How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization: A Review
Any legitimate scholar of the Catholic Church’s history must acknowledge that the same institution receives unfavorable treatment from secular, and even religious, historians. There are two possible reasons for this. Those authors and commentators have quite possibly distorted or omitted verifiable facts in order to paint the Spotless Bride of Christ in a not-so-benevolent light. A more likely scenario, however, is that these men and women have fallen victim to errant and incomplete information. In either case, faithful Catholics (and even non-Catholics) never have the opportunity to understand the beautiful, rich history of the first two Christian millennia.
Thomas E. Woods, Jr.’s most recent book, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, aims at correcting this grievous error. Indeed, Woods’ text of 225 pages proves to readers that the substantial contribution of the Church to Western culture has “gone relatively unnoticed” for several centuries. Further, he makes a clear and compelling case that the Roman Catholic Church “made an indelible imprint on the very heart of European civilization and was a profoundly significant force for good.”
According to Woods, the construction of Western civilization began in the wake of the sack and fall of Rome. The earliest pages of his body of evidence give a wondefully synthetic account of the Europe that was controlled by the Germanic tribes. Those accounts are followed immediately by an assessment of the important role of the Carolingian Renaissance in the “birth of a civilization…greater than ancient Greece or Rome.”
From that point forward, the author deftly leads the reader through various aspects of modern culture that were created or heavily influenced by the Catholic Church. The exposition begins with the invaluable contributions made by monks: agriculture, hand-copying ancient manuscripts for posterity, and limitless charity in the midst of a selfish culture. The pride a Catholic reader feels just from reading about the monks is supplemented and augmented by Woods’ proof that Catholic pastors and intellectuals were pioneers in the development of Western art, architecture, economics, the modern legal system, international law, and morality.
There is one notable niche within this text. The author offers readers an abundance of information and analysis on the Church’s essential role in the establishment of the modern university system, and the scientific advancements made as a result of that establishment. Woods also does a fantastic job of clearing up any misconception that the Church is marred by a lack of intellectual ferment; that She attempted at some points to repress scientific and philosophical advancement. Writing about the Church and her relationship to science, he claimed: “the Church’s contributions to science go well beyond astronomy. Catholic theological ideas provided the basis for some of the first principles of modern science. And Catholic priests, loyal sons of the Church, have consistently displayed such interest and accomplishment in the sciences, from mathematics to geometry, optics, biology, astronomy, geology, seismology, and a great many other fields.”
Certainly, any inquiring mind (Catholic or otherwise) will appreciate Dr. Woods’ contribution to ecclesiastical, and secular, history. This book does a great service to anyone who reads it by helping repair the “self-imposed historical amnesia of the West” that seeks to discard the Church’s “central role in building Western civilization.”
God Bless.
