The Formation of Christendom

Judith Herrin argues here that neither later medieval/modern Western Europe nor the Islamic World would have developed as they did without the Byzantine Empire, and that religion was a key structural force in these varying developments. Byzantium was a buffer between the Dar al-Islam and much of Christian Europe, yet it was heavily influenced by Muslim aniconism; a rejection of iconoclastic extremes and also of Byzantine caesaropapism shaped how Christian institutions and particularly Carolingian power developed in western Europe. There are definite shades of Pirenne here, and parts of The Formation of Christendom have been superseded by later scholarship in the 30 or so years since this book was still published. Despite this and some show more other minor quibbles, there's still much to benefit from here; Herrin's explication of the icon controversy is authoritative. show less

A beautifully structured account of the transition from Late Antiquity to the early Medieval era. Rather than give separate histories of the rise of the papacy, the evolution of Byzantium, and the establishment of the Carolingian Empire, Herrin synthesizes these movements and shows how their interrelationships formed post-Roman Europe. For example, she discusses how rivalry between iconoclasts and iconophiles in the east helped drive the Pope and Charlemagne into an alliance that broke the hold that the emperor in Constantinople had over the western church, culminating in Charlemagne being crowned Emperor in 800 by Pope Leo III. The final chapter is a lovely meditation on the monastic libraries of the island of Reichenau in Lake show more Constance. It doesn't provide a grand summation so much as a lovely coda to an ongoing story. show less

This is a scholarly work about a fairly obscure subject. It isn't about the spread of religion. Instead, the book deals with the transition of the various political entities of Europe from secular states into Christian ones. It describes the increase of the power of the Church as it fills the vacuum left by the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Activities such as looking after the poor, maintaining public buildings and organizing and regulating commence became the domain of religious leaders. By undertaking these actions they gained the popular support of the people. They soon established the right of the Church to advise and even make demands upon secular leaders

This is not a casual beach book, but for those interested in European show more history it provides an interesting look at the transition from Roman authority to feudal suzerainty. show less

Ms Herrin wades into an area with little surviving evidence, and has the courage to produce a very readable synthesis from a number of disparate sources. I applaud her work!

Highly recommended. A synthesis of European and Christian history emphasizing the eventual parting of the ways of the West (Rome) and the East (Byzantium). The author's erudition is impressive reaching back to the latin and greek sources. The writing is a little dull at times, but the information is well-presented and compelling.