The beginning of organized Unitarianism in Norway 1893-1895.

The periode 1893 to 1895 represents the beginning of organized Unitarianism in Norway.

After many years serving as Unitarian ministers in the USA both Hans Tambs Lyche (1859-1898) and Kristofer Janson (1841-1917) return to Norway and introduce Unitarianism mainly in Oslo (then named Kristiania (or Christiania)). For long historians considered Janson to be the first and only to carry out this mission, but as new research (see endnote) has revealed this may now be questioned. This short article will look into the whereabouts of Janson and Tambs Lyche from they returned and till Janson establishes the first Norwegian Unitarian church in 1895 and in this way demonstrate why Janson no longer can be considered the only one first to introduce Unitarianism to Norway and that Tambs Lyche and Janson independently of each other tried to organize a Unitarian movement. Only one of the would partly succeed.

Surely Tambs Lyche and Janson must have know each other from the Unitarian ministry in USA (the US Scandinavian Unitarian milieu at the end of the 19th century was easy to know). Despite this there are no records saying their return to Norway in 1893 was planned or in some way part of a mutual Unitarian mission. It is said that the reason for Tambs Lyche's return was that he in Oslo received a position as editor to a periodical called Kringsjaa. The reasons why Janson left America are not that easy to see but his marriage was not working and because of his involvement with Spiritualism he was criticized by fellow Scandinavian Unitarians. He was disappointed, and there were little that held him back in America. It is probably a coincidence they both returned the same year.

Kristofer Janson almost immediately embarks on a lecture tour visiting the major cities of Norway. His lectures were to be published in the book «Foredrag» (1894). Later he was to write in his self biography that this tour was to test how Unitarianism would be received in Norway. But looking at the lectures to day this seems strange because they are not all dealing with Unitarianism but also with Spiritualism and re-incarnation. It may of course be that Janson considered these things to be important parts of Unitarianism. Then the spring 1894, he leaves Norway and travels to Denmark. At this time in Denmark there was no Unitarian church but a beginning Unitarian movement. Janson gathers a group for Unitarian worship in Aarhus. This group would later be «Aarhus Free Church Society». Janson would also be a source of inspiration for those founding the Unitarian congregation in Copenhagen, which to day still exists. The congregation in Aarhus has since long disappeared.

Although Janson's work in Denmark is interesting the important here is the fact that he left Norway 1894. If his reason for returning to Norway would be to test how Unitarianism was received, why then leave? It seems somewhat bold to think he wanted by his own to introduce Unitarianism in both Norway and Denmark. On the other hand, Janson had both friends and family in Denmark and Norway. Since no records seems to shed a light over why he after his lecture tour left, my guess is that he in 1893 and 1894 was unsure of where to settle. This is to say that it was not a Unitarian mission or an attempt to «test» if Norway was ready for Unitarinism that was the main reason for Janson. He was simply unsure where to live. In 1895 he would end up in Norway but as often as possible spend the summer holidays in Denmark.

Hans Tambs Lyche on the other hand seems to have had a strong wish to introduce Unitarianism and as soon as possible to organize a Norwegian Unitarian church. Shortly after he settled in Oslo he published a leaflet addressed to all «liberal minded people». Here he outlines his understanding of Unitarianism and suggests that there should be organized a Unitarian church and a Unitarian society. This leaflet resulted in three things: 1. He ended up discussing Unitarianism with the State Church pastor Thorvald Klaveness (1844-1915). This discussion took place in the periodical «For Kirke og Kultur» (For Church and Culture) and is probably the first Unitarian Norwegian printed discussion. 2. About 30 people would gather in Oslo interested in establishing a Unitarian church but for some reasons Tambs Lyche argued that this was not enough and therefore no Unitarian church was founded in 1894. On the other hand he collected the names and addresses of those interested. This list he gave to Kristofer Janson on his return to Norway late 1894. 3. When failing to organize the first church he turns to publishing and creates the first Unitarian periodical to be published in Norway, «Frie Ord» (Free Words).

It is a puzzle why Tambs Lyche did find 30 interested people a too small number in order to organize a Unitarian church. When Janson returned from Denmark and received the list, he used it to organize the first Norwegian Unitarian church in 1895, «Broderskabets Kirke» (The Church of Brotherhood). And the church records show that the membership 1895 was almost 30 people. Still there may be one reason, and that is Tambs Lyche's failing halth. In 1984 he has only four years still to live. It may be his reason for not establish the first Unitarian church was that his tuberculosis put a stop for it. It is not know how ill he actually was in 1894 but only three years later it is obvious he is no longer capable to keep up with all his work.

When Kristofer Janson in Norwegian history is given the honor of introducing Unitarianism to Norway it is because he in December 1894 arrived in Oslo, gave a speech explaining Unitarianism and then encourage people to establish a Unitarian church which he would lead. It is fair to say that Janson was a very much popular and famous writer that always collected large groups of people in public. The newspapers report that the audience applauded when Janson delivered his speech. In January 1895 The Church of Brotherhood was established and the first Norwegian Unitarian services took place in Oslo. I think it is fair to say that Tambs Lyche in 1894 was the one really preparing for this church but it was Janson that got the honor that secured him a place in Norwegian history as the one to introduce Unitarianism.

On the other hand this honor was short lived in the Unitarian milieu. Only some months after the foundation of The Church of Brotherhood Tambs Lyche started to print critical articles about Janson's Unitarianism. In these articles he is warning against the Spiritualism of Janson and also arguing that Janson's person seems to be too important. Shortly before he dies, Tambs Lyche writes an article saying there should be another Unitarian church in Norway. He was obviously very disappointed. And so was Janson's congregation. In 1898 Janson was forced to quit as minister to the congregation and 1900 the congregation split into one group that later would follow Janson and another that would call a new Unitarian pastor from the USA, Herman Haugerud. What then happened is not the topic of this short article but will be dealt with in an article to come later this year.

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This article is based upon: Knut Heidelberg: Frisinnet kristendom : unitarismen i Norge 1893-1937 (2006, Menighetsfakutetet, Oslo – The Lutheran School of Theology, Oslo). For details consult this thesis or contact webmaster.