PortalsOS

During the Italian Renaissance, the Catholic Church became a major patron of the arts, funding projects like St. Peter's Basilica and embracing Hermeticism and Platonism.

The Catholic Church stands with Confucian China as two organizations that have persisted for 2,000 years. Both were created by a ruling class based on moral principles and have lasted due to their adherence to these principles and sacred texts.

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Church positioned itself against modernity, and as modernity proved impressive, people began to see the Church as outdated.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.

In the High Middle Ages, the Catholic Church's influence was so pervasive in Western Europe that it shaped the very identity of its people. They identified first as Christians rather than Europeans, and this religious framework influenced everything from science to ethics.

During the Dark Ages, the Catholic Church faced theological disputes, particularly with Arian Christians like the Visigoths and Ostrogoths. These groups believed Christ was a man connected to God, not divine. This theological stance led to political tensions and oppression of local Catholics by these Germanic elites.

Universities in medieval Europe originated as Catholic institutions and became key in developing cities as organizational alternatives to the Church. By the 12th century, they began secularizing, showing Europe's rapid adoption of logical traditions from Byzantines and Muslims.