Since the turn to the 21^st century, the United Nations has ranked Norway as the number one nation in the world in terms of human development. The Human Development Index (HDI) is based on wealth, life expectancy, education and other factors as human freedom, dignity and human agency, that is, the role of people in their development. Norway is also ranked as the second country in the world in giving per capita, as well as the primary country in sending the most missionaries per capita, which to me is the foremost indicator of a truly transformed nation!

How did this come to be? The evidence of God’s kingdom values in the institutions of society can be found in Norway.  It is truly a case of the transformation of a nation. Change is evident not only in the lives of its inhabitants but also in the fabric of its institutions. 

When Norway became a nation in 1814, it had been shaped most significantly by Haugianism.  It began with the life and faith of Hans Nielsen Hauge. He encountered God on April 5, 1796. 25 years old at that time, this son of a farmer became God's instrument to mold a whole nation. He came from very poor background, but he had power and boldness through his simple faith in God and from his fellowship with an increasing number of friends.  His religious earnestness and his ability to create all kinds of new businesses provided great initiatives for creating jobs across the country. His enthusiasm among the people led to a mass movement. It led to a new democratic movement among the farmers and among the people in the cities and towns.  This grassroots movement also viewed women as equals. That’s why Norway has become the foremost model of a social and spiritual transformation in nation building. 

When Hauge was born in 1771, Norway was a part of Denmark. Most of the inhabitants were Norwegian. Just two years before his birth, there were 728,000 people.  Children and youth were in the majority and the expected life span was 35-40 years old. Nine out of ten people lived in the rural districts, but more and more were moving into towns. At that time modernization was happening, and the farmers were moving to the cities; so the farmers became fewer and the farms became smaller.  Eventually the farms became so small, that it became impossible to live off the land as the sole source of income. There was widespread poverty; and to make matters worst, a conflict developed between the middle classes and the farmers. The middle classes lent money to farmers, for the latter to meet their obligations. If the harvest was bad or if the farmers had less income than expected, they went bankrupt and lost their farms to the middle class. Many farmers lost their property in this way which contributed to the crisis in the land.