Religion in Europe

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Importance of Religion in Europe (results of a 2008/2009 Gallup poll) Importance of Religion in Europe.svg
Importance of Religion in Europe (results of a 2008/2009 Gallup poll)
Predominance of Christianity in countries across Europe (2010) Christianity in Europe-2010.svg
Predominance of Christianity in countries across Europe (2010)

Religion has been a major influence on the societies, cultures, traditions, philosophies, artistic expressions and laws within present-day Europe. The largest religion in Europe is Christianity. [1] However, irreligion and practical secularisation are also prominent in some countries. [2] [3] In Southeastern Europe, three countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania) have Muslim majorities, with Christianity being the second-largest religion in those countries. Ancient European religions included veneration for deities such as Zeus. Modern revival movements of these religions include Heathenism, Rodnovery, Romuva, Druidry, Wicca, and others. Smaller religions include Indian religions, Judaism, and some East Asian religions, which are found in their largest groups in Britain, France, and Kalmykia.

Contents

Little is known about the prehistoric religion of Neolithic Europe. Bronze and Iron Age religion in Europe as elsewhere was predominantly polytheistic (Ancient Greek religion, Ancient Roman religion, Basque mythology, Finnish paganism, Celtic polytheism, Germanic paganism, etc.).

The Roman Empire officially adopted Christianity in AD 380. During the Early Middle Ages, most of Europe underwent Christianization, a process essentially complete with the Christianization of Scandinavia in the High Middle Ages. The notion of "Europe" and the "Western World" has been intimately connected with the concept of "Christendom", and many even consider Christianity as the unifying belief that created a European identity, [4] especially since Christianity in the Middle East was marginalized by the rise of Islam from the 8th century. This confrontation led to the Crusades, which ultimately failed militarily, but were an important step in the emergence of a European identity based on religion. Despite this, traditions of folk religion continued at all times, largely independent from institutional religion or dogmatic theology.

The Great Schism of the 11th century and Reformation of the 16th century tore apart Christendom into hostile factions, and following the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century, atheism and agnosticism have spread across Europe. Nineteenth-century Orientalism contributed to a certain popularity of Hinduism and Buddhism, and the 20th century brought increasing syncretism, New Age, and various new religious movements divorcing spirituality from inherited traditions for many Europeans. Recent times have seen increased secularisation and religious pluralism. [5]

Religiosity

Data: https://www.kaggle.com/umichigan/world-religions European countries by religion.png
Data: https://www.kaggle.com/umichigan/world-religions

Some European countries have experienced a decline in church membership and church attendance. [6] [7] A relevant example of this trend is Sweden where the Church of Sweden, previously the state-church until 2000, claimed to have 82.9% of the Swedish population as its flock in 2000. Surveys showed this had dropped to 72.9% by 2008 [8] and to 56.4% by 2019. [9] Moreover, in the 2005 Eurobarometer survey 23% [10] of the Swedish population said that they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force and in the 2010 Eurobarometer survey 34% [2] said the same.

Gallup survey 2008–2009

During 2008–2009, a Gallup survey asked in several countries the question "Is religion important in your daily life?" The table and map below shows percentage of people who answered "Yes" to the question. [11] [12]

Results of a 2008/2009 Gallup survey on whether respondents said that religion was "important in [their] daily life."
.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}
0%-9%
10%-19% (Estonia, Sweden, Denmark)
20%-29% (Norway, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Finland)
30%-39% (France, Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Russia, Belarus, Luxembourg, Hungary, Albania, Latvia)
40%-49% (Germany, Switzerland, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain)
50%-59% (Azerbaijan, Serbia, Ireland, Austria)
60%-69%
70%-79% (Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Cyprus, North Macedonia)
80%-89% (Turkey, Romania, Malta, Armenia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
90%-100% (Kosovo, Georgia)
No data Importance of Religion in Europe.svg
Results of a 2008/2009 Gallup survey on whether respondents said that religion was "important in [their] daily life."
  
