Churches, Populism and Europe’s Democratic Future
A Conference of European Churches academy on populism, diversity and democracy asked how churches can act as the “salt of the earth” in a divided Europe. Drawing on voices from Romania, Italy, Hungary and Northern Ireland, participants explored how Christian communities can respond to populism without merely denouncing it: by understanding the fears it uses, resisting polarisation, building relationships, and offering forms of belonging rooted in dignity, equality and peaceful coexistence.
At a time when European societies continue to face distrust, cultural anxiety and political polarisation, a question raised by the Conference of European Churches remains strikingly relevant: how can churches deal with populism by being the “salt of the earth”?
The question guided the Online Academy on Populism, Diversity and Democracy, organised by CEC from 21 to 22 June 2021. The gathering brought together around 35 scholars, lay people, pastors and priests from different European backgrounds under the theme: “Europe challenged by populism: Churches as ‘salt of the earth’? How to contribute to living peacefully together in diversity.”
Inspired by Matthew 5:13, the academy used the metaphor of salt not as a slogan, but as a method of reflection. Participants were invited to identify both the “tasteless” elements of populism — fear, division, polarisation and exclusion — and the “tasty” elements that churches should not ignore: the search for belonging, community, recognition and trust.
Populism as a response to distrust
Christel Lamère Ngnambi, political scientist and co-author of the book Is God a Populist?, described populism as a narrative or mechanism that systematically uses existing distrust in society. According to Ngnambi, populists address people’s fears and present themselves as empathetic defenders of community against distant elites.
His analysis challenged a simplistic approach that treats populism only as an “evil enemy” to be defeated. Instead, he pointed to the way populist leaders claim exclusive authority to represent “the people” and deliberately amplify polarisation between citizens and elites.
That distinction matters for churches. If populism feeds on distrust, then a Christian response cannot be limited to public condemnation. It must also address the wounds and social anxieties that allow polarising narratives to grow. Churches, at their best, can create spaces where fear is heard without being manipulated, and where community is rebuilt without excluding minorities, migrants or dissenting voices.
A European conversation across national experiences
The academy drew on case studies from Romania, Italy and Hungary, offering participants practical examples of how populism operates in different contexts. These sessions allowed small groups to examine how churches can respond to the “tasty and tasteless” elements of populist politics.
In the Romanian case, Prof. Adrian Papahagi of Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj analysed two opposing populist movements through the language of salvation and the universality of Christianity. His contribution pointed to a central tension: when religious symbols are used in politics, they can either deepen exclusion or remind societies that Christian faith cannot be reduced to tribal identity.
From Italy, Paolo Naso, coordinator of the Mediterranean Hope project of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy, discussed populist movements that have shaped Italian politics since the 1990s. He described how Protestant churches have responded through concrete work with migrants and asylum seekers — an approach that stands in clear contrast to political messages built on suspicion and rejection.
These examples showed that churches are not outside the political and social tensions of Europe. They are often directly confronted with them, especially when debates over migration, national identity, minority rights and social cohesion enter congregational life.
Building belonging without exclusion
One of the academy’s strongest contributions came from Alex Wimberly, leader of the Corrymeela Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Northern Ireland. Drawing on a context shaped by decades of division and reconciliation work, Wimberly emphasised the importance of building relationships as an antidote to populism.
He encouraged participants to create what he called a “salty connectivity”: places of connection that offer belonging while empowering all individuals as equals.
This idea speaks directly to Europe’s democratic challenge. Populist movements often succeed because they promise belonging to people who feel ignored. But that belonging is frequently built by identifying an enemy: migrants, minorities, religious outsiders, political elites, journalists, judges, European institutions, or other communities portrayed as threats.
Churches can offer another model. They can build belonging that is not based on hostility. They can welcome people without demanding that someone else be rejected. They can defend identity without turning it into exclusion. They can help citizens live with difference without pretending that difference is easy.
Faith communities as democratic actors
The CEC academy did not present churches as party-political actors. Its concern was deeper: how churches can contribute to peaceful life in diverse democratic societies.
That contribution is especially important in a Europe where social trust has become fragile. Many citizens feel distant from institutions. Some communities believe their concerns are dismissed by political or cultural elites. Others — including migrants, religious minorities and people on the margins — feel targeted by narratives that treat diversity as a problem rather than a democratic reality.
In that context, churches can act as mediators, educators and bridge-builders. Their role is not to replace democratic institutions, but to strengthen the moral and social conditions that democracy needs: trust, dialogue, responsibility, truthfulness and respect for human dignity.
This also connects with wider discussions on religion and public life in Europe, including the place of churches and faith communities in dialogue with European institutions. As The European Times reported at the time, the academy’s interactive nature generated open dialogue among participants from diverse backgrounds.
Neither naïve nor hostile
The academy’s approach was notable because it avoided two common mistakes. It did not romanticise populism, but it also did not dismiss all people attracted to populist messages as irrational or morally suspect.
That balance is essential. Churches cannot be credible if they ignore the ways populist leaders manipulate fear, divide communities and claim exclusive moral authority. But they also cannot be useful if they fail to understand why many citizens are drawn to messages of protection, identity and belonging.
To be “salt of the earth” in this context means preserving what is human in public life. It means resisting the decay of democratic trust. It means giving flavour to civic life through compassion, courage and honest speech. It also means refusing to let Christianity be used as a narrow badge of exclusion when its universal message points toward the dignity of every person.
A continuing question for Europe
Although the academy took place in 2021, its question has not faded. Across Europe, debates over migration, national sovereignty, economic insecurity, religious identity and cultural change continue to shape political life. Churches remain present in many of the places where these tensions are felt most directly: local communities, schools, families, social projects, interfaith initiatives and public debates.
The challenge is not simply whether churches speak against populism. It is whether they can help heal the distrust that populism exploits.
If they can build relationships across difference, defend the dignity of minorities, listen to the fears of ordinary citizens without endorsing scapegoating, and offer communities of belonging without exclusion, churches may still have a vital democratic role to play.
In that sense, the biblical image of salt remains more than a metaphor. It is a call to presence, responsibility and courage in a Europe still learning how to live peacefully together in diversity.
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