European Union, Identity and Place

In: https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:7a830271-f13b-4212-9bd5-a1d0724a9e2f

Abstract

This chapter is an exercise in political theology exploring ways in which European Union citizens might think about political life. The chapter has four sections: first, a discussion of how people, especially Europeans, identify with their places and their politics – this section considers the chief threat to European peace, ethnocentrism; second, a discussion of two key civic tasks regarding the interrelation of European Union member-states, 'adequate identity' and 'sufficient agreement'; third, a conversation between contrasting political analyses of human motivation and civic participation concerning these tasks; fourth and finally, an account of the distinctive contribution of ecclesial identity to European consciousness.