Day 17This is a featured page

European Christianity

Southern Europe:
  • Greece: first European country that was evangelized. Paul's journey to Greece is recounted in Acts. Greece under Ottoman/Muslim rule for centuries.
    • 95% of the population belong to the Greek Orthodox Church
    • Only 2% of the population, however, attend church regularly.
    • Greek Orthodox Churches in the U.S. and Australia are growing, but the Church is Greece is not growing.
    • There are about 15,000 Evangelical churches in Greece.
    • The Pentecostal churches are growing.
  • Macedonia (Republic of)
    • Received independence in 1991.
    • There is an Eastern Orthodox presence.
    • Population is about 2/3 Orthodox and 1/3 Muslim
    • The Macedonian Orthodox churches are mostly empty.
    • There are significant numbers of Roma or "Gypsy" people in Macedonia.
    • Most of the growth in this part of the world is among the "Gypsy" people.
    Albania
    • Early Christian community AD 57.
    • Became a communist country and outlawed all religion in the 40s.
    • Today the country is religiously diverse: mostly Muslim (40%), Catholic (25%) and Orthodox.
    • Islamic money funding Islamic missionary work
  • Montenegro
    • Official faith is Orthodox Christianity.
    • There is also a strong Muslim presence.
    • There are not many Evangelical churches
  • Serbia
    • Became a country in 7th century; an empire in 14th century
    • There are a few hundred Evangelicals in Serbia.
    • Evangelicals have worked to bring reconciliation between Serbian Orthodox, Croation Catholics, and Bosnian Muslims.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Became "Christianized" under Roman Empire. Eventually, became part of the Ottoman Empire, and later, Yugoslavia.
    • There is a small Evangelical community in Bosnia, working toward reconciliation.
    • Eastern Orthodox
    Croatia:
    - 800 years part of Hungary and then part of Yugoslavia
    - Most Catholic, few Muslim, few Orthodox
    -Here in Europe is the dividing line between Orthodox and Catholic
  • Slovenia
    - Had been part of Yugoslavia
    - Experienced part of the reformation
    -Strong Catholic presence; few Muslims or Evangelicals
  • Italy
    - Early Christian presence
    - Over time Rome starts seeing itself as the head patriarch
    - When the country falls and you still have a strong church it can keep things going (Italy as a prime example)
    - 10% practicing Catholics vs. 97% nominal Catholics
    - 1% Pentecostals/evangelicals
    - 1984 State said that Catholicism is no longer the state church
    - Strong Catholic charismatic movement
    -The Occult movement is strong in Italy
  • Spain (first Christianized through Roman Empire)
    - Muslims conquered for awhile (500-600 years)
    - Catholic and Muslim
    - For about 300 years one of the most powerful countries in the world (significant in shaping world Christianity)
    - Spain was part of dictatorship until 1974 and then became a democracy
    - Evangelical churches started
    - Shortage of priests (a trend in Europe)
    - 1 out of 3 are part of the gypsy movement
    -20% church attendance; 3% Muslim
  • Portugal
    - Global explorer
    - North is much more Catholic
    - 20% in North are attending church
    - 6 – 7% atheists/agnostics
    - 50 – 60 thousand protestants
    • The Inquisition prevented the entrance of the Reformation into Portugal
    • Up to 90% participate in some way or another in the occult
  • Western Europe:

    France
    - Key part of Catholicism
    • King converted in 496 (in Europe often the conversion of the sovereign led to the forced conversion of the people)
    • Charlemagne (8th/9th century): insisted on the baptism of conquered peoples
  • - Times when the Pope was located in France
    - Wars between Catholic expressions in Italy and in France
    - 40% reformed and kicked out of the country
    • French Protestants persecuted severely
  • - Enlightenment questioned all traditional understandings
    • Culturally 80% Catholic; 1/3 atheist, 1/3 agnostic, 1/3 believe in G-d
    • 6-8% church attendance (France one of the most secular countries in Europe)
    • Evangelicalism seems Anglo-Saxon to people in France
    • Renewal movement: small groups, yet allowing people to remain in their (catholic) traditions
In Europe, Christianity was combined with aspects of pagan religions (easter, xmas traditions)

  • Switzerland
    • Christianized as part of the Roman empire 4th century
    • Heart of Reformation (with Calvin, Zwingli)
    • 1/2 Catholic; 1/2 Protestant.
      • Protestants in cities
      • Catholics in smaller towns
    • 1/2 believe in G-d; 1/2 believe in life force (not as much atheism as other European countries)

  • Germany
    • Martin Luther and the start of the Protestant Reformation
      • The authority of the Church and the Church's theology were challenged.
      • The role of the Church in relation to the State and culture, however, remained largely unchanged.
    • There are 28 million Protestants in Germany, but only 1 million attend church regularly.
    • There are 3 million Muslims, and nearly all are active.
    • Church attendance in West Germany is much higher than in East Germany (15% vs. 5%).
    • Women are more active than the men.
    • There have been 1000 charismatic churches started in Germany in the last 15 years.
    • Half of Germans say they believe in God, 1/4 say they believe in a life force, 1/4 are atheists.
Immigration in Europe: European states, which are largely socialist, require immigration from other countries because their own populations are declining in numbers.

  • Belgium
    • Was part of the Netherlands for a long time.
    • Became a country in 1830
    • Spanish Inquisition destroyed early Reformed presence.
    • 50% of the population say they believe in God, 25% believe in a life-force, 25% are atheist.
    • 5-6% attend church every week.
    • No one wants to go into the priesthood (only 40% of the churches have a pastor; 64 average age of priest).
    • Brussels is 6% Pentecostal (Congolese population part of this)
  • The Netherlands
    • Strong Reformed presence.
    • Dutch Reformed Church became very strong.
    • 60% of the population was Protestant in 1900.
    • Now, it has dropped to 20%, increase in Atheists
    • 10% of the population is Muslim.
    • The Catholic Church is decreasing, but not as fast as Protestant Churches.
    • The only growing churches are in immigrant communities.
  • Ireland
    • Came to faith early through St. Patrick, who came in 432 C.E (returned to Ireland from Britain; he had been a slave in Ireland)
    • Engaged in very indigenous form of mission - Christianized within a generation
    • Ireland is under the United Kingdom for hundreds of years.
    • Received Independence in 1920.
    • There is still a strong Catholic presence in Ireland today. (southern more Catholic; northern Protestant)
    • Ireland is now part of the EU and has started to integrate more with the rest of Europe.
    • Church attendance has gone down with the exception of Pentecostal churches (in which it has gone up).
    • Band members of U2 were part of a charismatic church in Ireland; were told to choose between church and rock 'n' roll
    • Ireland is becoming more of an economic force
  • United Kingdom
    • Was a Catholic country
    • King Henry VIII started the Anglican Church (based on the Anglican priest's willingness to have him divorce his wife) among other things
    • Scotland became Reformed.
    • Puritans (many left for Americas) were a product of the Protestant Reformation
    • There were a series of revivals led by leaders such as John Wesley, who as a result started the Methodist Church.
    • The Church began to decline in the 1960s in England. The Church of England is still a state church.
    • The Church of England is doing incredibly creative mission initiatives in an attempt to be more relevant and reverse the trend. Theologians are rethinking liturgy to connect with more people.
    • Radical Orthodoxy - wants to maintain traditional liturgy



dhaub
dhaub 		Latest page update: made by dhaub , Dec 6 2008, 3:40 PM EST (about this update About This Update dhaub Edited by dhaub

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