An Introduction to the History of Christianity, A.D. 590-1314 (English Edition)

The term "Dark Ages" is not a misnomer, though it covers a period of decay, disorder, and confusion. At the same time there are signs to show that the light of reason was by no means extinguished. On the contrary, especially in the Church, great conservative and creative forces were at work which preserved much of the older civilization and also brought new conceptions of social order into being. The period from the opening of the ninth to the middle of the eleventh century was characterized by the inextinguishable vitality of the Church, and especially the Roman Church, under every conceivable disadvantage. This may be said to be due to (I) The inherent strength of the Papacy. (II) The retention of the law and languages of the Roman world. (III) The constant development of religious ideas under the influence of monasticism. (IV) The formulation of doctrines and practices, which were accepted for centuries. That such things should have been possible when Europe was a prey to barbarism, continually bursting in through new and unexpected channels, is sufficient proof that neither the light of divine guidance nor of human intelligence had entirely failed.

Contents:
Chapter I. The Pillars of the Medieval Church. Monasticism and the Papacy
Chapter II. The Church and the Empire
Chapter III. The So-Called Dark Ages
Chapter IV. The Church, Empire of the West
Chapter V. The Revival and Reorganization of the Papacy
Chapter VI. The Crusades
Chapter VII. Learning and Heresy in the Early Middle Ages
Chapter VIII. The Medieval Church as a Disciplinary Institution
Chapter IX. The Friars – The Schoolmen – The Universities
Chapter X. The Papacy and the House of Hohenstaufen
Chapter XI. The French Monarchy and the Papacy
Chapter XII. England
Chapter XIII. A Survey of Society
Chapter XIV. Dante and the Decay of Medievalism