Is the Christian church in Europe doomed to collapse under the weight of globalization, Western secularism, and a flood of Muslim immigrants? Is Europe on the brink of becoming "Eurabia"? Though many pundits are predicting just such a scenario, God's Continent reveals the flaws in these arguments and offers a much more measured assessment of Europe's religious future. While frankly acknowledging current tensions, Philip Jenkins shows, for instance, that the overheated rhetoric about a Muslim-dominated Europe is based on politically convenient myths: that Europe is being imperiled by floods of Muslim immigrants, exploding Muslim birth-rates, and the demise of European Christianity. He points out that by no means are Muslims the only new immigrants in Europe. Christians from Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe are also pouring into the Western countries, and bringing with them a vibrant and enthusiastic faith that is helping to transform the face of European Christianity. Jenkins agrees that both Christianity and Islam face real difficulties in surviving within Europe's secular culture. But instead of fading away, both have adapted, and are adapting. Yes, the churches are in decline, but there are also clear indications that Christian loyalty and devotion survive, even as institutions crumble. The third book in an acclaimed trilogy that includes The Next Christendom and The New Faces of Christianity, God's Continent offers a realistic and historically grounded appraisal of the future of Christianity in a rapidly changing Europe.

About the Author
Philip Jenkins is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities, Penn State University. He lives in University Park, PA.

Reviews
"A gem, abounding in sparkling points, telling anecdotes, observations and statistics." --Philosophy Now "Philip Jenkins is an excellent guide as we think about Christianity, Islam, and secularism in 21st-century Eruope and in the world more generally." --Books & Culture "God's Continent is a seminal exploration of religious Europe by a prolific and insightful author. Present assessments and future claims about Europe will be markedly deficient without an awareness of Jenkins' contribution." --Evangelical Missions Quarterly "Philip Jenkins gives a realistic and historically well grounded evaluation of the future of Christianity in secular and globalizing Europe. . . Seldom have I read a book with such an intellectual pleasure and lively interest as Jenkins' God's Continent. Written in a clear style and supported by solid arguments it helps to understand the processes happening in Europe and the European world we live in."--Anthropos ". . . A rich and stimulating read that helps draw a useful and constructive map of a terrain that is extremely important and deeply contested."--International Journal of Public Theology "...widely praised for its breadth and depth of research, independent perspectives on controversial issues , and coherence of argument."--Frederick Mathewson Denny



Book Information
ISBN 9780195384628
Author Philip Jenkins
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions(mm) 155mm * 234mm * 23mm