Introduction
The decline of Christianity in Europe starting from the second half of the 17th century is characterized by several factors that determined this process. These factors include examples directly related to religion and some aspects indirectly affecting the decline of the faithful population. The number of reasons for the decline in Christianity also increases when viewed from a long-term perspective. The development of humankind over the past centuries is characterized by significant progress in science, technology, and philosophical concepts, all of which profoundly affect the role of religion. Thus, the decline of Christianity in Europe is determined by several reasons of various origins and degrees of connection to religion.
Discussion
Among the most significant reasons for the decline of this religion is the development of humanistic ideas. Such ideas originated as early as the Renaissance. For a long time, they did not sufficiently influence the state of religion in Europe because of the strong position of Christianity. With more remarkable development, the ideas of humanism have contributed to the decline in the role of religion in society. The development process of new worldviews has intensified throughout history, as seen in events such as the revolutions of the 17th and 20th centuries (Daughrity 2019).
Despite their initial focus on other aspects of life, such events often directly impacted religion because they used elements of atheism or indirectly denied religious principles. However, in the 20th century, the Vatican attempted to strengthen its position and increase the role of Christianity in Europe (Chamedes 2019). In this case, the failure of the Pope and the Catholic clergy is also evidence of the continent’s fundamental transition to a secular worldview and the abandonment of the leading role of religion. The decline of Christianity in Europe is generally associated with a series of historical changes in the philosophical and political spheres.
As the world’s center of scientific development for a significant part of history, Europe has several characteristics that influence the decline of religiosity. The development pace of philosophy and science is a fundamental reason for the decline in Christianity (Daughrity 2019).
The era of the scientific revolution in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries is especially significant. This period was characterized by the rapid development of science and technology coupled with the prevalence of rationalist ideas and an emphasis on empirical knowledge. This factor is why the role of Christianity significantly decreased, as it directly contradicted the religious injunctions in terms of ideology. In addition, the further development of science led to an even more significant decline in the number of believers. The reasons for this are the increasing popularity of the secular worldview due to scientific discoveries and the growing importance of science in Europe. Thus, the abandonment of the original religious truth and the transition to a secular worldview is one of the essential factors in the decline of Christianity.
Conclusion
The decline of Christianity in Europe is a process that took place over several centuries and had several determining factors. The origins of Christianity decrease on the continent began after the end of the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, the pace of this process was not initially very considerable and has significantly accelerated over time. From 1675 to the present, Christianity status in Europe is characterized by a significant religious decline in various aspects of life. Important determinants, in this case, were the development of humanist ideas, science, and the increasing value of a secular worldview.
The population of Europe since the late 17th century has been actively changing its worldview along with the advancement of science and technology, thus becoming less oriented toward religious prescriptions. The development of ideas concerning human rights and tolerance also accelerated the decline of Christianity. Therefore, active development in various areas of life resulted in a substantial diminution of the role of Christianity in Europe after 1675.
References
Chamedes, Giuliana. 2019. A Twentieth-Century Crusade – The Vatican’s Battle to Remake Christian Europe. Harvard University Press.
Daughrity, Dyron B. 2019. The History of Christianity: Facts and Fictions. ABC-Clio.