Editing Christianization (section)

=== Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland) ===
{{Main|Christianization of Scandinavia}}
[[File:34 of 'The History of Norway. (With maps.)' (11184806384).jpg|thumb|34 of 'The History of Norway. (With maps.)' (11184806384)|alt=maps of the three Scandinavian countries before 1000]]
Christianization of Scandinavia is divided into two stages by Professor of medieval archaeology [[Alexandra Sanmark]].{{sfn|Sanmark|2004|pp=14, 15}} Stage 1 involves missionaries who arrived in pagan territory in the 800s, on their own, without secular support.{{sfn|Sanmark|2004|pp=15, 21}} Historian [[Florence Harmer]] writes "Between A.D. 960 and 1008 three Scandinavian kings were converted to Christianity".{{sfn|Harmer|1946|p=122}} The Danish King [[Harald Bluetooth|Harald Gormsen (Bluetooth)]] was baptized c. 960. The conversion of Norway was begun by [[Haakon the Good|Hákon Aðalsteinsfostri]] between 935 and 961, but the wide-scale conversion of this kingdom was undertaken by King [[Olaf Tryggvason]] in c. 995. In Sweden, King [[Olof Skötkonung|Olof Erikson Skötkonung]] accepted Christianity around 1000.{{sfn|Sanmark|2004|p=22}}

According to Peter Brown, Scandinavians adopted Christianity of their own accord c.1000.{{sfn|Brown|2012|p=473}} [[Anders Winroth]] explains that Iceland became the model for the institutional conversion of the rest of Scandinavia after AD 1000.{{sfn|Murphy|2014|p=542}} Winroth demonstrates that Scandinavians were not passive recipients of the new religion, but converted to Christianity because it was in their political, economic, and cultural interests to do so.{{sfn|Winroth|2012|p=abstract}}

Stage 2 began when a secular ruler took charge of Christianization in their territory, and ended when a defined and organized ecclesiastical network was established.{{sfn|Sanmark|2004|p=14}} By 1350, Scandinavia was an integral part of Western Christendom.{{sfn|Brink|2004|p=xvi}}