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Konrad Raiser
Secretary General of the World Council of Churches
1. Profile of Europe: diverse and evolving The first feature of the profile of Europe to be noted is the open character of its boundaries. Europe has sometimes been called a �peninsula� on the western fringe of the Asian landmass. Today there seems to be relative agreement that the eastern boundary of Europe is marked by Ural Mountains. However, that virtual boundary does not coincide with the internal demarcation of provincial boundaries in the Russian Federation. Matters become even more complicated further south, especially concerning the place of Turkey. Historically, the centre of gravity of Europe has changed several times, beginning in the eastern Mediterranean, then moving north to what is now France and Germany, and subsequently moving further east to what has been called Central Europe. In addition, Europe has endured centuries when large parts of Europe were under Arab/Muslim control and influence. Later, Europe has expanded the range of its influence and control in the course of colonialism, establishing imperial control over large parts of other continents. For a long time, Europe was being held together by the cultural framework established in the form of �Christendom�. The �Holy Roman Empire� came to an end in 1804. It was replaced by a period of struggle and rivalry between the five European empires: France, England, Prussia, Russia, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The struggle lead to two �World Wars� which ended with the division of Europe according to the decision of the Jalta conference. The period of the �Cold War� deepened this division. The two parts of Europe developed distinct profiles under the influence of the respective super-powers, United States of America and the former Soviet Union. The changes in Europe after the events of 1989/90 have profound consequences for the profile of Europe. None of the former identities can simply be re-established and re-captured. The empires are gone; the �Christendom� idea of Europe, which was based on the predominance of the Roman Catholic Church, was weakened already with the treaty of Westfalia in 1648 and cannot embrace the Eastern Orthodox part of Europe. This means that the task of re-integrating Europe as it presents itself today is without precedent. A new identity of Europe has to be developed which recognized that, today, Europe is one of the continental regions of the world. Its identity is being shaped by its relationships with the other regions. 2. Sources of European Identity The discussions in the recent constitutional convention have given rise to a wide-spread reflection about the question what should be recognized as sources of the European identity. Obviously, the heritage of Greek and Roman antiquity has a continuing influence on shaping European identity. However, this heritage was absorbed and integrated into the dominant Christian cultures of Europe as well as the Muslim and Jewish features in the European identity. Religion obviously has played a decisive role in shaping European identity and has to be recognized as a continuing source today in spite of the influences of secularization. The emergence of nation states in Europe after the end of the religious struggles has begun to move the search for national identity to the forefront, thus weakening the sense of European identity. In the western part of Europe the enlightenment has profoundly influenced the cultural consciousness. In France, England and Germany the impulse of the enlightenment was received differently. But the influence of the French revolution introduced everywhere the secular understanding of the state which has become part of the common European identity. In addition, Europe became the context where the industrial revolution and the development science in its modern form began to develop. The labour movement and its struggle for basic social rights belongs as much to the European identity, as does an understanding of science in the service of the common good of society. Finally, European identity has to acknowledge the continuing legacy of the period of colonialism and of missionary outreach, reflecting an earlier European identity when Europe was convinced of its cultural hegemony and a civilizational vocation. Today, Europe has to redefine its place in the global cultural and political context. � It is obvious from these brief observations that the sources of European identity represent a complex mixture; there is no evident and normative European identity. 3. European values The foregoing reflections suggest that Europe is very much a project rather than an existing reality. The process of European integration and constructing the future of Europe began immediately after World War II. It has given rise to a number of different frameworks of European integration which are more than functional and pragmatic structures, but which express clear value options. What is today the European Union will, after the enlargement by 10 further, mostly Central European countries, be the most powerful and effective framework of European integration. At the origin, this project was motivated by the effort to achieve reconciliation between European countries that has been at war with each other through economic cooperation and integration. In spite of all the efforts to increase the democratic legitimacy of its institutions and to give a �soul� to the European Union, the dominant value orientation has been shaped by economic interests. The Council of Europe, on the other hand, has patiently worked to increase the democratic consciousness and the recognition of basic rights in its member states. The European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights have introduced into European identity a strong consciousness of social responsibility which distinguishes Europe from the developments in the United States of America. The search for ways to overcome the post war division of Europe has given rise in the 1970�s to the Conference/Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Paris Charter of a new Europe in 1990 has enshrined the consciousness of a new understanding of security based on cooperation with potential enemies, instead of the traditional notion of security based on superior power and the ability to subdue a potential enemy. Europe has had to come to terms with the insight that war is no longer an option for resolving inter-state conflicts. An active policy of peace has therefore become one of the basic value orientations in European societies. It is no surprise, therefore, that the ecumenical triade: justice, peace and the integrity of creation has found the most widespread echo among European peoples and their leaders.
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