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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.

The conversion of the Franks to Catholicism was a strategic alliance with the local ruling class, enabling them to become the predominant military power in Western Europe. This contrasts with the Visigoths and Ostrogoths, who opposed the local ruling class by adhering to Arianism.

The Counter-Reformation, led by figures like Ignatius Loyola who founded the Jesuits, spurred a burst of creativity in Catholic Europe, influencing art and culture. However, this culture eventually fossilized, while Protestantism continued to innovate and embrace new ideas and technologies.

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Church positioned itself against modernity, and as modernity proved impressive, people began to see the Church as outdated.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

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.