When the constitutional treaty for the European Union deleted references to Europe’s Christian heritage, many quite rightly protested this remarkable act of self-induced amnesia. But it was really old news. From the time of the French Revolution, “Europe” was redefined, first in France and then throughout Europe, without reference to Christianity. Rosenstock-Huessy says that for the French, Europe means “a field of action for the philosopher, the artist, the thinker, the democrat, the Republican, the soldier and last, not least, a market for the fashions of Paris.”
The European Crusade to assist the Greek revolution is one early sign of this shift. Earlier Europeans had repaid their debts to Jerusalem by crusading for the liberation of that city from Islam; nineteenth-century Europeans believed that Greece was the root of their civilization, and embarked on a crusade to repay the debt to Athens.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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