(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
[return] Saturday afternoon 22. In September, Crown Prince Haakon will enter Oslo Spektrum to shine on the big international conference "Pentecost for All".
This weekend, thousands of charismatic Pentecostals gathered to celebrate their first 100 years in Norway. The Pentecostal movement was founded by African-American pastor William J. Seymour of Los Angeles in 1906.
In the Oslo Spectrum, Crown Prince Haakon is a draw patch. While Big Sister Märtha Louise is ridiculed for her angelic faith, few laugh when the country's upcoming Evangelical Lutheran monarch this weekend pays tribute to tongue speakers. But it may be that the monarchic siblings are both in tune with their time, including this fall's literary book releases. Not only with Cappelen's Red thread, the CD of the Old and New Testaments that was launched 3. September.
God and Norway
Also in general non-fiction and fiction, the Christian God works in the autumn of 2007 as a promotional means: God is Norwegian (Aschehoug) is the name of Ny Tid columnist Aslak Nore's book debut. The title plays on the widespread perception that Norwegian soldiers have been lucky in their international military missions. A few in Norwegian uniforms have, after all, been killed so far.
Almost so you would think that God is happy in Norway. And this is precisely the title of Per Andreas Persson's second short story collection. God is pleased in Norway (Time) explicitly revolves around religious notions in modern rural Norway. In the title story, Brother tells of a dream he had:
“Jesus was there. Do you know what his said? (…) Jesus said: I love Norway. I love Skrot-Kalle… Brother, Jesus said, you have to go home to Kalle and tell him before it's too late… You have to sort things out… That's what he said.
Here we can note that both the title novel and Persson's short story collection are titled incorrectly. In the short story, it is not God who says he loves Norway, but Jesus. Theologically, one could argue that God and Jesus are two sides of the same issue. But the nuance can also illustrate a pervasive feature: It is God who is marketed in the general book market, not Jesus. A book titled Jesus Loves Norway would probably give a far more dogmatic-religious impression than the more harmless and general "God".
Gold with Jesus
An example of the negative Jesus connotations appears in Julia Scheeres Jesusland (Spartacus), which was launched on 7 September. In this autobiographical childhood story from the USA, a critical spotlight is placed precisely on the dogmatic and racist belief in Jesus. A similar Christ fanaticism appeared in NRK 2's documentary Jesus Camp, broadcast on the TV channel's new opening on 3 September.
In Persson's short story «Jesus-weekend» we get an insight into a Norwegian parallel, with sexual ulterior motives and belief in Mammon. Or as the charismatic pastor at a Pentecostal gathering puts it: “When Jesus comes, gold will grow on the trees. Huge glittering gold coins. Some of them will follow Him and some will stay. "
Like Persson, Tiden publisher Mattis Øybø, who will also be publishing his second book this autumn, also writes about the millennial, Christian movements. In the novel Nobody is Alone (October), the starting point is precisely the religious movement "The Son of Man", where the white-clad people stand together waiting for God's arrival in the park early on a Sunday morning.
But one does not have to go deep into the religious longing to be able to front the books with God. Crime writer Jan Mehlum calls, for example, his latest crime book For God's sake (Gyldendal). While the fun book Jesus and Judas on the same team (Kagge), with the subtitle Over 1000 funny stories and exciting facts from the Premier League, is the exception to the rule that Jesus is not used in the book titles.
God Reviews
On a deeper reading of this autumn's new books, we find just as there are apt philosophical twists of religion. As in Oddmund FJ Vaagsholm's prose texts There are some people here (Damm): «I believed in God, but did not pray to him».
This wording may also shed light on the publishing priorities of the originally radical and non-religious publishing house Pax. Not before this summer had they published the book The Living Religions of the World, with the slogan "The world is incurably religious", before they now launch the Monasteries at the end of the world. Written by parish priest Karl Gevin.
Those who think there will be too much God in the book harvest, may seek solace in the French philosopher Michel Onfray, who now comes in Norwegian with “We do not need God. A Handbook of Atheology ”(Kagge). Onfray is – along with Christoher Hitchens '"God Is Not Great" and Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" – part of a larger global book trend, where well-known intellectual popularizers direct their critical glances at both God and Christianity.
In Norway, such new Øverland polemical books are missing. On the other hand, several of the books indirectly argue for a Christian God in contrast to other views of life. For example, Peter's answer. Christianity for educated Gentiles and lukewarm Christians (Cappelen). Catholic Kjell Arild Pollestad makes an attempt to lead more Norwegians into the ranks of the believers.
In Also Sprach Zarathustra (1885) Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) concluded that «God is dead!». And added: "And we killed him."
Considering the book autumn 2007 in Norway, it may be possible to say: "God has been resurrected." And we have awakened her to life! ■
GOD 1: Per Andreas Persson's collection of short stories God loves Norway.
GOD 2: Aslak Nore's book title plays on God's close relationship with Norway.
GOD 3: Mattis Øybø's second novel is about white people in the movement «The Son of Man». PHOTO: BJØRN SIGURDSØN / SCANPIX.
GOD 4: Julia Scheeres writes about religious fanaticism in Jesusland.