About the Book
Europe has a tremendously important role in the history of Christianity and was the continent with the most Christians from roughly the year 900 to 1980. However, Europe is now home to only 22 percent of all Christians in the world, down from 68 percent in 1900. The major trend of European religion in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries has been secularization--disestablishment and decreased influence of state churches, lower importance of religion in the public sphere, the decline of religious beliefs and practices, and individual religious switching from Christianity to atheism and agnosticism. One hundred years ago, it was true that the typical Christian in the world was a white European. Given current trends, however, Europe is clearly no longer the geographic nor demographic center of world Christianity. Yet, that does not mean Europe has no role in the future. It is still the home of major Christian communions, such as Catholics (Rome), Anglicans (Canterbury), Russian Orthodox (Moscow), and Lutherans (Geneva). European mission agencies are active throughout the world providing theological education and social welfare programs, combatting climate change, and advocating for gender equality.
About the Author :
Alec Ryrie is professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Durham. His most recent books are Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt (2019) and (ed.) Christianity: A Historical Atlas (2020).
Mark A. Lamport has for nearly forty years been a professor at graduate theological schools in the United States and Europe. He is author or editor of twenty books and works from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Fort Myers, Florida.
Review :
"For many centuries Europe was the citadel of the Christian faith, resisting attempts to dislodge it and taking steps to extend it more broadly. Here is a set of chapters that outline, thematically as well as chronologically, the main features of its historical experience. They reveal both why the continent's Christian strength survived so long and why it has been sapped in the recent past."
--David Bebbington, professor emeritus of history, University of Stirling
"Looking for a current and accessible book on the story of Christianity in Europe? Search no longer! This lucid and engaging picture of European Christianity from the early church to the present day offers an excellent resource for scholars, students, and general readers. Congratulations to Alec Ryrie and his team of contributors for this outstanding volume."
--Karin Maag, director, Meeter Center for Calvin Studies
"A superb historical overview of European Christianity. The contributors have done a masterful job in their short chapters of summarizing the subject assigned to each; the net effect is an incisive treatment of the complex history of the Christian church in Europe."
--David Trim, professor of church history, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
"This excellent collection by leading scholars redefines the way historians tell the story of European Christianity by integrating it into a global framework. While remaining attentive to classical themes and periodization, the chapters draw out the European Church's reciprocal relations with faith communities across the world established by mission, empire, and trade. Entangling Web is a most welcome addition to scholarship on the history of Christianity."
--David Maxwell, professor of ecclesiastical history, Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge
"Christianity did not begin in Europe, and today its most vibrant forms may be found on other continents. And yet, from the rise of the papacy to the upheaval of the Reformation, it is in Europe that much of Christian history and development has played out. This excellent collection explores that story without Eurocentrism or knee-jerk revisionism. It will help readers understand the events and forces that have shaped both contemporary Europe and world Christianity."
--James Walters, professor in practice, London School of Economics and Political Science
"This collection of essays illustrates clearly and succinctly how Europe became a 'Christian' continent, while demonstrating the enormous divergences within this progression, its expansion into other parts of the world, and European Christianity's current decline. An essential read for understanding this essential part of the history of world Christianity."
--Allan H. Anderson, professor emeritus of mission and Pentecostal studies, University of Birmingham, UK
"Boldly conceived and argued, these essays not only overturn the tables of the familiar history but offer a vision for the story of Christianity in its proper global context. Innovative and provocative history writing at its best."
--Bruce Gordon, professor of ecclesiastical history, Yale Divinity School
"Entangling Web is a magisterial refutation of the notion that the growth of Christianity in the Global South is a corrective to the historically 'European' character of Christianity. Instead, the volume skillfully shows that the story of Christianity in Europe is complex and endlessly diverse. Masterfully outlining how multiple players constructed the idea of Europe as a Christian entity, the volume shows us that historic centers of Christian faith--Rome, Canterbury, Geneva--continue to be relevant today as in the past."
--Joel Cabrita, associate professor of history, Stanford University
"For better or worse, European Christianity has played a significant role in the resurgence of the phenomenon of world Christianity since the late twentieth century. This book impressively captures the major features of European Christianity that are pertinent to the study of the transmission of the Christian faith within the diverse context of Europe. It is a welcome contribution to the discourse on world Christianity."
--Victor I. Ezigbo, professor of theology and world Christianity, Bethel University
"The historical narratives in the book expose the hypocrisy of disowning the role of Christianity in the formation of European culture and identity. Simultaneously, it skillfully avoids projecting an imagined homogenous European Christian identity as the normative standard for the many Christianities worldwide, especially of the Global South. This highly thought-provoking work arrives at a critical juncture as Europe transits from secularism to nihilism. A refreshing approach makes it a compelling read."
--Felix Wilfred, professor emeritus of philosophy and religious thought, State University of Madras
"With accessible language and appealing narratives, Ryrie and Lamport bring together a collection of essays with a fresh interpretation of European Christianity. Entangling Web is a pedagogical resource to help the student of Christian history re-imagine European Christianity as a world religion rather than the normative standard for other expressions of Christianity."
--Carlos F. Cardoza, professor of world Christianity, Baylor University
