Part of the series: Christianity: The Europe’s Lost Identity
Thirty Years That Changed Everything
Imagine a world so vibrant, brimming with the promise of its own creations, where the waltz of culture—art deco, impressionism, romanticism, expressionism—dances through the streets of cities ablaze with lights. This was Europe at the turn of the 20th century, a beacon of progress and power, where confidence in technology and machinery wasn’t just high; it was the very air people breathed. It was as though every new invention, every brushstroke was a display at an international exposition, showcasing the pinnacle of human achievement.
Yet, beneath this dazzling exterior, a profound shift was underway. Through the 18th and fully into the 19th century, Europe gradually untethered itself from the anchorage of faith. The allure of power and the glitter of wealth whispered promises of new dawns, reflected in the era’s art, philosophy, and literature. Vanity became the new deity of a society that once sought solace and meaning in the divine. Blasphemy escalated to such degrees that Europeans began inventing new gods and exploring alternative spiritualities, evidenced by the emergence of the Kardecist movement and the spirituality advocated by Blavatsky. These pursuits, while offering novel avenues for spiritual exploration, underscored the growing departure from traditional Christian doctrines. This quest for new forms of spiritual meaning was both a symptom and a catalyst of the broader cultural shift away from the divine and towards the self-made deities of progress and material success.
Even in the military field it looked like there’s no one who could stop or match Europe. The Ottoman Empire was squeezed at both ends by Austrians and Russians; Africa and Asia were carved up like a Christmas feast among famished imperial powers; and the Americas stood on the precipice of their own destinies, no longer mere extensions of European will but entities with their own burgeoning identities.
Amidst this tumult of expansion and conquest, Europe’s wealth soared to unprecedented heights. On the eve of the 20th century, the combined GDP of its major players—United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, and Austria-Hungary—touched approximately $951 billion. Factor in the vast economic output of their colonies, and this figure ballooned to roughly $1,301 billion. In stark contrast, the United States, still in the shadow of its European forebears, mustered a GDP of about $340 billion. Yet, this disparity was not to last.
The devastation wrought by World War I saw Europe’s economic might wane, its GDP dwindling to around $765 billion by 1920, while the United States began to close the gap, its economy swelling to $575 billion. The interwar years were a time of rebuilding and introspection for Europe, but the seeds of change had already been sown. The continent that had once commanded the world’s stage was grappling with the consequences of its own hubris.
World War II delivered the coup de grâce to European dominance. In the war’s aftermath, around 1950, the GDP of the United States had edged past that of the major European economies and their colonies combined, standing at approximately $1,500 billion to Europe’s $1,420 billion (United Kingdom with its remaining colonies, France including contributions from remaining colonies, West Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union). This marked not just a shift in economic power but the dawn of a new era. The United States, once a cluster of colonies clinging to the edge of the Atlantic, had ascended to the zenith of global influence, its cultural and economic practices poised to reshape the Old World in its image.
The Marshall Plan, emblematic of America’s post-war largesse, was as much a lifeline to a beleaguered Europe as it was a declaration of the new world order. Europe, in its recovery, found itself increasingly looking across the Atlantic—not as a competitor but as a model, a benefactor, a beacon. The cultural invasion that followed was as inexorable as it was complete, with jazz, jeans, Coca-Cola, and Hollywood capturing the imagination of a continent emerging from the shadow of devastation.
As European empires crumbled, decolonization accelerated, further eroding the remnants of Old-World dominance. The Cold War era underscored this transformation, with Europe caught between the ideological titans of the United States and the Soviet Union, its fate no longer in its own hands but subject to the whims of superpower rivalry.
In less than a lifetime, the world witnessed a reversal of fortunes of almost biblical proportions. Europe, the proud progenitor of the modern world, had become a disciple of the American dream. This tale of reversal is not just a chronicle of economic and political shifts; it is a story of cultural metamorphosis, where the Old World, in seeking to rediscover itself in the aftermath of two cataclysmic wars, turned to the New World for inspiration, guidance, and hope.
