Across Europe, religious tradition often functions not only as a system of belief but also as a powerful marker of identity and belonging within historic faith communities such as Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Islam. In such environments, encountering new expressions of the Gospel can be experienced not merely as theological disagreement but as a challenge to inherited faith and communal loyalty. This helps explain why many may respond emotionally or intellectually to Christian witness yet struggle to embrace lasting spiritual transformation. This seminar examines the social and spiritual forces behind this resistance and draws insight from early Christian communities who bore faithful witness amid cultural pressure, social risk, and opposition.