0%–9%
  
10%–19% (Estonia, Sweden, Denmark)
  
20%–29% (Norway, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Finland)
  
30%–39% (France, Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Russia, Belarus, Luxembourg, Hungary, Albania, Latvia)
  
40%–49% (Germany, Switzerland, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain)
  
50%–59% (Azerbaijan, Serbia, Ireland, Austria)
  
60%–69%
  
70%–79% (Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Cyprus, North Macedonia)
  
80%–89% (Turkey, Romania, Malta, Armenia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  
90%–100% (Kosovo, Georgia)
  
No data
Importance of Religion in Europe by Gallup Poll (2008–2009) [11] [12]
CountryPercentage
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
16%
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
17%
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
19%
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
21%
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
21%
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
27%
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
28%
Flag of France.svg  France
30%
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
33%
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
33%
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
34%
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
34%
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus
34%
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
39%
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
39%
Flag of Albania.svg  Albania
39%
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia
39%
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
40%
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
41%
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
42%
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan
43%
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
46%
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
47%
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
47%
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
49%
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan
50%
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia
54%
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
54%
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
55%
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
70%
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro
71%
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
71%
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
72%
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
72%
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
75%
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus
75%
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
76%
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina
80%
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
82%
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta
86%
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
88%
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia
89%
Flag of Kosovo.svg  Kosovo
90%
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
90%

During 2007–2008, a Gallup poll asked in several countries the question "Does religion occupy an important place in your life?" The table on right shows percentage of people who answered "No". [13]

Lack of Importance of Religion in Europe by Gallup poll (2007–2008)
CountryPercentage
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
84%
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
83%
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
80%
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
78%
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan
74%
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
74%
Flag of France.svg  France
73%
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
71%
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
69%
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
66%
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus
65%
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
63%
Flag of Albania.svg  Albania
63%
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
62%
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia
62%
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
61%
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
59%
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
59%
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
59%
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
57%
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
56%
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
54%
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
52%
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
51%
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
42%
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
42%
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
31%
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia
31%
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
30%
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
30%
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
27%
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro
27%
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
26%
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus
24%
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
23%
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina
19%
Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia
19%
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta
18%
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
11%
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia
10%
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
9%
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
9%

Eurobarometer survey 2010

Largest (non-)religious group by EU member state according to Eurobarometer survey 2010.
More than 75% Catholic
50-75% Catholic
Relative Catholic majority
50-75% Protestant
More than 75% Orthodox
50-75% non-religious
Relative non-religious majority
More than 75% Muslim Largest (non-)religious group by EU member state (and 5 other countries) - Eurobarometer 2010.svg
Largest (non-)religious group by EU member state according to Eurobarometer survey 2010.
  More than 75% Catholic
  50–75% Catholic
  Relative Catholic majority
  50–75% Protestant
  More than 75% Orthodox
  50–75% non-religious
  Relative non-religious majority
  More than 75% Muslim

The 2010 Eurobarometer survey [2] found that, on average, 51% of the citizens of the EU member states state that they "believe there is a God", 26% "believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" while 20% "don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force". 3% declined to answer. According to a recent study (Dogan, Mattei, Religious Beliefs in Europe: Factors of Accelerated Decline), 47% of French people declared themselves as agnostics in 2003. This situation is often called "Post-Christian Europe". A decrease in religiousness and church attendance in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden has been noted, despite a concurrent increase in some countries like Greece (2% in 1 year). The Eurobarometer survey must be taken with caution, however, as there are discrepancies between it and national census results. For example, in the United Kingdom, the 2001 census revealed over 70% of the population regarded themselves as "Christian" with only 15% professing to have "no religion", though the wording of the question has been criticized as "leading" by the British Humanist Association. [15] Romania, one of the most religious countries in Europe, witnessed a threefold increase in the number of atheists between 2002 and 2011, as revealed by the most recent national census. [16]

Eurobarometer survey 2005 chart results Eurobarometer poll.png
Eurobarometer survey 2005 chart results

The following is a list of European countries ranked by religiosity, based on the rate of belief, according to the Eurobarometer survey 2010. [2] The 2010 Eurobarometer survey asked whether the person "believes there is a God", "believes there is some sort of spirit or life force", or "doesn't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force".

