Tracing the Jerusalem Code: Christian Cultures in Scandinavia, 2019

Throughout the history of Christianity, the notion of Jerusalem, both the physical city of the Middle East and the heavenly city of God with its pearl gates, has determined how Christians have understood themselves, their faith, and their relationship with other groups. References to Jerusalem and the Holy Land have influenced the structure of religious language, not only in religious practice, church architecture, pictorial art, and literature, but also in political thinking and law. The performances of Jerusalem have penetrated Western Christianity in such a fundamental way that one can speak of a code of Christian culture. The research project "Tracing the Jerusalem Code", anchored by MF Scientific College in Oslo, examines how the notion of Jerusalem have had a structuring influence on Scandinavian history. The project is interdisciplinary and examines Jerusalem references in culture across source groups and historical periods. In three subprojects, we examine how the notion of Jerusalem behaves and transforms in periods characterized by religious changes: 1) Jerusalem in medieval Scandinavia (approx. 1100-1536) 2) Jerusalem in the Lutheran kingdoms Denmark-Norway and Sweden (approx. 1536-1750) 3) The Pietists and Orientalists Jerusalem (approx. 1750-1950) So far, we have found that the notions of Jerusalem play a greater role in more areas than we had anticipated. About 60 researchers from Norway and abroad contribute studies in one or more of the three sub-projects. A trilogy presenting the results of their research is under construction. For further information about ”Tracing the Jerusalem Code: Christian Cultures in Scandinavia, 2019”, please contact the principal investigator.