TEHRAN (IBNA) -- A book on the subject of Christianity ‘Is Europe Christian?’ (2020) by noted ‎French political scientist Olivier Roy described as an important contribution to a very ‎difficult discussion has been rendered into Persian and published. ‎
This work has been translated into Persian by Saman Ebrahimzadeh who has already translated a number of other books by this author. Bezangah Publishing has released
in 168 pages and 200 copies.
“As Europe wrangles over questions of national identity, nativism and immigration, Olivier Roy interrogates the place of Christianity, the foundation of Western identity. Do secularism and Islam really pose threats to the continent’s ‘Christian values’? What will be the fate of Christianity in Europe?
Rather than repeating the familiar narrative of decline, Roy challenges the significance of secularized Western nations’ reduction of Christianity to a purely cultural force- relegated to issues such as abortion, euthanasia and equal marriage.
He illustrates that, globally, quite the opposite has occurred: Christianity is now universalized, and detached from national identity. Not only has it taken hold in the Global South, generally in a more socially conservative form than in the West, but it has also ‘returned’ to Europe, following immigration from former colonies.
Despite attempts within Europe to nationalize or even racialize it, Christianity’s future is global, non-European and immigrant-as the continent’s Churches well know. This short but bracing book confirms Roy’s reputation as one of the most acute observers of our times. It represents a persuasive and novel vision of religion’s place in national life today.”
Olivier Roy is Professor at the European University Institute in Florence. He has published articles and is the author of several highly acclaimed books on political religion, on secularization and Islam including ‘Global Islam’, ‘The Failure of Political Islam’, ‘Jihad and Death: The Global Appeal of Islamic State’.