Metropolis That Became a Colony
In the grand tapestry of history, the relationship between a metropolis and its colonies often reads like a drama of expansion, conflict, and eventual independence. Yet, instances where the colony eclipses the metropolis, transforming the cultural and economic dynamics between them, are remarkably rare. The 19th-century shift of Portugal’s royal court to Rio de Janeiro is a poignant example, symbolizing a literal and figurative move of the empire’s heart from Lisbon to the shores of Brazil. This event, however, pales in comparison to the seismic cultural and economic realignment between Europe and the United States following World War II, which reshaped the global landscape in ways that continue to reverberate today.
In the aftermath of the war, Europe, once the crucible of modern civilization, arts, and sciences, found itself looking increasingly to the United States, not just for economic aid but also for cultural cues. This was not merely an adoption of foreign customs but a profound transformation of European identity. The continent that had prided itself on its rich cultural heritage, the birthplace of the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment, gradually succumbed to the allure of Americanization. Fast food chains like McDonald’s and Pizza Hut became ubiquitous symbols of this change, while Hollywood movies dominated theaters, eclipsing local productions and tastes.
This shift was not sudden but the culmination of a process that began in the 19th century when Europe, basking in the zenith of its power and wealth, began to distance itself from its spiritual roots. Religion, once the cornerstone of European identity and moral order, was gradually sidelined as wealth and vanity took precedence. The pursuit of material success became the new religion, with Europeans bowing to the altars of commerce and industry. The artistic and scientific achievements that had defined Europe for centuries were overshadowed by a growing obsession with progress and prosperity.
However, this transformation came at a cost. The two World Wars, which ravaged the continent and diminished its global standing, exposed the fragility of basing one’s identity on wealth and influence. The post-war period, therefore, saw Europe in a state of existential crisis, searching for a new sense of self amidst the ruins of its past grandeur. The adoption of American cultural elements was part of this search, a desperate grasp for stability and relevance in a world where Europe’s traditional markers of identity had been eroded.
This cultural shift reflects a deeper malaise, a warning that when societies anchor their identities in transient things like wealth and influence rather than enduring values and authentic cultural expressions, they risk losing themselves. Europe’s embrace of American culture, while providing a veneer of modernity and prosperity, also signaled a loss of the continent’s unique cultural identity. The fast food chains and Hollywood blockbusters that dot the European landscape today are not merely indicators of economic change but symbols of a continent struggling to reconcile its illustrious past with its uncertain present.
The Luciferian Bargain: Colonialism’s Ironic Legacy in Europe
In a historical twist that might be described as strikingly Luciferian, the very engine of Europe’s ascendancy—colonialism—morphed into the harbinger of its decline. This narrative is not just about the physical conquest and exploitation of lands and peoples; it’s a tale of spiritual and moral erosion, a cautionary account of what happens when the pursuit of power and wealth supersedes the search for deeper values and meaning.
Throughout the 17th to 19th centuries, Europe was in the grip of an intoxicating belief in its own invincibility. Colonial empires stretched across the globe, bringing untold riches and affirming the continent’s dominance. Yet, this outward success masked a corrosive hubris. The exploitation of native populations, the ruthless extraction of resources, and the relentless drive for expansion were all justified under the banners of progress and civilization. But this was a progress divorced from moral considerations, a civilization that had lost touch with the ethical foundations that had once anchored it.
In their headlong rush for dominion over the earth, the powers of Europe gradually distanced themselves from the spiritual and moral principles that had underpinned their cultures for centuries. The Enlightenment, with its emphasis on reason and human autonomy, further propelled this shift, leading many to believe that humanity could thrive on intellect and invention alone, without need for divine guidance or moral absolutes. This was Europe’s Luciferian moment: the belief that it could ascend to godlike mastery of the world without consequence, that it could reject the constraints of moral law without paying a price.
Yet, the price was paid. Two World Wars, which can be seen as the culmination of European hubris, left the continent shattered, both physically and spiritually. The empires crumbled, and the once-mighty nations found themselves dependent on aid from across the Atlantic, from a former colony that had risen to surpass its masters. Europe, drunk on its own egotism, had fallen lower than it ever had before, now lost and seeking redemption from the ruins of its grandeur.
