Christianity in Europe

Christian culture has been an important force in Western civilization, influencing the course of philosophy, art, and science.

They were targeted by Emperor Nero who is rumored to have ordered the colossal fire in Rome, destroying the city in AD 64.

The emergence of the notion of "Europe" or the "Western World" is intimately connected with the idea of "Christendom", especially since Christianity in the Middle East was marginalized by the rise of Islam from the 7th century, a constellation that led to the Crusades, which although unsuccessful militarily were an important step in the emergence of a religious identity of Europe.

At all times, traditions of folk religion existed largely independent from official denominations or dogmatic theology.

19th-century Orientalism contributed to a certain popularity of Buddhism, and the 20th century brought increasing syncretism, New Age and various new religious movements divorcing spirituality from inherited traditions for many Europeans.

[4] Until the Age of Enlightenment,[24] Christian culture guided the course of philosophy, literature, art, music and science.

Christianity had a significant impact on education and science and medicine as the church created the bases of the Western system of education,[26] and was the sponsor of founding universities in the Western world as the university is generally regarded as an institution that has its origin in the Medieval Christian setting.

[29][30][31] The Civilizing influence of Christianity (in Europe) includes social welfare,[32] founding hospitals,[33] economics[34][35] politics,[36] architecture,[37] literature[38] and family life.

[39] Although the Protestant Reformation was a religious movement, it also had a strong impact on all other aspects of European life: marriage and family, education, the humanities and sciences, the political and social order, the economy, and the arts.