Sigurd Vilhelm Odland (December 5, 1857 – April 30, 1937) was a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

theologian and church leader. Odland was born in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

. After receiving his theology degree in 1879, he studied at various universities in Germany. He was the recipient of university stipends for many years until 1894, when he became a professor of theology at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top univers ...

, specializing in New Testament studies. Odland's background was in the

Haugean movement The Haugean movement or Haugeanism ( no, haugianere) was a Pietistic state church reform movement intended to bring new life and vitality into the Church of Norway which had been often characterized by formalism and lethargy. The movement emphas ...

and he supported a strong and consistent approach to theology. When the liberal theologian

Johannes Ording Johannes Ording (19 January 1869 – 25 January 1929) was a Norwegian theologian. He served as a professor of systematic theology at the Royal Frederick University from 1906 to 1926, and his appointment caused a stir because some saw him as too ...

was named a professor of theology in 1906, Odland, like the minister of church affairs

Christopher Knudsen Christopher Knudsen (4 October 1843 – 28 July 1915) was a Norwegian priest and politician for the Conservative Party. He was Minister of Education and Church Affairs from 1905 to 1906. Knudsen was born in Drammen as a son of railroad worker K ...

, quit in protest. A number of people in the circle around Odland then joined forces to form an independent institution for educating priests, the

MF Norwegian School of Theology MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society ( no, MF vitenskapelig høyskole for teologi, religion og samfunn), formerly the Free Faculty of Theology ( no, Det teologiske menighetsfakultet) and MF Norwegian School of Theology, is an accr ...

, which was founded in 1907. Odland became a professor of New Testament studies at the institution.Nichol, Todd W. 2003. ''Crossings: Norwegian-American Lutheranism as a Transatlantic Tradition''. Northfield, MN: Norwegian American Historical Association, p. 113. In 1892, Odland succeeded

Gisle Johnson Gisle Christian Johnson (10 September 1822 – 17 July 1894) was a leading 19th-century Norwegian theologian and educator. Biography Gisle Christian Johnson was born at Fredrikshald (now Halden) in Østfold, Norway. He grew up at Kristiansand ...

as head of the

Norwegian Lutheran Inner Mission Society Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

, but he left the society in 1911 because the general assembly had decided that women should have voting rights in the organization. In 1916 he also left the school of theology because he was unable to educate priests for the

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. ...

after it was allowed for women to hold talks and so on in the churches. He later taught at the China Mission Society's (the Norwegian Lutheran Mission's) school until 1924. Odland published a number of theological works. Odland became a member of the

Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters ( no, Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi, DNVA) is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway. Its purpose is to support the advancement of science and scholarship in Norway. History The Royal Frederick Unive ...

in 1892. In 1904 he was named a knight first class of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

. He is buried in the

Cemetery of Our Saviour The Cemetery of Our Saviour ( no, Vår Frelsers gravlund) is a cemetery in Oslo, Norway, located north of Hammersborg in Gamle Aker district. It is located adjacent to the older Old Aker Cemetery and was created in 1808 as a result of the grea ...

in Oslo.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Odland, Sigurd Vilhelm 1857 births 1937 deaths Academic staff of the University of Oslo Academic staff of the MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society Norwegian theologians Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Order of Saint Olav Burials at the Cemetery of Our Saviour Clergy from Bergen