Never closer union?

The 1957 Treaty of Rome committed signatories to ‘Ever Closer Union’ (ECU) – an incremental harmonising of all policy areas towards a more federalised Europe. To many European secular elites whose worldview is shaped by the myth of progress (a dangerous copy of the teleology of the Kingdom of God) this direction of travel seems obvious and necessary. To exempt member states from this political and economic integration would represent dis-integration of the whole EU project.

Today, these progressive foundations are crumbling.

While monetary union has resulted in the re-emergence of protective pacts or naked national self-interest, the political folly of Schengen with the free movement of people across borders has encouraged huge de-stabilising inward (and internal) migration. Accompanying this, the varying state responses to the barbarity of Islamism means that the dream of a borderless Europe has crashed headlong into reality.

Prior to these crises, the nation-state seemed increasingly anachronistic. Yet, the Bible has a consistent focus on ‘nation’ as a bounded identity that is subject to blessings and judgments, and indeed ultimate judgement before the throne of God. Supra-national constructs do also pepper scripture in the guise of powerful alliances, but in the final reckoning it is nations who are: deceived (Rev 20); redeemed (ch 21); and healed (ch 22).

‘Ever Closer Union’, however means that, over time our national distinctives would be inevitably reduced to a lowest common denominator, thus raising critical questions about the source and direction of a shared European identity. So, what is the essential European denominator? What actually makes Europeans European?

Beyond the mish-mash of race and ethnicity, we could cite things like common trading ties, or cultural links, or historical conflicts and accords. But all bordering countries on earth share these commonalities. What actually defines a geographical sense of Europeaness? Such as they exist, what has predominantly set the psychological borders? Well, we could point to the increasingly contested humanist construct of the Renaissance, but even this was markedly influenced by another, more dominant denominator.

Being the crucible for the Bible, the home of the Catholic and Orthodox churches, and the birthplace of the Reformation – with its greatest art and architecture, and many of its key historical figures and moments defined by the faith – and with churches in every town, city and village – it is, above and beyond all other factors, Christianity that defines a European identity.

Yet, despite the fact that Europe is in meltdown and secularism is clearly the problem, the EU continues to wilfully deny the fact of its Christian DNA.As things stand, ‘Ever Closer Union’ is unworkable and unwanted by all but a diminishing group of secular liberal elites.

The challenge for Christians in the EU debate is to intelligently and relentlessly expose these sandy foundations, and to present a vision for a plural, hospitable and harmonious Europe bonded and informed by its core, historic Christian identity – because Jesus is (quite literally) the hope of the nations.

About the author

Dave Landrum is the Director of Advocacy at the UK Evangelical Alliance where his work involves public policy, theology, research and media. He is a frequent contributor on Christian and secular media debates on a range of social issues. He previously worked in parliament for 10 years and has a PhD in policy sociology with a focus on citizenship and national identity. Dave has an interest in Christian social and political engagement, public leadership, religious liberty, identity in plural society, post-secularism and post-liberalism. Most recently he published ‘The Problems of Progress’, in Geary, I & Pabst, A (Eds) (2015) Blue Labour: Forging a New Politics. Being from Liverpool, he naturally supports Everton.