An interesting review of the situation in the reign of Theodosius, with a thesis that the council of Constantinople led to a shutting down of an age of toleration and critical thinking, ushering in the dark ages.

There is much to commend the book, and the case is well argued using suitable source material. However, the thesis fails ultimately because of the tendency to think more highly of the previous situation than is deserved. The golden age of critical thinking and toleration is asserted, but it is not at all clear that such really ever existed.

There are also questions over whether Theodosius' decrees were anything new, among other issues. Most other historians of the period would perhaps write a different book to this one, and it is for the reader to decide whether Freeman has discovered something the academics have overlooked, or whether his thesis tends to focus to greatly on some specifics at the expense of the greater picture. But all in all its still a sound book that starts a useful debate an re-evaluation of Church history. ( )