Eurobarometer survey 2010 [2]
Country"I believe
there is a God"
"I believe there is some
sort of spirit or life force"
"I don't believe there is any sort
of spirit, God or life force"
Flag of Malta.svg Malta 94%4%2%
Flag of Romania.svg Romania 93%6%1%
Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus 88%8%3%
Flag of Poland.svg Poland 79%14%5%
Flag of Greece.svg Greece 79%16%4%
Flag of Italy.svg Italy 74%20%6%
Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 70%20%7%
Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal 70%15%12%
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia 63%23%13%
Flag of Spain.svg Spain 59%20%19%
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania 47%37%12%
Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg 46%22%24%
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 45%34%20%
Flag of Austria.svg Austria 44%38%12%
Flag of Germany.svg Germany 44%25%27%
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 38%48%11%
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 37%33%25%
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 37%31%27%
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 36%43%15%
Flag of Finland.svg Finland 33%42%22%
Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia 32%36%26%
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 28%47%24%
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 28%39%30%
Flag of France.svg France 27%27%40%
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 18%50%29%
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 18%45%34%
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 16%44%37%
Flag of Europe.svg EU27 51% 26%20%
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey (EUCU, not EU)94%1%1%
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia (joined EU in 2013)69%22%7%
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland (EFTA, not EU)44%39%11%
Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland (EFTA, not EU)31%49%18%
Flag of Norway.svg Norway (EFTA, not EU)22%44%29%

The decrease in theism is illustrated in the 1981 and 1999 according to the World Values Survey, [17] both for traditionally strongly theist countries (Spain: 86.8%:81.1%; Ireland 94.8%:93.7%) and for traditionally secular countries (Sweden: 51.9%:46.6%; France 61.8%:56.1%; Netherlands 65.3%:58.0%). Some countries nevertheless show increase of theism over the period, Italy 84.1%:87.8%, Denmark 57.8%:62.1%. For a comprehensive study on Europe, see Mattei Dogan's "Religious Beliefs in Europe: Factors of Accelerated Decline" in Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion.

Eurobarometer survey 2019

Self described religion in the European Union (2019) [18]

   Roman Catholic (41%)
   Protestantism (9%)
  Other Christians (4%)
  Non believer/Agnostic (17%)
   Atheism (10%)
   Islam (2%)
  Other religion (4%)
  Refusal/Don't know (3%)
Largest (non-)religious group by EU member state according to Eurobarometer survey 2019.
More than 75% Catholic
50-75% Catholic
Relative Catholic majority
50-75% Protestant
More than 75% Orthodox
50-75% non-religious
Relative non-religious majority
30% Catholic, 30% non-religious (Germany) Largest (non-)religious group by EU member state - Eurobarometer 2019.svg
Largest (non-)religious group by EU member state according to Eurobarometer survey 2019.
  More than 75% Catholic
  50–75% Catholic
  Relative Catholic majority
  50–75% Protestant
  More than 75% Orthodox
  50–75% non-religious
  Relative non-religious majority
  30% Catholic, 30% non-religious (Germany)

According to the 2019 Eurobarometer survey about Religiosity in the European Union Christianity is the largest religion in the European Union accounting 64% of the EU population, [18] down from 72% in 2012. [20] Catholics are the largest Christian group in EU, accounting for 41% of EU population, while Eastern Orthodox make up 10%, and Protestants make up 9%, and other Christians account for 4% of the EU population. Non believer/Agnostic account 17%, Atheist 10%, and Muslim 2% of the EU population. 3% refuse to answer or didn't know. [18]

Eurobarometer survey 2019 [18]
Country"Atheist""Non believer/Agnostic""Atheist + Non believer/Agnostic"
Flag of Romania.svg Romania 2%2%4%
Flag of Malta.svg Malta 2%2%4%
Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus 3%4%7%
Flag of Poland.svg Poland 5%4%9%
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania 3%6%9%
Flag of Greece.svg Greece 7%4%11%
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia 6%5%11%
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia 6%5%11%
Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal 4%8%12%
Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 7%7%14%
Flag of Italy.svg Italy 5%9%14%
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 8%7%15%
Flag of Austria.svg Austria 4%12%16%
Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia 14%4%18%
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 6%13%19%
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 3%17%20%
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 9%13%22%
Flag of Finland.svg Finland 10%14%24%
Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg 10%16%26%
Flag of Germany.svg Germany 9%21%30%
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 10%21%31%
Flag of Spain.svg Spain 12%20%32%
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 19%20%39%
Flag of France.svg France 21%19%40%
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 21%27%48%
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 16%34%50%
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 11%41%52%
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 22%34%56%
Flag of Europe.svg EU28 10% 17%27%

