Christian democracy is a political ideology which emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of
conservatism and
Catholic social teaching. It was originally conceived as a combination of traditional
Catholic beliefs and modern
democratic ideas, but over time it grew to incorporate a variety of views from different Christian denominations and from different political thinkers. Christian democracy continues to be influential in
Europe and
Latin America, though throughout Europe the movement has been weakened by growing
secularism.