The making of Europe : an introduction to the history of European unity / Christopher Dawson ; [with an introduction by Alexander Murray].

Format:

• Book

Author/Creator:

• Dawson, Christopher, 1889-1970.

Series:

• Dawson, Christopher, 1889-1970. 2001 Works.
• The works of Christopher Dawson

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

• Civilization, Medieval.
• Church history--Middle Ages, 600-1500.
• Church history.
• Church history--Middle Ages.

Physical Description:

xxxix, 282 pages ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : Catholic University of America Press, [2002?]

Summary:

Christopher Dawson concludes that the period of the fourth to the eleventh centuries, commonly known as the Dark Ages, is not a barren prelude to the creative energy of the medieval world. Instead, he argues that it is better described as "ages of dawn" for it is in this rich and confused period that the complex and creative interaction of the Roman empire, the Christian Church, the classical tradition, and barbarous societies provided the foundation for a vital, unified European culture. In an age of fragmentation and the emergence of new nationalist forces, Dawson argued that if "our civilization is to survive, it is essential that it should develop a common European consciousness and sense of historic and organic unity." But he was clear that this unity required sources deeper and more complex than the political and economic movements on which so many had come to depend, and he insisted, prophetically, that Europe would need to recover its Christian roots if it was to survive. In a time of cultural and political ambiguity, The making of Europe is an indispensable work for understanding not only the rich sources but also the contemporary implications of the very idea of Europe.

Contents:

• 1. The Roman empire
• 2. The Catholic church
• 3. The classical tradition and Christianity
• 4. The barbarians
• 5. The barbarian invasions and the fall of the empire in the West
• 6. The Christian empire and the rise of the Byzantine culture
• 7. The awakening of the East and the revolt of the subject nationalities
• 8. The rise of Islam
• 9. The expansion of Moslem culture
• 10. The Byzantine Renaissance and the revival of the Eastern empire
• 11. The Western church and the conversion of the barbarians
• 12. The restoration of the Western empire and Carolingian renaissance
• 13. The age of the Vikings and the conversion of the North
• 14. The rise of the mediaeval unity.

Notes:

• Originally published: London : Sheed and Ward, 1932. With new introd.
• Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-269) and index.
• "Supplementary bibliography": pages xxxvii-xxxix.

ISBN:

0813210836

OCLC:

49799330