author: James Behan
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/03/08
date added: 2013/03/09
shelves:
review:
An excellent and very readable history of the early church that shows how democracy and much scientific knowledge can be traced back to the early church in Ireland. I've read other books on the subject, but none that have done such a great job of distilling the information into a larger picture.
The book begins in 354 AD with the birth of Augustine. Woven along the timeline are Saint Patrick, John Cassian, Columbanus, John Scotus Eriugena, Thomas Aquinas, Charlemagne, William of Ockham, Aristotle, Martin Luther, and John Calvin (among others). There are fights with kings (my favorite chapter dealt with the Merovingian and Carolingian rulers), there are fights with church leaders, and there are discoveries to be made that transformed art, science and government. The book concludes around 1705 AD.
For a book of 235 pages, this book covers a lot of territory, but it never feels skimped on or sparse. The richness of detail is impressive and very accessible and readable. The suggested reading list in the back is one of the best I've ever seen. Not because it's comprehensive, but because the authors give suggestions on what to read next, not just provide an ambiguous bibliography.
via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/546154916?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss
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