The Church and the Dark Ages (430–1027): St. Benedict, Charlemagne, and the Rise of Christendom (Reclaiming Catholic History)

The author does a good job of explaining the significance of the Church in the Middle Ages and the many changes the Church experienced during that time. Enjoyable to read.

The book is well structured. It gives a good overview on each time period, additionally a detailed focus on a key person, and a discussion of a controversial issue, leaving the judgment to the reader (who by then can make a better informed decision).The time periods described are very very relevant not only for church history but also for the general history of Europe and the development of European culture.There were the Benedictine monasteries, diligently copying Christian books and classical works of antiquity, teaching agriculture and gardening, and creating islands of culture in a time of warlords.There were the monks of Ireland and Scotland who effectively christianized Europe from the North - many saints and martyrs revered in Germany were born in today's Great Britain.The Carolingian Renaissance around 800 in the "dark ages" was at least as relevant for European culture as the better known Renaissance some 600 years later, developing a new script and a reform of education with a curriculum of grammar, arithmetic and musical notation, schools by royal decree available not only to clerics and nobles but to everyone.The at times strained relations between rulers and church are described honestly including the whole mix of conflicting interests, good intentions, good and bad guys, and at times very destructive consequences.The book fills in on period of history which is usually omitted in schools and often glossed over in church history. It is very accessible, also for people who are no history freaks.

My family has enjoyed this book. We learned a great deal about the "Dark Ages" and the church during this time. Mr. Campbell has a way of making history interesting and this book started some great conversations in our family about this time period.

Phillip Campbell has written an excellent book which will provide a corrective to the general confusion and ignorance people have towards to the "Dark Ages" (a term first used in a neutral way by a 16th century Catholic Reformation-era historian). Unfortunately, this term has entered the popular mind to refer to the entire Middle Ages as a period of sheer backwardness with the Catholic Church as the source of such "darkness." This is the product of the Enlightenment's view of the Church. Now, how far is this from the truth, as Phillip Campbell teaches us!Phillip Campbell shows that "The culture and achievements of the early Middle Ages made it anything but dark" and that "most of our knowledge of the classical world today only exists because the Church meticulously preserved it during the Dark Ages."Every chapter (there are 10 in total) discusses a particular period and what I really appreciated with the book is that there is another section in each chapter which goes into more detail on a particular figure or aspect from the so-called "Dark Ages." In addition, there is an "You be the Judge" section included in each chapter which dispels some common myths.The book is written clearly, not with the specialist in mind, but the general reader who are the ones likely to have such a prejudice against the Church and the real achievements brought about by the Catholic Church. Only an author with a complete grasp of the material can write with such an audience in mind. If I asked someone in a factory what he thought about the Middle Ages he is likely to say it was full of superstition and that the Catholic Church "suppressed" knowledge and was a negative influence on society. Well, this is a book they should read!I recommend this book wholeheartedly and congratulate Phillip Campbell on an excellent contribution to a re-evaluation of so much misinformation regarding the role of the Catholic Church in shaping society and showing that the Church indeed had a positive impact on the world!

A fascinating, engaging read on what history calls the Dark Ages. Church history, woven in with world history, unfolds in mainly Western Europe. It is told with a Catholic bent, and I appreciated the separation of Eastern and Western Catholicism as explained by the author. A great introduction, and gave me a good look at these early years of Christianity.

Really good book for a general introduction to Church History. I used it as a supplement text in my Medieval Church History Course. I really enjoyed reading it; Phillip Campbell is a good writer. And I want to buy the other books in this series now.