Maps

Pew Research Poll

According to the 2012 Global Religious Landscape survey by the Pew Research Center, 75.2% of the Europe residents are Christians, 18.2% are irreligious, atheist or agnostic, 5.9% are Muslims and 0.2% are Jews, 0.2% are Hindus, 0.2% are Buddhist, and 0.1% adhere to other religions. [21] According to the 2015 Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe survey by the Pew Research Center, 57.9% of the Central and Eastern Europeans identified as Orthodox Christians, [22] and according to a 2018 study by the Pew Research Center, 71.0% of Western Europeans identified as Christians, 24.0% identified as religiously unaffiliated and 5% identified as adhere to other religions. [23] According to the same study a large majority (83%) of those who were raised as Christians in Western Europe still identify as such, and the remainder mostly self-identify as religiously unaffiliated. [23]

Pew Research Poll

Pew Research Poll 2015 [22]
CountryAffiliated Orthodox,
Catholic or Muslim
(poll 1)
Unaffiliated
(poll 1)
Other/DK/ref
(poll 1)*
"Believe in God,
absolutely certain"
(poll 2)**
"Believe in God,
fairly certain"
(poll 2)**
"Believe in God,
not too/at all certain"
(poll 2)**
"Do not believe in God"
(Poll 2)**
Atheist
(poll 3)***
Agnostic
(poll 3)***
Nothing in particular
(poll 3)***
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 97219421211
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 99<1193221<1
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina 96319032321
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova 95238943311
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 91186428241
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 9441731635211
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 9073721455421
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 924469167631
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 8875453558214
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 78617343471124
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 887532456934
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 91543040717212
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 5421252834715318
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus 86311264711921
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 5721222626730516
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 81154253810154110
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 22726131336625146
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 26452913247459135

(*) 13% of respondents in Hungary identify as Presbyterian. In Estonia and Latvia, 20% and 19%, respectively, identify as Lutherans. And in Lithuania, 14% say they are "just a Christian" and do not specify a particular denomination. They are included in the "other" category.
(**) Identified as "don't know/refused" from the "other/idk/ref" column are excluded from this statistic.
(***) Figures may not add to subtotals due to rounding.

Pew research poll in 2017 ** [24]
CountryA holy book (e.g. Bible) is written
by men, not the word of God
A holy book is the word of God
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
9%
88%
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia
9%
87%
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
10%
87%
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina
14%
81%
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
18%
76%
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
21%
63%
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
24%
61%
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia
28%
59%
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
28%
58%
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
29%
58%
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
30%
58%
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus
27%
57%
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
41%
43%
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
43%
42%
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
41%
41%
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia
38%
40%
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
58%
26%
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
65%
21%

(**) Identified with answers "don't know/refused" are not shown.

Abrahamic religions

Bahá'í Faith

Baha'i House of Worship, Langenhain, Germany Bahai how frankfurt.jpg
Bahá'í House of Worship, Langenhain, Germany

The first newspaper reference to the religious movement began with coverage of the Báb, whom Bahá'ís consider the forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith, which occurred in The Times on 1 November 1845, only a little over a year after the Báb first started his mission. [25] British, Russian, and other diplomats, businessmen, scholars, and world travelers also took note of the precursor Bábí religion [26] most notably in 1865 by Frenchman Arthur de Gobineau who wrote the first and most influential account. In April 1890 Edward G. Browne of Cambridge University met Bahá'u'lláh, the prophet-founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and left the only detailed description by a Westerner. [27]

Starting in the 1890s Europeans began to convert to the religion. In 1910 Bahá'u'lláh's son and appointed successor, 'Abdu'l-Bahá embarked on a three-year journey to including Europe and North America [28] and then wrote a series of letters that were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan which included mention of the need to spread the religion in Europe following the war. [29]

A 1925 list of "leading local Bahá'í Centres" of Europe listed organized communities of many countries – the largest being in Germany. [30] However the religion was soon banned in a couple of countries: in 1937 Heinrich Himmler disbanded the Bahá'í Faith's institutions in Germany because of its 'international and pacifist tendencies' [31] and in Russia in 1938 "monstrous accusations" against Bahá'ís and a Soviet government policy of oppression of religion resulted in Bahá'í communities in 38 cities across Soviet territories ceasing to exist. [32] However the religion recovered in both countries. The religion has generally spread such that in recent years the Association of Religion Data Archives estimated the Bahá'ís in European countries to number in hundreds to tens of thousands. [33]

