Volume 21, Issue 1/2, 2009
Christianity and Democracy
Monica D. Merutiu
Pages 51-65
Christian Heritage and Democracy in Europe
The Judeo-Christian tradition has put its imprint on a fascinating and complex creation: Europe. Looking at the European stage today, one cannot help notice its struggles, challenges, and changes. The core of European unity cannot be stable and durable if the spiritual dimension is left aside, considered unimportant compared to the political and economic dimensions. In an era said to experience "pathologies of reason" and "pathologies of religion," the interdependence of reason and religion in a democratic, liberal state becomes highlty relevant. Understanding the complementarity between Christian values and the democratic ideal is the key to a genuine democracy that remains true to its goals. Maritain insisted that democracy needs virtue, and hence must not be separated from its moral dimension.