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The Catholic Church's influence in banning incestuous marriages contributed to the development of Western civilization, setting it apart from other regions.

Chris Dawson explains that the distinct legal identities of medieval European cities developed to uphold Christian morality in densely populated areas, contrasting with the rural parishes. This led to the creation of Republican institutions to maintain moral codes.

The Catholic Church played a pivotal role during the Dark Ages by preserving knowledge. As the Roman Empire fell, the Church acted like Asimov's 'Foundation,' maintaining and reintroducing civilization through social engineering and the preservation of classical Greco-Roman lore.

The Catholic and Protestant churches were powerful in pre-modern Europe due to the weak state, providing social organization and fostering ideals of personal responsibility and individualism.

The Catholic Church in medieval Europe allowed for a surprising amount of political discourse, providing structures for what could be agreed upon and what could not. This openness to disagreement is a notable aspect of the Church's influence at the time.

The Catholic Church positioned itself against modernity, and as modernity proved impressive, people began to see the Church as outdated. This irony lies in the fact that modernity itself emerged from Christianity.

The Catholic Church's continuity is remarkable, especially considering the logistical challenges it faced in maintaining tradition and civilization through fragile communication networks in the past.

Catholicism's competitive advantage lies in its deep, holistic tradition, including cosmology, internal structure, and mystic traditions, which surpass those of Protestantism.

Christianity's status as the largest religion on earth is due to a consistent effort to revitalize it in various contexts over the centuries. This universal recurrence of Christian leadership has helped maintain its influence.

The Catholic Church's historical ban on cousin marriages led to societal traits like individualism and trust, contrasting with more collectivist societies where such marriages are common.