In the early twentieth century, a spiritual movement began to take root in Iceland, far from its Middle Eastern origins. The Baháʼí Faith, known in Icelandic as Baháʼí samfélagið á Íslandi, emerged slowly but has established a uniquely strong organisational presence in this island nation.
Foundations and early growth
The earliest appearance of Iceland in Baháʼí writings came during the turbulence of the First World War. ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, son of the Baháʼí Faith’s founder, addressed letters, later collected in the book “Tablets of the Divine Plan”, to followers in North America. In these letters, he encouraged spreading the faith to numerous European countries, including Iceland. These calls for universal peace resonated with a world shaken by conflict.
Actual Baháʼí presence in Iceland dates to 1924, when Amelia Collins visited during a cruise. She befriended Hólmfríður Árnadóttir, who became the first Icelandic adherent. Martha Root followed in 1935, whose efforts, alongside Árnadóttir, introduced the faith to the Icelandic public through press, radio and lectures. Early translated texts began to appear by 1939, marking steady intellectual engagement around the new faith.
A new community takes shape
Slow growth characterised the early years, by 1949 there were just two adherents. The turning point came in the 1950s when Marguerite Allman, a pioneer from Canada, arrived. Shortly after, additional Icelanders joined, and by 1963 a Baháʼí group was registered in Reykjavík. This was the foundation for formal administration and collective activities.
In 1965, Iceland’s first Local Spiritual Assembly was elected, a milestone of self-organisation. Government recognition as a religious community in 1966 allowed the Baháʼí Faith the same legal rights as other religions, including performing marriages and receiving a share of the church tax. For much of the next three decades, it was the largest non-Christian faith in Iceland.
August 1967 brought a moment of headline-making interfaith interaction, when a Baháʼí wedding was held at Árbæjarkirkja, a Lutheran church in Reykjavík, sparking a national conversation about religious space and cooperation. The event, which involved an Icelandic bride and Italian groom, reflected the Baháʼí emphasis on unity.
Despite its small numbers, about 400 members today, the Baháʼí community in Iceland has established 13 Local Spiritual Assemblies. This places Iceland at the top in Europe for assemblies per capita. Over the decades, leaders and members from Iceland participated in international events and hosted conferences, seeking to foster dialogue and further the faith’s ideals of peace and education. The community has also seen the translation and creation of Baháʼí literature in the Icelandic language.
From its modest beginnings and gradual growth, the Baháʼí Faith in Iceland has carved out a meaningful role within the country’s religious tapestry, bringing with it organisational innovation and a message of unity.
