Historia Ecclesiastica Islandiae

work by Jonsson

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June 29, 2026

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Historia Ecclesiastica Islandiæ is a significant work covering the history of Christianity in Iceland. It was written by Finnur Jónsson, bishop of Skálholt, and published between 1772 and 1778. This work provides a detailed account of the religious development and ecclesiastical history of Iceland.1

While Arngrímur Jónsson (1568–1648) was a prominent Icelandic scholar and historian who collected manuscripts and wrote about Icelandic and Scandinavian history, his major works like Crymogaea and Specimen Islandiae Historicum et Magna ex Parte Chorographicum focused on general history and geography rather than specifically ecclesiastical history.2

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Icelandic literature
The 18th century
…Jónsson, bishop of Skálholt, wrote Historia Ecclesiastica Islandiæ (1772–78), which covers the history of Christianity in Iceland. Jón Espólín published Íslands árbækur (1822–55; “Annals of Iceland”), a history of Iceland from 1262.
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…Jónsson, bishop of Skálholt, wrote Historia Ecclesiastica Islandiæ (1772–78), which covers the history of Christianity in Iceland. Jón Espólín published Íslands árbækur (1822–55; “Annals of Iceland”), a history of Iceland from 1262.
Read More