Apologetics and Mission: Western European Hope and Values

Abstract

Summary This article aims to help Christians in Western Europe with the task of evangelism and apologetics by presenting the results of various surveys regarding the values held in this part of the world. The values concern the meaning of life, identity and belonging. Once we know what our neighbours find important, we can show them that the Gospel addresses these desires. The surveys show, among other things, that non-religious people are still very much open to the transcendental. The article continues by arguing that the Church should be an attractive, counter-cultural community and that evangelism should not only focus on the grandeur but also on the misery of the people: the futility of much of what people undertake. It concludes by highlighting four qualities of our apologetics in the twenty-first century.