Christianity in Europe

Christianity is the largest religion in Europe. Christianity has been practiced in Europe since the 1st century, and a number of the Pauline Epistles were addressed to Christians living in Greece, as well as Rome. According to a survey by Pew Research Center 75% of Europeans considered themselves Christians, Catholics were at the time of the survey the largest Christian group in Europe, accounting for more than 48% of European Christians. The second-largest Christian group in Europe was the Orthodox, who made up 32% of European Christians. Although the Protestant Reformation began in Europe, only about 19% of European Christians were part of the Protestant tradition. Russia is the largest Christian country in the Europe by population, followed by Germany and Italy.

For at least a millennium and a half, Europe has been nearly equivalent to Christian culture, even though the religion was inherited from West Asia. The Christian culture was the predominant force in western civilization, guiding the course of philosophy, art, and science.

Europe has a rich Christian culture, especially as numerous saints, martyrs and popes were European themselves. All of the popes from 741 to 2013 were from Europe. Europe brought together many of the Christian holy sites and heritage and religious centers.

History

Early history

Historians believe that St. Paul probably wrote his first epistle to the Christians of Thessaloniki around 52 AD. His Epistle to the Galatians was perhaps written even earlier, between 48 and 50 AD. Other epistles written by Paul were directed to Christians living in Greece (1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philemon, Philippians, 2 Thessalonians) and Rome (Romans) between 50-70s AD.

The Record or Saint Dorotheus Bishop of Tyre is that the Church at Tyre sent Saint Aristobulus (of the seventy) to Britain as bishop in AD37. The Church seems to have been begun by him around the Bristol Channel area and 150 years later we have names of bishops recorded. By AD550 there are recorded 120 bishops spread throughout the British Isles.

Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as its state religion in 301AD. The Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Kodungaloor; the first Christian church in India, built 52 A. D. The oldest state-built Church in the world, Etchmiadzin Cathedral, was built between AD 301-303. It is the Seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Roman Empire officially adopted Christianity in AD 380. During the Early Middle Ages, most of Europe underwent Christianisation, a process essentially complete with the Christianisation of Scandinavia in the High Middle Ages. The emergence of the notion of "Europe" or "Western World" is intimately connected with the idea of "Christendom", especially since Christianity in the Middle East was marginalized by the rise of Islam from the 7th century, a constellation that led to the Crusades, which although unsuccessful militarily were an important step in the emergence of a religious identity of Europe. At all times, traditions of folk religion existed largely independent from official denomination or dogmatic theology.

From the Middle Ages onwards, as the centralized Roman power waned in southern and central Europe, the dominance of the Catholic Church was the only consistent force in Europe.

Movements in art and philosophy, such as the Humanist movement of the Renaissance and the Scholastic movement of the High Middle Ages, were motivated by a drive to connect Catholicism with Greek thought imported by Christian pilgrims.

Eastâ€"West Schism and Protestant Reformation

The Eastâ€"West Schism of the 11th century and the Protestant Reformation of the 16th tore "Christendom" into hostile factions. Following the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century, atheism and agnosticism became widespread in Western Europe. 19th century Orientalism contributed to a certain popularity of Buddhism, and the 20th century brought increasing syncretism, New Age and various new religious movements divorcing spirituality from inherited traditions for many Europeans. The latest history brought increased secularisation, and religious pluralism.

Denominations

Roman Catholicism: European countries or areas with significant Catholic populations are Andorra, Austria, west Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, France, south Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latgale region in Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, central and south Switzerland, west Ukraine and Vatican City. There are also large Catholic minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina [13-17%] (Herzegovina, Central, Western and Northern Bosnia), Albania [10-15%], the United Kingdom (especially in Northern Ireland [40%] and Scotland [18%]), and most European countries such as the Netherlands [25%], In Czech Republic Catholics are [10%] of the population and in Serbia and Romania Catholics constitute over 5% of the overall population..
- Eastern-Rite Catholicism also known as "Eastern Catholic Churches", is found mostly in western Ukraine and southern Italy. It also exists in very small numbers in Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, France (Corsica).
Orthodox Christianity: The only country in Europe with significant Oriental Orthodox population is Armenia. The countries with significant Eastern Orthodox populations are Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan (European sector). There are a large minority in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and small minority in easternmost Hungary, Southern Italy, sizable minorities in Albania, Latvia and Lithuania, small minority in Armenia, Poland, Finland (Karelia).
Protestantism: Predominant in Northern Europe Countries. Significant Protestant populations include Denmark, Estonia, Finland, northern part of Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden; east, north and west Switzerland; and the United Kingdom. There are significant Protestant minorities in France, the northwestern Piedmont region of Italy, Slovakia, the southern part of Germany, eastern part of Hungary, and smaller minorities in the eastern part of Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Serbia and Romania.
- Reformed Churches: Calvinism is predominant in North and West Switzerland and there are minorities in Germany, Hungary . Presbyterianism is dominant in Scotland with a large minority in Northern Ireland, with smaller numbers in England and Wales, Ireland and Malta. Methodism is an important minority denomination in both Great Britain and Ireland.
- Lutheranism In Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Northern and Western Germany and the Netherlands with minorities throughout Europe particularly in Southern Germany, Hungary and Alsace and Lorraine (France) with smaller number in Austria, Poland, Romania (German and Hungarian speaking), Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom.
- Anglicanism In the United Kingdom (England and Wales) with a large minority in Northern Ireland with smaller numbers in the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Scotland, Spain and Portugal, with communities throughout Europe particularly in large cities and other regions where British ex-pat communities live, see Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe.

Christianity in Europe

Minggu, 22 Maret 2015