Building of Christendom. Warren H. Carroll.

Building of Christendom.
Warren H. Carroll.
Front Royal, VA: Christendom College Press, 1987.

The cruelty of Christians to other Christians and Jews. The cruelty and success of Islam, fueled by the belief in a heavenly material paradise when one gives up one's life fighting the enemies of Islam--with two beautiful women, not their wives, ever ready to serve the male martyrs. Reinforces my belief that Mormonism and Islam have much in common, including a history of violence.

The use of the Crusades by Pope Urban II to present a united Christian front against the terrors and almost unbroken success of Islam, and his belief that in organizing the Crusades he is channeling the aggressive behavior of the sons of the feudal Western world into a good cause. [Reminds of King Arthur, TH White's The Once and Future King.]

The steady clarification of Christian doctrine, especially the nature of Christ and the Virgin Mary, the role of grace in salvation and the rise and decline of various heresies, challenges to the beliefs of orthodox Christianity. But until the challenges came, the clarification could not be formulated. So heresies had their role in the definition of Christian doctrine.

The dual role of the Pope, who, in councils and with intention to define, issues infallible statements on Christian belief and who is also the unchallenged and unchallengeable leader of Christ's Church. Don't confuse the two. The first can never be challenged and is infallibly correct, but neither can the second role be challenged, although individual Popes in organizing and ruling the Church can make errors of judgment, morality and injustice. Does this mean that the sacrament of Penance could be withdrawn or established in a different form? Could the belief in transubstantiation, the reception of the actual body and blood of Christ in holy communion, be changed to a commemoration of Christ's last supper? Does this mean that a Pope could establish women as priests? That priests could be married? Are these issues of faith and morals or issues in the organization of the Church? The Latin Mass was certainly changed. Before the change, the Latin Mass seemed to be essential to the unity of the Roman Catholic world.

I find this account of Christian history to be weakened by using legends and hearsay and reverential tone as "evidence" for historical events, including speculation about what this person "probably" did. But the narrative flows, and the main message that in spite of towering obstacles, Christ's Church, with God's assistance, brought good out of evil, slowly grew and defined itself after the fall of the Roman Empire. The author emphasized human personality and its effect on history. He has many very interesting stories about people to tell, most often about their cruelty.

Noted that at one point, all signs suggested the end of the world and the second coming of Christ.

Also useful was the author's definition of Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Modernism and Secular Humanism.