A small community of Lutherans and Catholics is relocating from urban areas to rural Lolland, Denmark. The group is establishing a close-knit fellowship, moving away from mainstream secular Danish society. Despite high formal affiliation with the national Lutheran Church, actual religious belief in Denmark is low, with only about 35% affirming belief in God. The community seeks to build a life centered on religious fellowship on the island of Lolland.
27 days ago
A group of five millennial families—three Lutheran and two Catholic—has formed a traditional Christian community on Denmark's rural Lolland island.1
They relocated from urban areas to escape secularism, building a close-knit fellowship centered on faith and family.1
Families like Mikkel Søtbæk's, a Lutheran father of five, cite alienation from mainstream Danish culture due to urbanization, secularism, and mass immigration.1
Only 35% of Danes believe in God, prompting these converts (mostly) to seek purpose, identity, and affordable rural living on one income.1
Despite theological differences, Lutherans and Catholics share traditional values on gender roles, family structure, and daily Christian practice.1
They gather for shared meals, children's play, and celebrations, inspiring each other while lamenting their inability to share the Eucharist.1
Residents farm, catechize, and prioritize God at home's center, with Lolland's Catholic history and churches adding appeal.1
The move requires commitment amid a generation wary of it, but yields "incredible benefits" like thriving families.1
Rod Dreher calls it a "millennial Benedict Option," echoing early Christians who formed resilient communities post-Rome's fall.1
Søtbæk views it as a "safe garden" for sustainable faith before evangelizing, countering exhaustion from constant societal defense.1
Filmmaker Matthew Eng's "The Remnant: The Last Christians of Denmark" highlights their positive model amid crises.1
The families aim to inspire others, proving robust Christianity through strong bases while engaging the world.1
Christian communities resist secularism by relocating to rural Denmark
Christian communities relocating to rural Denmark represent a strategic withdrawal from pervasive secular influences, forming intentional enclaves where faith, family, and virtue can flourish amid cultural decline. This movement aligns closely with Catholic critiques of secularism as a philosophy that confines human life to material concerns, ignoring divine truth and eternal destiny, and echoes the "Benedict Option"—a call for Christians to emulate St. Benedict by building resilient communities separate from modern secular culture . Drawing from papal teachings, this approach counters ideological secularism not through political confrontation but via witness, education, and communal life, particularly resonant in Denmark's historically Christian yet increasingly secular landscape.
Secularism, as defined in Catholic tradition, posits that human conduct should be guided solely by present-life considerations, dismissing God, revelation, and the afterlife as irrelevant or unknowable. This leads to a utilitarian ethic focused on temporal happiness, substituting "the piety of useful men for the usefulness of piety," and rendering purely human considerations inadequate for true moral development. Pope Benedict XVI warned U.S. bishops of "radical secularism" manifesting in politics and culture, promoting freedom detached from moral truth and threatening religious liberty, including conscientious objection. Similarly, Pope John Paul II in Ecclesia in Europa rejected "ideological secularism or hostile separation" between state and faith, advocating instead for Church-state cooperation to humanize society based on Gospel principles.
In Denmark, a nation with ancient Christian roots contributing to Europe's identity, these threats persist. Though Catholics form a small community living in harmony with others, the broader society reflects Western trends of materialism and individualism that undermine family values, prayer, and the common good . Relocating to rural areas allows Christians to escape urban centers dominated by consumerism and pleasure-seeking, where Gospel witness is diluted .
The strategy of rural relocation mirrors the "Benedict Option," popularized by reference to Alasdair MacIntyre's call for a "new St. Benedict" to foster communities sustaining virtues amid ethical breakdown. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI embodied this in his monastic retirement, withdrawing to prayerful contemplation within the Vatican, modeling a "creative minority" against cultural decline . Referencing Arnold Toynbee, Joseph Ratzinger (later Benedict XVI) critiqued Western secularism's embrace of technology, nationalism, and militarism over spiritual progress, urging such minorities to preserve faith.
This option moderates between confessionalism and unchecked secularism, affirming positive aspects of liberal orders while emphasizing the Church's public role. Rural Denmark offers fertile ground: less dense populations enable "unifying narratives and common purpose" for moral life, akin to early Christian colonies that evangelized through humble gatherings. Unlike aggressive separatism, it promotes internal renewal—family as "domestic church," education, and apostolic witness —preparing believers as "missionaries" in host societies.
Denmark's Catholic heritage provides a backdrop for such communities. The ancient See of Roskilde hosted monasteries, convents, and hospitals, with enduring institutions like those of the Benedictines and Cistercians. Today, Copenhagen and rural sites like Roskilde maintain churches, schools, and hospitals run by orders such as Jesuits, Christian Brothers, and Sisters of St. Joseph. Pope John Paul II praised this "not very numerous" yet vibrant community during his 1989 visit, encouraging youth centers like Øm for fellowship and catechesis.
Papal addresses affirm Denmark's role: John Paul II lauded its aid to developing nations and Christian witness, exemplified by St. Niels Stensen's beatification. Catholic schools, coordinating under bishops, counter secular drift by forming youth in faith . Rural relocation builds on this, opening schools to "enriching exchange" with parishes and dioceses, empowering migrants and locals as co-missionaries.
Such communities prioritize the family as evangelization's starting point, witnessing love, self-giving, and solidarity against materialism . Church schools, vital in Malta and Denmark, flourish under episcopal guidance, blending special character with national harmony . In rural settings, parents and educators coordinate for holistic formation.
This resists secularism's "extreme individualism" by proposing natural law-based moral reasoning as liberation, not constraint. Believers engage publicly—via rational arguments and competent presence in institutions —while nurturing "domestic churches" that extend Gospel to neighbors .
Relocating to rural Denmark embodies a faithful response to secularism, rooted in Catholic tradition's critique of materialist philosophies and the Benedict Option's call for virtuous enclaves . Supported by Denmark's Catholic legacy and emphases on family, schools, and witness , it fosters creative minorities humanizing society. Amid cultural challenges, this path invites deeper communion with Christ, ensuring faith's endurance.