ABSTRACT
European identity is a ubiquitous yet hard-to-define concept. It is best not to think of European identity as one cohesive set of collective self-understandings. Historically, two major themes can be identified around which the notion of European identities gravitate. The first theme is civilizational. The second theme is based around a political vision or idea of a united Europe. Christianity is not a major theme of European identities because of the piety or religious observance of Europeans. Starting in the late 1940s, European leaders started to put the ideals of European unity into practice. The emergence of European identities has been facilitated by the process of European integration, of which the EU is only the most visible manifestation. Europeans identify more closely with humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping, and overseas development aid than with military force. The identity landscape in Europe is still dominated by affiliations to the nation, religion, and historical memory.
