Trump's emergence exacerbates Europe's existing ailments, revealing a more grave condition.
In the midst of ongoing geopolitical turmoil, European evangelical and broader Christian leaders are shifting their focus towards compassion and humanitarian aid, particularly for the Palestinians. This change is evident in public condemnations of perceived human rights violations by national churches, such as Norway's Lutheran bishops, who are urging peaceful solutions[1].
Amidst widespread anxiety about war, political unrest, and other crises, evangelical mission organisations like the Church Mission Society (CMS) in Oxford have initiated movements like the “Not Giving Up Day 2025.” This initiative encourages Christians across Europe and worldwide to unite in “defiant hope and faithful perseverance,” rooted in Jesus’ teachings, as a form of active resistance to despair during turbulent times[2].
European evangelical organisations collaborate through networks like EU-CORD, which unites 26 Christian NGOs working on sustainable development and emergency response globally and within Europe. Through these networks, evangelical groups engage in advocacy with European institutions, urging bold humanitarian leadership, support for fragile communities, and effective responses to crises. They also emphasise the positive role of faith in social transformation and peace-building efforts[3].
Efforts are underway to foster better relationships between evangelical churches and European political leaders to ensure church input in policymaking and societal issues. In countries like Denmark and Austria, church networks have successfully engaged parliamentarians by facilitating visits and demonstrating the church’s positive social contributions, leading to improved influence and dialogue with national leaders[4].
While the connection to Donald Trump's second presidency is not explicitly linked in the results, it can be inferred that the heightened political polarization and global uncertainties associated with recent years have reinforced the evangelical focus on hope, unity, humanitarianism, and ethical political engagement in Europe.
Leonardo De Chirico, an evangelical pastor in Rome and author, wrote about Europe's current state in January 2025, likening it to a battered and broken-down vintage car. He emphasised that Europe's illness was not caused by Trump's arrival, but has made the existing disease more evident[5]. The clash between substractionists (laicists and secularists) and traditionalists (Catholics and Orthodox) over the interpretation and assimilation of European values, including Protestantism, has led to Europe's bewilderment and the current stalemate[6].
The procrastination of fundamental choices is taking a toll, leaving Europe with an unfinished and stalled project as a legacy[7]. Europe is currently characterized as a jumbled mess with an unclear future, with three symptoms around the bedside of a sick Europe including the approach to European values by subtraction or tradition, the lack of a unified institutional architecture, and the absence of a clear political identity[8]. The European institutional form has been developed in a piecemeal and confused manner, without an overall vision[9].
The European malaise has been a topic of discussion among various groups, including Roman popes, sociologists, opinion leaders, and prominent economists[10]. The development of Europe has resulted in the growth of European bureaucracy without resolving the knot of Europe's political identity[11]. Europe has an enormous bureaucracy (parliament, commission, council, courts, etc.), but lacks adequate leadership capable of looking to the future and pointing the way forward[12].
References: [1] https://www.evangelicalfocus.com/news/norway-s-lutheran-bishops-condemn-israels-military-brutality-in-gaza [2] https://www.churchmissionsociety.org/not-giving-up-day-2025 [3] https://www.eu-cord.org/ [4] https://www.evangelicalfocus.com/news/church-networks-engage-european-parliamentarians [5] https://www.locicommunes.it/2025/01/01/europa-in-crisi-un-vecchio-auto-rottante/ [6] https://www.evangelicalfocus.com/news/european-evangelicals-must-testify-to-europe-about-europe [7] https://www.locicommunes.it/2025/01/01/europa-in-crisi-un-vecchio-auto-rottante/ [8] https://www.locicommunes.it/2025/01/01/europa-in-crisi-un-vecchio-auto-rottante/ [9] https://www.locicommunes.it/2025/01/01/europa-in-crisi-un-vecchio-auto-rottante/ [10] https://www.locicommunes.it/2025/01/01/europa-in-crisi-un-vecchio-auto-rottante/ [11] https://www.locicommunes.it/2025/01/01/europa-in-crisi-un-vecchio-auto-rottante/ [12] https://www.locicommunes.it/2025/01/01/europa-in-crisi-un-vecchio-auto-rottante/
- In the face of war-and-conflicts, political unrest, and policy-and-legislation shaping Europe, evangelical leaders are emphasizing compassionate responses and humanitarian aid, particularly for Palestinians, and are advocating for a positive role of faith in peace-building efforts.
- Amidst widespread geopolitical turmoil and polarization, European evangelical organizations are engaging in diplomacy with political leaders to ensure church input in policymaking, fostering discussions on peace, humanitarianism, and ethical political engagement.
