The Closing of the Western Mind

The Closing of the Western Mind

by Charles Freeman (Author)

Synopsis

When the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in AD 312 he changed the course of European history in a way that continues to have repercussions to the present day. Adopting those aspects ofthe religion that suited his purposes, he truned Rome on a course from the relatively open, tolerant and pluralistic civilization of the Hellenistic world towards a culture based on the rule of fixed authority - whether that of the Bible, the writings of Ptolemy in astronomy, and of Galen and Hippocrates in medicine. Only a thousand years later, with the Renaissance and the emergence of modern science, was Europe to begin to free itself from the effects of Constantine's decision. The Church, on the other hand, remains hierarchical and authoritarian, and the effects persist to this day of Constantine's establishment of Christianity as a state religion.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 496
Edition: Annotated
Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd
Published: 22 Aug 2002

ISBN 10: 0434008532
ISBN 13: 9780434008537

Media Reviews
Enjoyable and illuminating. . . . Clearly and plausibly argued . . . full of fascinating detail. - The Boston Globe
Entertaining. . . . An excellent and readable account of the development of Christian doctrine. - The New York Times Book Review
There is much here to admire. . . . It is a panoramic view that Freeman handles with grace, erudition and lucidity. - The Washington Times
A triumph. . . . Engrossing. . . . Successfully realized. . . . Wholly admirable. . . . Freeman is to be congratulated on a broad-brush approach that throws the main issue into sharp focus. . . . [He] has added a new level of understanding. - The Times Higher Education Supplement
A fascinating account. - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Engrossingly readable and very thoughtful. . . . Freeman draws our attention to myriad small but significant phenomena. . . . His fine book is both a searching look at the past and a salutary and cautionary reminder for us in our difficult present. - The New York Sun

One of the best books to date on the development of Christianity. . . . Beautifully written and impressively annotated, this is an indispensable read for anyone interested in the roots of Christianity and its implications for our modern worldview. . . . Essential. - Choice

Engaging. . . . Refreshing. . . . A memorable account. . . . The author is always interesting and well informed. Freeman's study moves with ease between political and intellectual history. . . . The cumulative effect is impressive. - The Times Literary Supplement

A fine book for a popular audience that enjoys history, clear writing, and subject matter that reflects our owntime. - Houston Chronicle

The narrative is clear and fluent, the nomenclature is studiously precise . . . and the theological conflicts of the fourth century are analyzed with . . . subtlety. - History Today

Ambitious, groundbreaking. . . . In the tradition of . . . Karen Armstrong's A History of God . . . a scholarly history that is accessible, passionate and energetic. - Hartford Advocate

Freeman has a talent for narrative history and for encapsulating the more arcane disputes of ancient historians and theologians. . . . He manages not only to make these disputes interesting, but also to show why they mattered so much. It is a coup that few books on the early church pull off. - The Independent

Engaging and clearly written. - The World and I

[A] lucid account of an intellectual and social transformation that continues to shape the way Christianity is experienced and understood. - The Dallas Morning News

From the Trade Paperback edition.


Enjoyable and illuminating. . . . Clearly and plausibly argued . . . full of fascinating detail. The Boston Globe
Entertaining. . . . An excellent and readable account of the development of Christian doctrine. The New York Times Book Review
There is much here to admire. . . . It is a panoramic view that Freeman handles with grace, erudition and lucidity. The Washington Times
A triumph. . . . Engrossing. . . . Successfully realized. . . . Wholly admirable. . . . Freeman is to be congratulated on a broad-brush approach that throws the main issue into sharp focus. . . . [He] has added a new level of understanding. The Times Higher Education Supplement
A fascinating account. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Engrossingly readable and very thoughtful. . . . Freeman draws our attention to myriad small but significant phenomena. . . . His fine book is both a searching look at the past and a salutary and cautionary reminder for us in our difficult present. The New York Sun

One of the best books to date on the development of Christianity. . . . Beautifully written and impressively annotated, this is an indispensable read for anyone interested in the roots of Christianity and its implications for our modern worldview. . . . Essential. Choice

Engaging. . . . Refreshing. . . . A memorable account. . . . The author is always interesting and well informed. Freeman s study moves with ease between political and intellectual history. . . . The cumulative effect is impressive. The Times Literary Supplement

A fine book for a popular audience that enjoys history, clear writing, and subject matter that reflects our own time. Houston Chronicle

The narrative is clear and fluent, the nomenclature is studiously precise . . . and the theological conflicts of the fourth century are analyzed with . . . subtlety. History Today

Ambitious, groundbreaking. . . . In the tradition of . . . Karen Armstrong s A History of God . . . a scholarly history that is accessible, passionate and energetic. Hartford Advocate

Freeman has a talent for narrative history and for encapsulating the more arcane disputes of ancient historians and theologians. . . . He manages not only to make these disputes interesting, but also to show why they mattered so much. It is a coup that few books on the early church pull off. The Independent

Engaging and clearly written. The World and I

[A] lucid account of an intellectual and social transformation that continues to shape the way Christianity is experienced and understood. The Dallas Morning News

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Author Bio
Charles Freeman is the author of The Greek Achievement (1999) and Egypt, Greece, Rome (1997).