One in Four Danes believes in the Resurrection

New analysis shows that Danes are 'believers' - but in what?

A new Rambøll Analysis for the Jutland Post reveals that 48% of Danes over 17 believe that Jesus was crucified, and 26% that he rose from the dead.

 

Hans Jørgen Lundager Jensen, Professor in the Section for the Study of Religion (sic) at Aarhus University, is surprised that so many believe in the resurrection. ”I thought the Danes would be more sceptical about a supernatural event. On the other hand I’m also surprised that so many are sceptical about the crucifixion, which in no way breaks with our concept of a realistic event. But in my experience belief is not a permanent dimension.”

 

When the figures are broken down, the crucifixion and resurrection are accepted as true more by women than men, and more by seniors than the rest of the population. Belief in the resurrection is strongest in North Jutland (37%) and weakest in the Copenhagen area (18.8%). 4 out of 5 seniors call themselves ‘believers’.

 

Marie Vejrup Nielsen, PhD from Aarhus University, producer of the report, Religion in Denmark 2010, says: “Danes are not particularly atheist or traditionally religious. They just do what suits them. They accept the religious offers that are tended and they don’t mind the church being among the tenderers. They just don’t use them.”

 

Commenting on a recent book, Minor and Major Changes, Danish Values since 1981, sociologist of religion Peter Lüchau from the University of Southern Denmark, says. “Figures in the book show that 72% of Danes call themselves ‘believers’, and we ought to take that seriously. We know that Danes are fine with God and life after death, but that’s about it. We generally like things that offer hope. We have become individualized, and no one any longer tells us what to believe or not to believe. But we have no idea what we actually mean by a ‘believer’. The collectivity of faith has disappeared. There is no doubt that young people are less religious than the over-65s, but there is no saying that this trend will increase. Today there is no youth rebellion involved in being a non-believer, so there may well be a change in the next generation,” Peter Lüchau concludes.

 

Picture: sxc.hu

 

By: Edward Broadbridge

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