He was the son of the parish priest Hans Ludvigssøn Munthe (1560–1601) and Anne Catharina de Fine (1566–1601).
He became a teacher at Lund Cathedral School in 1616, but resigned shortly after to privately teach several of the sons of the nobleman Otto Lindenov.
As bishop, he worked intensely to develop schooling and popular education through the liturgy and religious life.
After the town fire of 1640, he rebuilt Bergen Cathedral School and expanded preaching and teaching activities.
[8] His daughter Abel Munthe (1628–1676), who was married to university professor Peder Lem (1617–1663), was the grandmother of Ludvig Holberg.