Christianity

Christianity in Europe by percentage (2010). Christianity in Europe-2010.svg
Christianity in Europe by percentage (2010).
View of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the largest European Roman Catholic Church Roma-via concilazione01.jpg
View of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the largest European Roman Catholic Church
Cathedral of Saint Sava in Serbia is the largest Orthodox church in the world St. Sava Temple.jpg
Cathedral of Saint Sava in Serbia is the largest Orthodox church in the world
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia is one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals Alexander Nevsky Cathedral 18.jpg
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia is one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals
The St John's Church, Bergen is a Lutheran church in Norway BergenChurch.jpg
The St John's Church, Bergen is a Lutheran church in Norway
Calvinist Temple Saint-Etienne (Protestant St. Stephen's Church) in France St Stephen's Church Mulhouse FRA 001.JPG
Calvinist Temple Saint-Étienne (Protestant St. Stephen's Church) in France

The majority of Europeans describe themselves as Christians, divided into a large number of denominations. [1] Christian denominations are usually classed in three categories: Catholicism (consider only two groups, the Roman-Latin Catholic and the Eastern Greek and Armenian Catholics), Orthodoxy (consider only two groups, the Eastern Byzantine Orthodox and the Armenian Apostolic which is within the Oriental Orthodox Church) and Protestantism (a diverse group including Lutheranism, Calvinism and Anglicanism as well as numerous minor denominations, including Baptists, Methodism, Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, etc.).

Christianity, more specifically the Catholic Church, which played an important part in the shaping of Western civilization since at least the 4th century. [35] [36] Historically, Europe has been the center and "cradle of Christian civilization". [37] [38] [39] [40]

European culture, throughout most of its recent history, has been heavily influenced by Christian belief and has been nearly equivalent to Christian culture. [41] The Christian culture was one of the more dominant forces to influence Western civilization, concerning the course of philosophy, art, music, science, social structure and architecture. [41] [42] The civilizing influence of Christianity includes social welfare, [43] founding hospitals, [44] economics (as the Protestant work ethic), [45] [46] politics, [47] architecture, [48] literature [49] and family life. [50]

Christianity is still the largest religion in Europe. [51] According to a survey about Religiosity in the European Union in 2019 by Eurobarometer, Christianity was the largest religion in the European Union accounting 64% of EU population, [18] down from 72% in 2012. [20] Catholics were the largest Christian group in EU, and accounted for 41% of the EU population, while Eastern Orthodox made up 10%, Protestants made up 9%, and other Christians 4%. [18] According to a 2010 study by the Pew Research Center, 76.2% of the European population identified themselves as Christians, [52] constitute in absolute terms the world's largest Christian population. [53]

According to Scholars, in 2017, Europe's population was 77.8% Christian (up from 74.9% 1970), [54] [55] these changes were largely result of the collapse of Communism and switching to Christianity in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries. [54]

Christian denominations

There are numerous minor Protestant movements, including various Evangelical congregations.

Islam

Birmingham Central Mosque, the first mosque in the United Kingdom to use loudspeakers to broadcast the adhan. Birmingham Central Mosque.jpg
Birmingham Central Mosque, the first mosque in the United Kingdom to use loudspeakers to broadcast the adhan.

Islam came to parts of European islands and coasts on the Mediterranean Sea during the 8th-century Muslim conquests. In the Iberian Peninsula and parts of southern France, various Muslim states existed before the Reconquista; Islam spread in southern Italy briefly through the Emirate of Sicily and Emirate of Bari. During the Ottoman expansion, Islam was spread from into the Balkans and even part of Central Europe. Muslims have also been historically present in Ukraine (Crimea and vicinity, with the Crimean Tatars), as well as modern-day Russia, beginning with Volga Bulgaria in the 10th century and the conversion of the Golden Horde to Islam. In recent years,[ when? ] Muslims have migrated to Europe as residents and temporary workers.

