christianization

According to Færeyinga saga, the Viking chief Sigmundur Brestisson brought Christianity to the Faroe Islands. On the orders of the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason, Sigmundur forced the island people to convert to Christianity in 999. Resistance to the new religion led by the notorious Tróndur í Gøtu was quickly suppressed, and even though Sigmundur himself lost his life, Christianity gained a foothold.^[4]

Catholic era

Some years after the introduction of Christianity, the Faroese church was established as a diocese, with an episcopal residence in Kirkjubøur, and suffragan to several metropolitical sees in succession, but eventually (after 1152) subject to the archdiocese of Nidaros (Tróndheim). There were probably 33 bishops in the Faroe Islands between the time Christianity was introduced to the islands and the Reformation, but there is little information available about the Faroes during the Middle Ages.^[5]

The historical narratives of the Faroe Islands, as depicted in their sagas, suggest a complex relationship between the church and the population. The saga of the battle of Mannafallsdal includes scenarios where church authorities acquired landholdings and implemented taxation which led to social unrest and rebellion. However, the accuracy and historical veracity of these sagas are subject to scholarly debate. They offer a perspective rich in cultural context but may not always align with historical facts.

Contemporary documentation does corroborate some elements of these narratives, such as the destruction of the bishop's residence in Kirkjubø and the subsequent removal of Bishop Erlend from the islands by royal decree, with his eventual death in Bergen in 1308.

The Reformation

In 1538, the last Catholic bishop in the Faroe Islands was removed from his position. His Protestant replacement lasted only a few years, and then he left the islands as well, as a dean took over as the representative of the church under the Bishop of Zealand in Denmark.

Lutheran Church

The form of Lutheranism advocated by Zealand Bishop Jesper Brochmand played a notable role in the religious landscape of the Faroes, having a more prolonged presence than in other parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. Brochmand's devotional writings, believed to date from around 1650, along with the hymns of Thomas Kingo from 1699, had a considerable influence on the spiritual and cultural life of the Faroe Islands until the 20th century. The term "Brochmandslestur" has been coined in contemporary language to describe lengthy and, in some opinions, monotonous texts and speeches.

Nationalist revival

The lifting of the Danish trade monopoly in 1856 led to a resurgence of Faroese culture, which had been suppressed for a long time. This influenced the Christianity that was practiced and observed on the islands.

In the early 20th century, after considerable debate and effort, Faroese language gained equal status with Danish in religious practices, specifically in hymns and sermons, around 1924-25. This was extended to ecclesiastical rituals such as christenings, burials, and marriages in 1930.

A pivotal figure in this linguistic and cultural shift was Dean Jákup Dahl, who translated the New Testament from Greek, publishing it in 1937. Following Dahl's death in 1944, his work was continued by Vicar Kristian Osvald Viderø, who translated the rest of the Bible from Hebrew. The first authorized Faroese edition of the Bible was published in 1961.

The year 1963 saw two notable developments: the publication of the first Faroese hymn book and the elevation of the ecclesiastical position of dean to deputy bishop. The church's first female vicar was ordained in 1977. Then, in 1990, the Faroe Islands were established as an independent diocese within the Church of Denmark, appointing their own bishop.

21st century

In 2005, the Faroes signed a treaty with Denmark that allowed for the take over of most public institutions, including the Vágar Airport and the church. On 29 July 2007, on the date of the national holiday, Ólavsøka, the Faroese Church became totally independent of the Church of Denmark.

Lists of bishops

• Jens Riber (1540–1556): the first Lutheran Bishop of the Faroe Islands

From 1556 until 1990, the Faroe Islands were part of the Diocese of Copenhagen. During this period, the islands did not have an independent bishopric.

• Hans Jacob Joensen (1990–2007): the first bishop since 1556 which marked the return of a separate diocesan identity for the Faroe Islands within the Church of Denmark
• Jógvan Fríðriksson (2007–present): first bishop of the independent Church of the Faroe Islands

Other Nordic national Lutheran churches

• Church of Denmark
• Church of Sweden
• Church of Iceland
• Church of Norway
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland