On January 14, the ELCA commemorates Eivind Berggrav.
Born in Stavanger, Norway in 1884, Eivind was the son of Otto Jensen, a Church of Norway priest who would later become a bishop. (As an adult, Eivind changed his last name to that of his paternal grandmother, Berggrav.)
Berggrav entered the University of Kristianiain Oslo in 1903, studying theology. He graduated in 1908 worked as a teacher while also writing for the journal Kirke i Kultur (Church and Culture). During World War I, Berggav served as a war correspondent for Norway’s largest newspaper.
After World War I, Berggrav answered a call to serve as a parish priest in Hurdal, Norway. During this time, he also studied for his Doctorate of Theology, which he earned in 1924. Then, he served as a prison chaplain until 1928, when he became Bishop of Hålogaland Hålogaland. Berggav continued to serve in Halogaland until his selection as Bishop of Oslo, the highest position in the Church of Norway, in 1937.
When Germany invaded Norway in April of 1940, Berggrav initially called on Norwegians to “refrain from any interference.” After King Haakon left Norway for London, Bergravv headed the Norweigan Administrative Council, which attempted to govern. Then, in September 1940, the Nazis dissolved the Administrative Council, installing a new government lead by sympathizer Vidkun Quisling.
First, Berggrav refused an order to modify the Church of Norway’s Common Prayer to substitute the name of Quisling for the King’s. Next, the bishop denounced an order revoking the clerical “oath of silence” which preserved confidentiality between priest and parishioner. In a letter to be read in every Norwegian congregation, Bergravv wrote, “When the government tolerates violence and injustice and brings pressure to bear on the souls of men, then the Church is the guardian of conscience.” Tension between church and state continued to mount.
In early 1942, all of the bishops and the majority of the priests in the Church of Norway resigned. Because clergy were also civil servants, this was a significant act of defiance. Subsequestly, Bergravv and several other leaders were arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Soon after, Bergravv moved to solitary confinement in the forest north of Oslo. Sources indicate that despite efforts to isolate Bergravv he occasionally snuck out, possibly disguised as a policeman, to meet with resistance groups.
After the war, Bergravv reclaimed the position of Bishop of Oslo, and continued serving until 1951, when his health declined. He also worked with the World Council of Churches, promoting Christian unity.
On January14, 1959, Bergravv passed away at the age of 74.
Sources:
- Wikipedia contributors. (2025, December 8). Eivind Berggrav. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:00, January 15, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eivind_Berggrav&oldid=1326333418
- Time. (1944, December 25). Religion: The bishop and the Quisling. https://time.com/archive/6782641/religion-the-bishop-and-the-quisling/
- Churchmen who defy Hitler; II: Bishop Berggrav of Norway – The New York Times. (n.d.-a). https://www.nytimes.com/1942/06/09/archives/churchmen-who-defy-hitler-ii-bishop-berggrav-of-norway.html