According to the Pew Forum, the total number of Muslims in Europe in 2010 was about 44 million (6%). [58] While the total number of Muslims in the European Union in 2007 was about 16 million (3.2%). [59] Data from the 2000s for the rates of growth of Islam in Europe showed that the growing number of Muslims was due primarily to immigration and higher birth rates. [60]

Muslims make up 99% of the population in Turkey, [61] Northern Cyprus, [62] [63] 96% in Kosovo, [64] 56% in Albania, [65] [66] 51% in Bosnia and Herzegovina, [67] 32.17% in North Macedonia, [68] [69] 20% in Montenegro, [70] between 10 and 15% in Russia, [71] 7–9% in France, [72] [73] [74] 8% in Bulgaria, [75] 6% in the Netherlands, 5% in Denmark, United Kingdom and Germany, [76] [77] [78] just over 4% in Switzerland and Austria, and between 3 and 4% in Greece.

A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2016 found that Muslims make up 4.9% of all of Europe's population. [79] According to a same study conversion does not add significantly to the growth of the Muslim population in Europe, with roughly 160,000 more people leaving Islam than converting into Islam between 2010 and 2016. [79]

Judaism

The Jubilee Synagogue in Prague, Czech Republic Prague - Jerusalemer Synagoge.jpg
The Jubilee Synagogue in Prague, Czech Republic

The Jews were dispersed within the Roman Empire from the 2nd century. [80] At one time Judaism was practiced widely throughout the European continent; throughout the Middle Ages, Jews were accused of ritual murder and faced pogroms and legal discrimination. The Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany decimated the Jewish population, and today, France is home to the largest Jewish community in Europe with 1% of the total population (between 483,000 and 500,000 Jews). [81] [82] Other European countries with notable Jewish populations include the United Kingdom (291,000 Jews), [82] Germany (119,000), and Russia (194,000) which is home to Eastern Europe's largest Jewish community. [82] The Jewish population of Europe in 2010 was estimated to be approximately 1.4 million (0.2% of European population) or 10% of the world's Jewish population. [83]

Deism

During the Enlightenment, Deism became influential especially in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Biblical concepts were challenged by concepts such as a heliocentric universe and other scientific challenges to the Bible. [84] Notable early deists include Voltaire, Kant, and Mendeleev. [85]

Irreligion

The trend towards secularism during the 20th and 21st centuries has a number of reasons, depending on the individual country:

The trend towards secularism has been less pronounced in the traditionally Catholic countries of Mediterranean Europe. Greece as the only traditionally Eastern Orthodox country in Europe which has not been part of the communist Eastern Bloc also retains a very high religiosity, with in excess of 95% of Greeks adhering to the Greek Orthodox Church.

According to a Pew Research Center Survey in 2012 the religiously unaffiliated (atheists and agnostics) make up about 18.2% of the European population in 2010. [93] According to the same survey the religiously unaffiliated make up the majority of the population in only two European countries: Czech Republic (76%) and Estonia (60%). [3] A newer study (released in 2015) found that in the Netherlands there is also an irreligious majority of 68%. [94]

Atheism and agnosticism

During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, atheism and agnosticism have increased, with falling church attendance and membership in various European countries. [95] The 2010 Eurobarometer survey found that on total average, of the EU28 population, 51% "believe there is a God", 26% "believe there is some sort of spirit or life force", and 20% "don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force". [2] Across the EU, belief was higher among women, increased with age, those with a strict upbringing, those with the lowest level of formal education and those leaning towards right-wing politics. [90] :10–11 Results were varied widely between different countries. [2]

According to a survey measuring religious identification in the European Union in 2019 by Eurobarometer, 10% of EU citizens identify themselves as atheists. [18] As of May 2019, the top seven European countries with the most people who viewed themselves as atheists were Czech Republic (22%), France (21%), Sweden (16%), Estonia (15%), Slovenia (14%), Spain (12%) and Netherlands (11%). [18] 17% of EU citizens called themselves non-believers or agnostics and this percentage was the highest in Netherlands (41%), Czech Republic (34%), Sweden (34%), United Kingdom (28%), Estonia (23%), Germany (21%) and Spain (20%). [18]

Modern Paganism

Esetrother community of the Islenska Asatruarfelagid (Icelandic Esetroth Fellowship) preparing for a Thingblot at Thingvellir. Thingblot 2009.jpg
Esetrother community of the Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið (Icelandic Esetroth Fellowship) preparing for a Þingblót at Þingvellir.
An Odinist-rite wedding in Spain, in 2010, at the Temple of Gaut in Albacete. Odinist wedding at the community's Temple of Gaut in Albacete.jpg
An Odinist-rite wedding in Spain, in 2010, at the Temple of Gaut in Albacete.

