Gissur Einarsson

Gissur Einarsson (* 1512, † March 24, 1548 in Skálholt ) was from 1540 Bishop of Skálholt in the south of Iceland and at the same time the first Lutheran bishop in the country.

Training

Gissur Einarsson had himself been educated in the school of Skálholt its predecessor Ögmundur Pálsson, who thought highly of him. For further education he went to Hamburg, and there came into contact with the Reformation.

1538 he returned to Iceland and was ordained a priest. Like several other young theologians, including Oddur Gottskálksson, the translator of the New Testament into Icelandic, he remained a supporter of the Reformation.

And consecrate Bishop choice

Ögmundur chose the young theologian in 1538 to his successor, it remains uncertain whether he knew of his leanings to the Reformation. The king confirmed this choice. After Gissur had returned home, he took the bishop's seat and showed openly that he had become a Lutheran. Then Ögmundur regretted his choice and wanted him to settle down again.

However, this prevented Christian III. , The King of Denmark, for this was not least a question of power by he sent troops under Christofer Huitfeld to Iceland and had her brought Ögmundur to Denmark, where he died. Christian III. had taken over the Lutheran Christianity for himself and his subjects in his kingdom and wanted to also achieve this in remote Iceland, which belonged at the time of the Danish Kingdom. Fierce resistance was, however, made ​​in Iceland by Jón Arason Catholic circles around, the Bishop of Hólar.

In the fall of 1542 Gissur Einarsson was consecrated bishop in Copenhagen.

Work

As a result Gissur Einarsson translated the laws of the Church Christian III. of Denmark into Icelandic and supported the Danish king with the ultimate goal of the enforcement of the Evangelical- Lutheran Christianity as the state religion in Iceland.

However, it took some years and at first had to agree on a compromise. In 1542 there was a pact with Jón Arason, thus preventing military conflicts to 1550. The country was divided during this period in a Lutheran and a Catholic south north.

Gissur tried in his sphere of influence to combat Catholic customs and had, among other things a cross in Kaldaðarnes decrease the miraculous powers were attributed.

In 1548 he passed away. He left behind his wife Katrin Eggertsdottir.