Christ of Europe

Christ of Europe, a messianic doctrine based in the New Testament, first became widespread among Poland and other various European nations through the activities of the Reformed Churches in the 16th to the 18th centuries.[1] The doctrine, based in principles of brotherly esteem and regard for one another, was adopted in messianic terms by Polish Romantics, who referred to their homeland as the Christ of Europe or as the Christ of Nations crucified in the course of the foreign partitions of Poland (1772–1795). Their own unsuccessful struggle for independence from outside powers served as an expression of faith in God's plans for Poland's ultimate Rising.[2][3][4]

Scene from Dziady (Forefathers' Eve) by Adam Mickiewicz, commemorative black and white postcard, Kraków 1919

The concept, which identified Poles collectively with the messianic suffering of the Crucifixion, saw Poland as destined – just like Christ – to return to glory. The idea had roots going back to the days of the Ottoman expansion and the wars against the Muslim Turks. It was reawakened and promoted during Adam Mickiewicz's exile in Paris in the mid-19th century. Mickiewicz (1798-1855) evoked the doctrine of Poland as the "Christ of nations" in his poetic drama Dziady (Forefathers' Eve), considered by George Sand one of the great works of European Romanticism,[5] through a vision of priest called Piotr (Part III, published in 1832). Dziady was written in the aftermath of the 1830 uprising against the Russian rule – an event that greatly impacted the author.[6]

Mickiewicz had helped found a student society (the Philomaths) protesting the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and was exiled (1824–1829) to central Russia as a result.[6] In the poet's vision, the persecution and suffering of the Poles was to bring salvation to other persecuted nations, just as the death of Christ – crucified by his neighbors – brought redemption to mankind.[7] Thus, the phrase "Poland, the Christ of Nations" ("Polska Chrystusem narodów") was born.

Several analysts see the concept as persisting into the modern era.[8][9][10] According to some Holocaust scholars, this view has led to a distorted approach to Polish history following World War II. It has made past Polish wrongdoings against other nationalities sometimes difficult or impossible to acknowledge.[11]

  1. ^ Chris Coleborn, The Relationship of the Reformed Churches of Scotland, England, Western & Eastern Europe from the 1500s to the 1700s, Protestant Reformed Seminary Theological Journal; Volume 36, Number 2, April 2003
  2. ^ Mesjanizm, historiozofia i symbolika w "Dziadach" cz.III eSzkola.pl 2004–2009: "Widzenie księdza Piotra." Internet Archive.
  3. ^ King, Sarah Sanderson; Cushman, Donald P. (1992). Political communication: Engineering visions of order in the socialist world. State University of New York Press. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-7914-1202-2.
  4. ^ Chrostowski, Waldemar (1991). "The suffering, chosenness and mission of the Polish nation". Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe. 11 (4). Newberg, OR: George Fox University: 3, 6. ISSN 1069-4781. Archived from the original on 2015-10-03. Open access icon
  5. ^ Sand, George (1839-12-01). "Essai sur le drame fantastique – Goethe, Byron, Mickiewicz"  [Essay on fantastic drama – Goethe, Byron, Mickiewicz]. Revue des deux mondes (in French). Vol. 20. Paris: Revue des deux mondes. ISSN 0035-1962 – via Wikisource.
  6. ^ a b Sorin Antohi, Vladimir Tismăneanu (2000). Between past and future: the revolutions of 1989 and their aftermath. Central European University Press. p. 386. ISBN 978-963-9116-71-9.
  7. ^ "Polska Chrystusem narodów" at sciaga.pl
  8. ^ Gerard Delanty; Krishan Kumar (2006). The SAGE handbook of nations and nationalism. SAGE. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-4129-0101-7. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  9. ^ Marta Anico; Elsa Peralta (8 January 2009). Heritage and identity: engagement and demission in the contemporary world. Taylor & Francis US. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-415-45335-6. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  10. ^ Mitchell Young (2007). Nationalism in a global era: the persistence of nations. Taylor & Francis. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-415-41405-0. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  11. ^ Blobaum, Robert, ed. (2005). Antisemitism and its opponents in modern Poland. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. pp. 322–323. ISBN 978-0-8014-8969-3.