The True Source of Greatness
This ironic downfall underscores a profound truth: Europe’s greatness was never truly rooted in its colonial exploits or its accumulation of wealth. The true source of Europe’s vitality and resilience lay much earlier, in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It was the Gothic cathedrals reaching heavenward, the epic struggle of the Reconquista, the vibrant democracies and trade networks of Venice, Genova, and Dubrovnik, the German Hanseatic League and indeed, the Renaissance of Florence—this was the zenith of human achievement in art, religion, humanities, and literature, paralleled only by the classical period of Athens. These epochs stand as the twin pillars of Western civilization, moments of unparalleled creativity and insight that defined the contours of European identity far more than any colonial empire ever could.
Europe’s trajectory to prominence was intricately woven with the threads of Christian faith, not just as a spiritual guide but as a foundational stone for its cultural, economic, and national identity. This legacy, which predated the Enlightenment, laid the groundwork for a civilization that surpassed even the might of the Roman Empire in its pursuit of a more equitable and humane society.
By the 11th century, Europe had already begun to outstrip the economic achievements of the Roman Empire, transitioning from an economy based on slave labor to one underpinned by the principles of free labor and innovation. The German Hanseatic League exemplified this transformation. Dominating trade across the North Sea and the Baltic, the Hanseatic League was a powerful alliance of merchant guilds and market towns that facilitated the flow of goods, ideas, and culture across Europe, bolstering the continent’s economy and weaving the nations of the North more tightly together.
In England and France, the development of a national sense was deeply intertwined with Christian faith. England’s narrative was marked by milestones such as the Magna Carta, which, while a political document, was underscored by Christian principles of justice and the moral responsibility of rulers. France, through the Capetian dynasty, saw the consolidation of its territories under a banner of faith that unified diverse regions into a cohesive nation. These developments were not merely political maneuvers but were inspired by a Christian ethos that valued the dignity of the individual and the collective welfare of society.
Yet, as Europe transitioned into the 19th and 20th centuries, the rich tapestry of its Christian heritage began to be overlooked, overshadowed by a fascination with its pre-Christian, pagan past. The Romantic movement, with its idealized visions of Celtic druids and noble Germanic warriors, sought inspiration in a romantically reconstructed era that never truly was. This nostalgic yearning for a mythical past represented a departure from the Christian foundations that had fostered Europe’s greatest achievements in art, science, governance, and economy.
The pivotal role of Christianity in shaping Europe’s identity was eclipsed by a new philosophy that looked to ancient pagan traditions rather than the medieval Christian era that had cultivated the continent’s most profound innovations and societal advancements. The medieval period, far from being a dark age, was a time of significant progress and enlightenment, fueled by Christian principles that championed human dignity, the pursuit of knowledge, and the common good.
Europe’s economy, once flourishing under the Christian-influenced Hanseatic League and the emergent national identities of England and France, was a testament to the continent’s ability to innovate and evolve beyond the constraints of ancient empires. The social fabric of Europe, enriched by Christian morals and ethics, provided a foundation for the development of concepts such as individual rights, the rule of law, and social welfare—concepts that would guide the continent toward its Renaissance and beyond.
The Renaissance, blossoming from the vibrant heart of Florence, signified an era of profound humanist thought and artistic revival that heralded a new dawn across Europe. This renaissance was built upon the rich developments of what has been mistakenly referred to as the “Middle Ages,” a term that does an injustice to the period’s significant economic, cultural, and technological progress. In fact, labeling the Middle Ages as an era of darkness is as reductive and misleading as calling the era of the Roman Republic “dark” in comparison to the Roman Empire. Both the Middle Ages and the Roman Republic were times of foundational growth and innovation that paved the way for the eras that followed, each marked by their own unique advancements and contributions to civilization.
During the Renaissance, Europe witnessed a remarkable flourishing of arts and sciences. Figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo, Dante, and Petrarch, among others, pushed the boundaries of human creativity and intellect, igniting a cultural explosion that reshaped human experience. This period was not merely an artistic revolution but a comprehensive reawakening of the human spirit, deeply rooted in the intellectual and spiritual groundwork laid by the Middle Ages.
