Is there any real historical reason why the people of Europe converted to Christianity?

Answer 1

The people of Europe converted to Christianity over a long time, and for a variety of reasons.

Christianity came to Europe very early, since Greece and Italy were introduced to Christianity during the lifetime of Jesus' followers. The new followers there were converted to Christianity because they believed the message that had been brought to them.

There were Christians in the Rhone Valley in the second century (perhaps earlier). They became Christians because they believed the message. They prove this to us by being willing to die for their faith in persecution in the cities of Lugdunum and Vienna (modern Lyon and Vienne in France).

Christianity spread quite widely in Europe during the third century, although it remained a minority movement.

Christian numbers received a boost in the fourth century after Constantine converted to Christianity. Instead of either just tolerating or persecuting the Christians (the dominant motifs in the previous age), Constantine actively favoured the Christian religion, giving Christian priests from the curial class (a high status group) exemption from certain state obligations.

Amongst ordinary people, Christianity provided a means for the community leaders and other talented people to enter into the spirit of Greco-Roman age through education, and even a (backdoor) opportunity to engage with the highest philosophy of the age. For example, whole German tribes, on the fringe of the Roman Empire, and also within the Empire, converted to Arian Christianity. This was a form of Christianity that had its origins in the debate amongst the Greeks about the underlying relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ.

During the fifth century AD, Roman power in Europe progressively collapsed. By that time it is likely that most of the cities of Italy, Spain and Gaul were already mostly Christian, although the traditional religion continued to be practiced in the country. This underlying division in the balance of religious affiliation between city and country people is behind our name for the traditional religion, "paganism." This word comes from the Latin meaning "peasant, or country person." While there would have been many Christians in the country, it appears that the traditional religion lived on there with more vigour than in the cities.

During this period, Christian missionaries continued to spread the message to more remote and isolated groups. The conversion of a whole people group can sometimes be attributed to a single dramatic event, such as the report of Gregory of Tours cutting down a sacred tree and not immediately suffering from the judgement of the gods, as was expected by the people. It was reported that the people then converted to Christianity.

Much later, when the late eighth century Frankish king, Charlemagne, extended his empire to the north, he forcibly imposed Christianity on the Saxons, on pain of death. This was a very low point in the history of Christianity, and it was not pattern followed by very many other kings. Instead, it can be said that the conversion of most of the less civilised parts of Europe arose from the conversion of the leaders of the tribes, who are likely to have been genuinely convinced about the message they had been given, but also would have been aware that conversion to Christianity was a path for their people to the kind of civilisation already known in the more settled parts of Europe.