“Is Europe Christian? It’s a more complicated question than it sounds.”

I will make this point. The US, which is often considered a more “Christian” country than Europe, we celebrate one religious holiday. Christmas. Where time is afforded to take off from work. Some will point out Easter, but this is a Sunday, and not time taken off of work.

Than you look at a very secular country like the Netherlands (and this is true throughout most of Europe), and out of their 11 official days off, 8 of those days are religious (Good Friday, Easter, Ascension Day, Pentacost and Christmas)

It doesn’t mean that they are more religious, but I have always found that funny. It is one of the things I bring up when my European friends say that their country doesn’t mix religion with the government. The other one to get Europeans on, is when they say the US needs to get on board like Europe did and move to the metric system. All you need to ask them is, What size are the tires on your cars? or what size TV do you have? or what size is the screen on your smartphone/tablet/laptop… Gets them every time.

My PhD dissertation was on the historical development of secularism in France. It was accepted by EMS Monograph Series and should be published sometime this summer with the title: “Rise of French Laïcité: Secularism in France from the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century,” I used several of Roy’s books and appreciate his insight.

The question “Is Europe Christian?” was asked by Wessels in 1994 his book, “Europe: Was It Ever Really Christian? The Interaction Between Gospel and Culture.” He initially responded that Europe was largely Christianized by 750 AD if one uses the marks of baptism and other religious rituals. However, he questions “how deeply this Christianization had really penetrated in the so-called Christianized areas” and agrees with Dutch historian Jan Romein that “mediaeval Christianity was only a thin veneer.” French philosopher Luc Ferry adds that many associated with the Christian faith were attached to the religious form as such, but the content, the message of love, was hardly evident in the reality of human relations. French historian Jean Delumeau goes further in declaring that one cannot even speak in terms of medieval Christianity and that the Christianization of Europe in that period was unsuccessful. He questions what was really accomplished in seven or eight centuries of evangelization and notes that both Protestant Reformers and their Catholic adversaries viewed the peasantry, which constituted the vast majority of Europeans, as ignorant of Christianity, given to pagan superstitions and to vices. In French it is helpful to distinguish between Christendom (chrétienté) and Christianity (christianisme). The former refers to people and places where Christianity dominates; the latter refers to the religion founded on the teaching, the person, and the life of Jesus Christ. On one hand, Christendom dominated for centuries in European history and its institutions developed and expanded in their exercise of political control. On the other hand, Christianity was never meant to be an earthly political power. Many of the objections to the Christian faith should be seen more as reactions to Christendom rather than reactions to Christianity.

I will grab your book when it comes out! Thanks for the tip.