Although Iceland is officially Christian, the ancient Norse religion known as Ásatrú is gaining popularity, not only as a novelty, but as an officially recognized sect. A sheep farmer revived Icelandic Ásatrú  in the 1970s; it focuses on the natural forces and the harmony of nature represented by the ancient gods...

In the year 1000 Christianity was peacefully adopted by the Icelanders at the Althingi, which met for two weeks every summer, attracting a large proportion of the population. The first bishopric was established at Skalholt in South Iceland in 1056, and a second at Holar in the north in 1106. Both became the country's main centers of learning. 

In the late tenth century Greenland was discovered and colonized by the Icelanders under the leadership of Erik the Red, and around the year 1000 the Icelanders were the first Europeans to set foot on the American continent, 500 years before Columbus, although their attempts to settle in the New World failed. 

The established church in Iceland is the Evangelical Lutheran Church. There are many Lutheran churches in Iceland. There is also a Catholic church in Reykjavik, and a number of churches for other groups. The breakdown is as follows - Church of Iceland: 92,2%; Other Lutherans: 3,1%; Roman Catholics: 0,9%; Others: 3,8%.