the religious situation of europe

Debs and I have just joined the leadership team of Christian Associates, a fantastic church planting movement with major focus on Europe. My role will be as missional strategist helping develop the movement ethos of the organization as well as involvement in local plants. Debs will add to the spiritual care of the missionaries as well as helping enhance CA’s mission to the fringes. We are not doing this full-time, and we are staying in the US and doing more of what we have come here to do, but it will mean a much more direct involvement in grassroots mission and church plants throughout Europe as well as the US. The practitioner in me needs to remain directly engaged, and this presents an exciting opportunity for us to help inform and shape active church planting in the strategic (and very complex) mission field that is Europe.

Europe is a very important strategic stage where the future of Western Christianity is being played out every day. The issues have become so very stark there, and the church is seriously on the back foot in every setting that I know of, except perhaps Eastern Europe. As such, it is a litmus test for Christianity in the West, including the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

Listen to Grace Davie again.

The religious situation in Europe is and will remain distinctive (if not exceptional), given the legacies of the past. It is not, however, static. Clearly things are changing, and in some places very fast. Exactly how they will evolve is not easy to say, but I will conclude by making a cautious and three-fold prediction—the first part is tentative, the second more certain, and the third increasingly evident. First—I think that vicarious religion [read nominal attachment to state churches here--AH] will endure at least until the mid-century, but maybe not for much longer. It follows that the actively religious in Europe will increasingly work on a market model [read optional religious choice here-AH] , but the fact that their choices will include the historic churches complicates the issue (the alternatives are not as mutually exclusive as they first appear). Second—I know that the presence of Islam is a crucial factor that we ignore at our peril. Not only does it offer an additional choice, but it has become a catalyst of a much more profound change in the religious landscape of Europe. Finally, the combination of all these factors will increase rather than decrease the salience of religion in public, as well as private, debate—a tendency encouraged by the ever more obvious presence of religion in the modern world order. In this respect, the world is more likely to influence the religious life of Europe than the other way round. - Grace Davie, “Is Europe Exceptional?” The Hedgehog Review (Spring & Summer 06), 34

She is right in stating that ‘religion’ as a phenomenon, will remain an issue for Europe as for the rest of the Western world. Mainly because of the sheer physical presence of church buildings but also especially because of the presence and pressure of Islam has placed in squarely on the agenda. But clearly European christianity is undergoing major shifts. she is right to note that the institutional church, shaped as it is by the Christendom imagination, is on its last legs. It can (and in some rarer cases will) be enhanced by the more vital and volunterist forms associated with Evangelicalism. But if the European Church holds to any notion that bolstering up the institution with faddish American church growth techniques will fundamentally resolve the decline of Christianity in that continent, I believe that they will be sadly mistaken. More of the same will not get fundamentally different results. Europe of all continents demands that we adopt a missional stance in relation to culture. And the context of Europe demands a lot more by way of experimentation and risk-taking done if we are ever going to reverse the decline there.

December 15, 2007 | Filed Under europe, mission |  

Comments

12 Responses to “the religious situation of europe”

  1. tony sheng on December 15th, 2007 10:04 am

    Very exciting to hear of your association with CA - I know you wrote a bit about them in TFW. I helped serve with a student team this past summer at Connect on the kids ministry team. Much of their values and ethos really resonated with me and what we are trying to do with students - risk, experimentation, and creativity. And Connect was such a great environment for our students, both to serve and to rub elbows with people that are reaching out to bless Europe.

  2. Justin Powell on December 15th, 2007 10:13 am

    We’re super stoked to have you around on a more ‘ ‘official’ status. I know you and Deb have so much that we can learn from. Welcome…

  3. Janet on December 15th, 2007 4:52 pm

    Congrats Al and Deb… what a great challenge and a great opportunity!

  4. Mike B. on December 15th, 2007 6:19 pm

    Hi Alan
    Thanks for your commitment to Europe. That’s great.
    Greetings from Switzerland
    Mike

  5. Eleanor Burne-Jones on December 15th, 2007 6:50 pm

    All sounds good. You want to start with Cornwall? (grins) Great people, amazing pasties, huge rural UK church decline.

  6. james petticrew on December 15th, 2007 7:48 pm

    alan glad you are involved with this my experience of Americans coming over here with the we’ll show them how to do it attitude has not been happy.
    Europe is not the USA and though the church here is in numerical decline I am encouraged by the many vibrant and innovative new forms of church I am encountering. I would really encourage our american friends to come and support what God is already doing here rather than thinking they are coming to save the church in Europe.

  7. Penney Winiarski on December 16th, 2007 12:07 am

    I’m sure many will be encouraged by your ministry. The things I’ve read so far just on your blog and the resources of so many have done just that for me. Congradulations!

    Tony mentioned teaching students about risk, experimentation, and creativity. Seems from your last 3 posts this is where it’s at. We always look to programs or spiritual mentoring where it is inevitable that we place someone to be in authority over us. A feeding ground for the abuse of power. The student/teacher approach is where it’s at, especially if the one teaching remains a student.

  8. kelly w on December 16th, 2007 1:38 pm

    alan and deb, I’m sure you’ve already heard this a bunch, but welcome! I know you’re not new to CA, but to repeat Justin, it’s good to have you around officially :)

    to james, i know lots of americans who have come with that know-it-all attitude, and as an american working in europe, encountering it really frustrates me. i’m sorry for the people you’ve met who have made you feel that way. i think God is doing some amazing things in europe, and in four years i think i’ve learned a whole lot more than i’ve taught!

  9. Matt Stone on December 19th, 2007 7:31 am

    You planning on giving TSK a run for his money with all this global globe trotting?

  10. alan hirsch on December 19th, 2007 1:20 pm

    Eat my dust TSK! :-)

  11. Glenn on December 21st, 2007 9:01 am

    Alan, these CA types are good folks (and you know this or you’d have not joined up with them!)and it’s a two-way blessing — you’ll be blest by them and they’ll be blest by you and Deb. the ones I’ve met are good, sincere, sharp-minded people who love Jesus and His Church! Rock their world!

  12. Makeesha on December 29th, 2007 9:35 am

    sounds cool :) we have a real interest in Europe - but not an interest in being “one of those Americans”…we’ll see how it goes for us, blessings to you and Debs!

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