Is the Christian church in Europe doomed to collapse
under the weight of globalization, Western secularism,
and a flood of Muslim immigrants? Is Europe on the brink
of becoming ''Eurabia''? Though many pundits are
predicting just such a scenario, God's Continent reveals
the flaws in these arguments and offers a much more
measured assessment of Europe's religious future. While
frankly acknowledging current tensions, Philip Jenkins
shows, for instance, that the overheated rhetoric about
a Muslim-dominated Europe is based on politically
convenient myths: that Europe is being imperiled by
floods of Muslim immigrants, exploding Muslim
birth-rates, and the demise of European Christianity. He
points out that by no means are Muslims the only new
immigrants in Europe. Christians from Africa, Asia, and
Eastern Europe are also pouring into the Western
countries, and bringing with them a vibrant and
enthusiastic faith that is helping to transform the face
of European Christianity. Jenkins agrees that both
Christianity and Islam face real difficulties in
surviving within Europe's secular culture. But instead
of fading away, both have adapted, and are adapting.Yes,
the churches are in decline, but there are also clear
indications that Christian loyalty and devotion survive,
even as institutions crumble. The third book in an
acclaimed trilogy that includes The Next Christendom and
The New Faces of Christianity, God's Continent offers a
realistic and historically grounded appraisal of the
future of Christianity in a rapidly changing
Europe. |
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