dagul

Ri Fhionngaill

Arab scholars and inventors deserve a lot of credit for the things they did introduce, but to characterise a thousand years of European history as savages in mud huts is just plain wrong. Europeans could and did produce spectacular works of art, literature, and science in this time period. To write that off completely is amateurish.

Also, ever heard of the Hiberno-Scottish mission? I recommend Thomas Cahill's How the Irish Saved Europe for a (non-academic) introduction to the topic.

Louise C

That Thomas Cahill book is good.

Killbot

That book really makes you wonder how a few monks managed to keep alive some of the most crucial knowledge of mankind. It screws with my head just thinking about it.

abvgd

The spread of Christianity definitely did its part in pacifying the continent and stopping the endless infighting and raids by various pagan tribes, such as the Vikings, Magyars and others. The adoption of Christianity included a political commitment towards Church authorities throughout the continent and this made it harder to go to war against someone simply because you wanted to. At the same time, Christianity encouraged stronger central rule since that also benefited the Church. Stronger central rule meant better administration and consequently also more tax revenues and more development. Later on, Christianity also turned out to be a convenient political platform through which serious threats such as those posed by Muslims and Mongols could be dealt with, though that's technically beyond the "Dark Ages" (which are usually said to last no later/longer than AD 1000). So, yes, I think that Christianity definitely played a vital role in bringing Europe out of the so called "Dark Ages", though it's more correct to call this period the Early Middle Ages.

Doctor Imperialism

You know, I've heard it stated that the Church preserved literacy in Europe, and quite frankly I'm tempted to agree.

abvgd

Although Europe's rebound strictly speaking would occur only after the "Dark Ages" (post-AD 1000), one wouldn't of course be able to understand the underlying causes of the rebound without looking back at the "Dark Ages".

mancman

Really good graph, shows the way christianity supressed any original thought or diversion from the written 'truth' of the bible. Christianity took along time to take hold, it is still growing in places, so we cannot say everything, like the sacking of Rome, was due to it. But we must all agree the christian established Church suppressed scientific progress. If you were sure the world was round, would you risk persecution by saying it??

Louise C

Medieval people knew perfectly well that the world was round. It is a myth that they did not. And the church did not suppress all scientific progress. There were some notable churchmen who were scientists themselves, like Roger Bacon for example. That graph is quite nonsensical.

Maundu

Couldn't agree more