The White Dwarf Church
Religious historian Philip Jenkins argues in Foreign Policy that the demise of European Christianity has been greatly exaggerated. While its state religions remain vacuous and its cathedrals stand as tourist spots for Americans, where European Christianity truly exists it burns hotter and stronger than ever. “Its convinced adherents represent a small but vigorous minority,” Jenkins says, “. . . more passionate, enthusiastic, and rigorously committed to personal holiness. To use a scientific analogy, when a star collapses, it becomes a white dwarf — smaller in size than it once was, but burning much more intensely. Across Europe, white-dwarf faith communities are growing within the remnants of the old mass church.” This White Dwarf Church may prevent the “Islamization” of Europe that many critics are worried about.
Committed secularists should not miss the Habermas quote at the end either.
Good post. Here’s a couple related posts from ITA’s archives.
Redux: Europe Without God? by S. Zirckle
God in Europe by moi
Christianity’s changing face also by moi
I personally observed stronger evidence of faith than I expected during my honeymoon trip to Europe. Many of the local guides who took us through cathedrals seemed to have a deeper respect for those places than as mere museums. Then again, we were visiting mostly smaller cities in Austria and southern Germany–not the more cosmopolitan areas of Western Europe.
I think that Jenkins’ analysis is strong. Neuhaus offers a reticent, but very appreciative, endorsement of Jenkins’ thoughts in the May 2007 issue of FT.
An exchange student from Strasbourg University in my lab at Purdue has an intense faith in Christianity. So here is a French woman pursuing an advanced degree in the hard sciences - and she is a devout Christian. Interestingly, she is an evangelical, not a Catholic. She may be the exception that proves the rule, but she is serious about her faith and she claims that many of her friends at home are strong Christians, too.