Discover how the wisdom that once shaped Europe could shape you
“In the middle of the journey of life, I came to myself in a dark wood where the straight way was lost.”
Dear Friends,
Dante evokes that universal moment when you realise you’ve lost your way. At one point in my own journey, I felt lost, too. I had lost my faith and needed to rediscover it. But it is also possible to feel lost because the world around us keeps changing rapidly. The familiar question of fear and doubt is: what if we—and everything we value—are lost? However, what if we consider the question of hope: what if we could follow Dante in his journey of redemption and renewal?
Faith in a post-secular world
Once, there was no ‘secular.’ The world was filled with the divine. And now, after modernity, we are ‘post-secular.’ Religion is back, but in a post-secular shape and within a multi-religious space. The world is filled with plenty of options. Like me, you have probably explored some of these:
- For some, religion serves only as a decorative element in their self-care toolkit..
- For others, the post-secular has opened the door to more substantial spiritual experiences, to spirits, and all things pagan, whether real or fake.
- Some of us don’t feel at home in most churches, while others hunger for depth as the rest merely skim the surface.
- Many younger Christians—both converts and rediscoverers—gravitate towards traditional, liturgical churches.
- Others are rediscovering the great classical works of philosophy and literature, which once formed the basis of what we call ‘culture,’ the culture of European Christianity.
How can we make sense of this? What does this mean for the future of Christianity in Europe? And what does this mean for our own faith?
Introducing Europe At Midnight
We stand at midnight—caught between loss and renewal, with all unclear, yet dawn approaches… Europe At Midnight offers thoughtful reflections on Europe’s cultural shifts and how faith weaves through them.
Europe At Midnight begins with the conviction that we must take this post-secular, multi-religious, retro- and neo-pagan world seriously. At the same time, we are not yet done with Christianity and the culture it helped shape. The question is, how can there be a future for Christianity in Europe after the demise of Christian Europe?
A Journey of Intellectual and Spiritual Formation
You’re invited to embark on a journey of intellectual and spiritual formation. Let’s learn to think, pray, and live from the deep wells of our Christian tradition. Let’s do this together.
1. Cultural Literacy
Cultural literacy is our ability to read and understand the signs and symbols that are part of our cultural heritage. The better we speak this language, the better we can discern what is going on, who to trust, and what to reject. Let’s explore foundational texts like Dante’s “Divine Comedy” (quoted above.) Combined with thoughtful contemporary commentary, this can help us with sense-making and make us feel less overwhelmed. You’ll soon find that cultural knowledge is not merely useful but rewarding in its own right—our tradition is an inheritance truly worth knowing.
2. Spiritual Wayfinding
For a long time, spiritual life was an integrated part of our cultural life. Increasingly, this is not the case, or at least not automatically. Some of us discover faith at a later stage in life, while others experience profound shifts in their spirituality. Wayfinding is an important part of our spiritual formation as we navigate through life. From our interaction with the tradition, we can learn that wayfinding is a matter of integration, both personally and in relationships in our communities.
Contemplative Practice
We go through this journey in the mode of contemplative action. You can think of this as cultural monasticism, with slow thinking, based on deep reading, and spiritual practice. No frantic actions to move with or against the tides of culture, but deliberate explorations of a deeply rooted European alternative. We take time for the difficult questions beneath the superficial questions of the day, creating space for genuine transformation.
About Me
My name is Jelle Huisman, and since 2007 I have been involved in Christian missions across Europe in research, teaching, and leadership roles. I am currently at home in The Netherlands, but my family and I have also lived in England, Canada, and Croatia.
I believe in going ‘slow & deep’, because Christianity isn’t a quick fix for our felt needs. In my experience, the anxiety that we often feel does not only come from the surrounding culture. We often struggle with challenges precisely because we want to take our faith seriously as well.
But there is insight on the other side of the challenge. Getting there may be painful, but it is priceless to discover, like I did, that you are not alone. Let’s go on a journey together, I’ll show you what I have found.
What’s Inside?
Twice a month, on the 1st and the 15th, you will receive a newsletter with:
- One essay exploring religious trends in Europe, sometimes taking a high-level overview, sometimes diving into one specific theme or region
- Guided reading suggestions from the Great Books that shaped European Christianity
- Curated links to resources found elsewhere for further study
- Some reflections on how these insights can shape our own identity
Be part of the journey, join us here
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Join us for a journey toward:
- A clearer spiritual and cultural identity as a Christian in Europe
- Deep personal knowledge of the tradition that shaped Western civilisation
- An intellectual framework for navigating our complex cultural moment
- Connection with like-minded Christians seeking depth in their faith
- No spam—always easy to unsubscribe
I hope to see you inside! Kind regards,
Jelle Huisman
Bennekom, The Netherlands
P.S.
This is for you if you want to explore what it means to be deeply rooted as a Christian in Europe today. It is free, and after four short welcome emails, you’ll receive two regular emails each month.