The Church of Scientology in Norway () is officially recognised as a non-profit corporation of the

Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religiou ...

, rather than a religious community. Despite an estimated 8,000 individuals having participated in Scientology-related courses in Norway, the active membership within the church is estimated around 100 members . Scientology’s has one church in Norway which is situated in Oslo. The church has shifted its physical location within the city. Its previous sites have included upscale offices in central areas like

Karl Johans gate Karl Johans gate is the main street of the city of Oslo, Norway. The street was named in honor of King Charles III John, who was also King of Sweden as Charles XIV John. Karl Johans gate is a composite of several older streets that used to be s ...

and Tollbugata, and others such as

Grünerløkka Grünerløkka () is a borough but also a neighborhood of the city of Oslo, Norway. Grünerløkka became part of the city of Oslo (then Christiania) in 1858. Grünerløkka was traditionally a working class district; since the late 20th century t ...

. It is currently located in Lørenvangen. Legal disputes involving ''Scientologikirken'' often result in settlements outside of court. In one case, the church was directed to reimburse a former member 600,000

Norwegian kroner The krone (, currency sign, abbreviation: kr (also NKr for distinction); ISO 4217, code: NOK), plural ''kroner'', is the currency of the Kingdom of Norway (including List of possessions of Norway, overseas territories and dependencies). It was t ...

in course fees. The organization has also engaged in an unsuccessful legal endeavor spanning six years, aimed at obtaining official recognition as a religion. Given the limited number of active members and the absence of government subsidies, the church operates primarily with income from participants who pay for individual courses.

Controversies

In 2008, the Church of Scientology was investigated for connections between it and the death of Kaja Ballo. Ballo, a Norwegian citizen, died by suicide shortly after taking an

Oxford Capacity Analysis The Oxford Capacity Analysis (OCA), also known as the American Personality Analysis, is a list of questions which is advertised as being a personality test and that is administered for free by the Church of Scientology as part of its recruitmen ...

, a personality test administered by the organisation, earlier the same day. Prosecutors were subsequently unable to establish a causative link. As a result of the bad light that was shed upon the church, it has become vastly unpopular and controversial in Norway. Members usually keep a low profile and are reluctant to share their religious beliefs. Norwegians in general regard ''Scientologikirken'' as a cult. Despite low membership numbers, the Norwegian community has made a name for itself among opposition-groups. There are often protests outside of the Oslo church, with

Anonymous Anonymous may refer to: * Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown ** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author * Anonym ...

being very present. This is not the only reason;

Andreas Heldal-Lund Andreas Heldal-Lund (10 December 1964 – 2 January 2024) was a Norwegian anti-Scientology activist best known for operating the website Operation Clambake. Personal life Andreas Heldal-Lund was born in Oslo, Norway on 10 December 1964. He ...

is a known critic of Scientology, and is the founder of xenu.net and

Operation Clambake Operation Clambake, also referred to by its domain name, xenu.net, is a website that published criticism of the Church of Scientology. It was launched in 1996 by Norwegian Andreas Heldal-Lund, and maintained by him until his death in 2024. Opera ...

. In August 2015, a banner was displayed on the front facade of the ''Scientologikirken'' headquarters bearing the message "New homes, coming soon." This indicated that the church was no longer occupying the premises. Subsequently, the church returned to its previous headquarters on Tollbugata; however, it left behind unpaid rent totaling nine months' worth, amounting to 292,434 Norwegian kroner or approximately $33,707.

References

{{Scientology Religion in Norway

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...