The following article was found in the Huffington Post recently titled "Bible in Norway is Bestseller, "The Scriptures Surprisingly Strong in Largely Secular Country"
Oslo, Norway --It may sound like an unlikely No. 1 best-seller for any country, but in Norway - one of the most secular nations in an increasingly Godless Europe - the runaway popularity of the Bible has caught the Country by surprise. The Scriptures, in a new Norwegian language version, even out paced the racy "Fifty Shades of Grey" to become Norway's best-selling book.
The sudden burst of interest in God's word has also spread to the stage, with a six hour play called "Bibelen," Norwegian for "The Bible," drawing 16,000 people in a three-month run that recently ended at one of Oslo's most prominent theaters.
Officials of the Lutheran Church of Norway have stopped short of calling it a spiritual awakening, but they see the newfound interest in the Bible as proof it still resonates in a country where only one percent of the five million residents regularly attends church.
"Thoughts and images from the Bible still have an impact on now we experience reality," said Karl Ove Knausgaard, one of several famous Norwegian authors enlisted to help with the translation.
Scholars aren't surprised at the success of the plays or the new Bible translation, explaining that faith is a deeply personal matter in this nation of taciturn Scandinavians who regularly withdraw from city life to spend holidays at remote cottages in the solitude of the mountains, fjords and forests.
Anne Veiteberg, publishing director of Norway's Bible Society, said that increased immigrtion also probably has been a factor.
More than 258,000 immigrants have settled in the country during the last six years alone, adding diversity of race and religion. The Church of Norway estimates that about 60 percent of immigrants are Christian, while the rest are Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu.
"Now that we're exposed to other faiths, Norwegians have gotten more interested in their own faith," Veiteberg said.
Released in October, 2011 by the Norwegian Bible Society, the new translation replaces a 1978 edition with the goal of improving readability and accuracy.
Norway's Bible Society promoted the new translation like a pop fiction novel, stirring anticipation by giving out teasers of Biblical stories before its release. It was packaged in a variety of ways, targeting teenagers with pink leather or denim covers, and adults with bridal or sophisticated literary covers.
"It's easier to read," says Helga Haugland Byfuglien, presiding Bishop for the Church of Noray. "There is no over-interpretation of the text."
It has sold nearly 160,000 copies and was Norway's best selling book in 2012. Church officials concede that hefty marketing campaigns helped explain the strong sales.
Like many other European nations, Norwegians have experienced decades of secularization as religion has taken a back seat to other pursuits. They are fiercely commmitted to jamming weekends with skiing, hiking and other outdoor activities, leaving little time other than Christmas or Easter fo fill the pews.
Also, last year, Parliament unanimously decided to end the Lutheran Church's status as the official state religion. Obviously, there is a void that needed to be filled, and it is now happening with the new found popularity of the scriptures.
Allan Winters, President of Sunlite Broadcasting who is also Media Director for The Chicago Bible Society, says "I am sure there will also be the rapid deployment of online Bible Resources as well as the traditional printed text" A Christian company in the United States has a website called "Youversion" where you can read the Bible online in over 70 languages, including the new Norwegian translation.
You can download your own Bible apps for iPhones, Smartphones, tablets and blackberries.
Just go to this link: www.youversion.com
You can also read the Bible on your desktop, iPad or Tablet without any downloads. Bible Study reading plans are also available on the site.
Additionally, The Chicago Bible Society also offers other online Bibles, Bible apps and resources including audio versions of the scriptures.
We encourage you to go to their website and check it out: www.chicagobiblesociety.net
