Research Paper on Trends in Christianity: Eastern Europe

Introduction

Christianity is the dominant religion in Europe. The doctrine has been practiced in the continent since the very first century. Most of the Epistles of Paul were delivered to Christians who resided in Greece and parts of the Roman Empire. As per a recent study conducted by the Pew Research center, close to 80% of Europeans identify as Christians ("Regional Distribution of Christians").

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According to the study, Catholics are the largest Christian group making up almost half of the Christians in Europe. Orthodox is the second-biggest Christian group accounting for around 30%. The Protestants make up the remaining 20%. By population, Russia boasts the highest number of Christians trailed by Germany and Italy.

Following the sanctioning of Christianity by the Roman Emperor, Constantine, in the fourth century, the continent has been an essential focus of the Christian culture. Although the religion was inherited for elsewhere, important Christian communities such as Oriental Orthodoxy and the Church of the East have since flourished outside Europe. The Christian culture has played a critical role in Western civilization, impacting various fields from science to philosophy (Dawson).

New research by the Pew Research Center, shows that Christianity is still the dominant religion globally; making up a third of the world's population, however, this doctrine in Europe is in decline ("The Changing Global Religious Landscape"). According to the Pew Research Center demographic models, Christians had the highest number of births and deaths compared to other religious groups. In 5 years (2010-2015), 224 million Christian mothers gave birth to newborns, and of those, close to 108 million passed- an increment of 116 million. However, in Europe, the number of births were outnumbered by the deaths, about 5 million in such as a small window of time ("World's Largest Religion by Population Is Still Christianity").

Approximately 25 years after the end of the Soviet period, Russia still holds significant impact all through Central and Eastern Europe. The Orthodox Christians in the region view Russia as a vital counterweight to Western influences and as a worldwide defender of Orthodox and ethnic Russian populaces ("Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe"). In most of the Orthodox-majority nations reviewed, the Christians concur that a strong and stable Russia is vital to balance the influence of the West. Additionally, they agree that Russia is obliged to protect Orthodox Christians and ethnic Russians beyond its borders.

Notwithstanding the pro-Russia notion, Orthodox Christians in the region generally concur that their countries ought to have cozy associations with the Western powers, such as the United States.The ongoing choice by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to part from its Russian partner after over three centuries of being connected reflects not just the proceeding with the military clash between the two nations as of late, yet additionally, the essential political job Orthodox Christianity plays in Eastern Europe (Higgins).

Globally, the Orthodox Christian population has doubled over the past century. The number now stands at an estimated 261 million. This partly owes to the fall of the Soviet Union which saw the number transcend 100 million in Russia alone. However, notwithstanding these increments in figures, faster growth among other Christian groups like the Protestants, Catholics and non-Christians has declined the portion of Orthodox Christians in the global Christian population.

Works Cited

Dawson, Christopher. The Crisis of Western Education. Catholic University of America Press, 2010.

Higgins, Andrew. "As Ukraine And Russia Battle Over Orthodoxy, Schism Looms". Nytimes.com, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/31/world/europe/ukraine-russia-orthodox-church-schism.html.

"Regional Distribution of Christians". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project, 2019, http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-regions/#europe.

"Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project, 2019, http://www.pewforum.org/2017/05/10/religious-belief-and-national-belonging-in-central-and-eastern-europe/.

"The Changing Global Religious Landscape". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project, 2019, http://www.pewforum.org/2017/04/05/the-changing-global-religious-landscape/.

"World's Largest Religion by Population Is Still Christianity". Pew Research Center, 2019, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/05/christians-remain-worlds-largest-religious-group-but-they-are-declining-in-europe/.