Germanic

Heathenism or Esetroth (Icelandic: Ásatrú), and the organised form Odinism, are names for the modern folk religion of the Germanic nations.

In the United Kingdom Census 2001, 300 people registered as Heathen in England and Wales. [96] However, many Heathens followed the advice of the Pagan Federation (PF) and simply described themselves as "Pagan", while other Heathens did not specify their religious beliefs. [96] In the 2011 census, 1,958 people self-identified as Heathen in England and Wales. A further 251 described themselves as Reconstructionist and may include some people reconstructing Germanic paganism. [97]

Ásatrúarfélagið (Esetroth Fellowship) was recognized as an official religion by the Icelandic government in 1973. For its first 20 years it was led by farmer and poet Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson. By 2003, it had 777 members, [98] and by 2014, it had 2,382 members, corresponding to 0.8% of Iceland's population. [99] In Iceland, Germanic religion has an impact larger than the number of its adherents. [100]

In Sweden, the Swedish Forn Sed Assembly (Forn Sed, or the archaic Forn Siðr, means "Old Custom") was formed in 1994 and is since 2007 recognized as a religious organization by the Swedish government. In Denmark Forn Siðr was formed in 1999, and was officially recognized in 2003 [101] The Norwegian Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost (Esetroth Fellowship Bifrost) was formed in 1996; as of 2011, the fellowship has some 300 members. Foreningen Forn Sed was formed in 1999, and has been recognized by the Norwegian government as a religious organization. In Spain there is the Odinist Community of Spain – Ásatrú.

Roman

The Roman polytheism also known as Religio Romana (Roman religion) in Latin or the Roman Way to the Gods (in Italian 'Via romana agli Déi') is alive in small communities and loosely related organizations, mainly in Italy.

Druidry

The religious development of Druidry was largely influenced by Iolo Morganwg. [102] Modern practises aim to imitate the practises of the Celtic peoples of the Iron Age. [103]

Official religions

A number of countries in Europe have official religions, including Greece (Orthodox), [104] Liechtenstein, [105] Malta, [106] Monaco, [107] the Vatican City (Catholic); [108] Armenia (Apostolic Orthodoxy); Denmark, [109] Iceland [110] [111] and the United Kingdom (England alone) (Anglican). [112] In Switzerland, some cantons are officially Catholic, others Reformed Protestant. Some Swiss villages even have their religion as well as the village name written on the signs at their entrances.

Georgia, while technically has no official church per se, has special constitutional agreement with Georgian Orthodox Church, which enjoys de facto privileged status. Much the same applies in Germany with the Evangelical Church and the Roman Catholic Church, and the Jewish community. In Finland, both the Finnish Orthodox Church and the Lutheran Church are official. England, a part of the United Kingdom, has Anglicanism as its official religion. Scotland, another part of the UK, has Presbyterianism as its national church, but it is no longer "official". In Sweden, the national church used to be Lutheranism, but it is no longer "official" since 2000. Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Serbia, Romania, Russia, Spain and Turkey are officially secular.

Indian religions

Buddhism

Buddhism is thinly spread throughout Europe, and the fastest growing religion in recent years [113] [114] with about 3 million adherents. [115] [116] In Kalmykia, Tibetan Buddhism is prevalent. [117]

Hinduism

Mandir in Gibraltar. Gibraltar Hindu Temple.jpg
Mandir in Gibraltar.

Hinduism is mainly practised among Indian immigrants. It has been growing rapidly in recent years, notably in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Italy. [118] In 2010, there were an estimated 1.4 million Hindu adherents in Europe. [119]

Jainism

Jain temple in Antwerp, Belgium Wilrijk Jain-tempel4.JPG
Jain temple in Antwerp, Belgium

Jainism, small membership rolls, mainly among Indian immigrants in Belgium and the United Kingdom, as well as several converts from western and northern Europe. [120] [121]

Sikhism

Sikhism has nearly 700,000 adherents in Europe. Most of the community live in United Kingdom (450,000) and Italy (100,000). [122] [123] Around 10,000 Sikhs live in Belgium and France. [124] Netherlands and Germany have a Sikh population of 22,000. [125] [126] All other countries, such as Greece, have 5,000 or fewer Sikhs.

Other religions

Other religions represented in Europe include:

See also

Related Research Articles

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