Just as the Roman Republic laid the groundwork for the Roman Empire with its significant legal, political, and cultural achievements, the Middle Ages set the stage for the Renaissance. The so-called “dark” ages saw Europe economically surpass the Roman Empire, and it was during this time that Europe laid the foundations for modern science, education, and even democratic ideals that the Renaissance and subsequent periods would build upon.
The architectural marvels of Gothic cathedrals, the scholastic pursuit of knowledge within medieval universities, and the philosophical inquiries of thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas are testament to the Middle Ages’ vibrant intellectual life. Similarly, the Roman Republic’s contributions to governance, law, and civil society provided a model that would endure well beyond its transformation into an empire.
In embracing the Renaissance’s legacy, it is essential to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of the Middle Ages, recognizing that this period, far from being an era of stagnation, was a crucial epoch of growth, exploration, and preparation. The true greatness of Europe’s cultural heritage is a continuum that spans from the philosophical innovations of the Roman Republic, through the transformative developments of the Middle Ages, and into the luminous creativity of the Renaissance. Each period, with its distinct achievements, contributed to the rich tapestry of Western civilization, underscoring the importance of viewing history not as a series of isolated chapters but as an interconnected narrative of human endeavor and progress.
A Path Forward: Rekindling Europe’s Spiritual Heritage
Europe stands at a pivotal moment in its rich and complex history, facing a future that seems uncertain yet is ripe with potential for profound renewal. The continent’s journey toward recovery and revitalization is not solely an economic or political endeavor; it is fundamentally a quest for spiritual and moral reawakening. Europe must now courageously embrace a return to the Christian faith, stepping away from the Enlightenment’s legacy and the subsequent ideologies it spurred, such as Materialism, Communism, Positivism, and Consumerism. These philosophies, while they have promised progress, have inadvertently steered Europe away from the foundational values that once nurtured its spirit and defined its character.
The Catholic Church, with its deep roots in promoting humility, the pursuit of true knowledge, and a steadfast commitment to the common good, emerges as a beacon of hope in these tumultuous times. It stands as the singular institution capable of navigating Europe through its multifaceted crises toward a future marked by peace of mind and stability. This call to faith is not a mere adherence to religious observance but a profound invitation to reengage with a worldview that prioritizes the transcendent and the eternal over the ephemeral allure of material gain.
To regain its equilibrium and direction, Europe must delve into the deep wells of its Christian heritage, fostering a culture that elevates these eternal values above the transient. In doing so, the continent has the opportunity not only to rebuild the physical remnants of its once-mighty empires but to restore the very moral and spiritual fabric of its society. This path back to faith is not a nostalgic retreat into the past but a bold stride toward a future where Europe, guided by the enduring principles of Christianity, can rediscover its purpose and affirm its identity.
By reembracing its Christian legacy, Europe can surmount the constraints imposed by modern ideologies, finding in the Catholic Church a guiding light and a collaborator in the monumental task of reconstruction. This approach does not merely offer a solution to current challenges but envisions a revitalized Europe, one that pulses with cultural vitality and coherence, true to its heritage, and receptive to the possibilities of a transcendent horizon. The narrative of Europe’s ascent, descent, and potential rebirth stands as a powerful testament to the enduring capacity of faith to inspire renewal and transformation, underscoring the notion that the essence of a society is rooted in its spiritual vitality and moral compass, timeless and ever pertinent amidst the flux of ages.
In acknowledging this, Europe can boldly declare itself as a constellation of Christian nations, not as a gesture of exclusivity or intolerance, but as an affirmation of its historical and spiritual identity. This assertion does not preclude a respectful and harmonious existence with other faiths and beliefs. On the contrary, it underscores a commitment to a foundational principle: “Love what’s yours and respect what’s others’.” This principle fosters a society where a strong sense of self coexists with openness and respect for diversity. By establishing a clear Christian foundation while advocating tolerance for other confessions, Europe can avoid the pitfalls of multiculturalism—a policy that has often led the host to lose a sense of self—and instead cultivate a vibrant, inclusive community where diverse traditions enrich the shared cultural tapestry.