How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization by Thomas E. Woods Jr.

How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization Reviews

• 
  Amora

  Historian and libertarian radio host Thomas E. Woods digs deep into how Christianity produced belief in science, capitalism before Adam Smith, international law, charity, medieval art and architecture, and the university system. Woods’ research also shows the many myths surrounding the Church to be either greatly exaggerated or counterfactual. Every page in this wonderful book has a fact is bound to undercut conventional knowledge on the Catholic Church.
• 
  Brian

  Surprisingly this book took this long to be written. But thank God! How necessary it is this book expecially when the European Union has decided to disregard any of its existence on its Christian heritage. Europe simply is not Europe without Christianity. And by Christianity I do mean the Catholic Church.
  
  It's been common for so long for history textbooks and history studies to more or less disregard anything in European culture that occurred between the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. Not sure why exactly this is. As if the "surge" in arts and sciences during in the so-called Renaissance (anyone ever bothered to ask the question of who actually named it the "Renaissance" and why?) happened in a vacuum.
  
  The facts are this: European history is nothing without these medieval writers, theologians, artists, artisans, matallurgists, and lawyers. Everything from astronomy, medicine, law had origins during the "Middle Ages" and was developed by the Catholic Church. The Universities? Developed and perfected by The Church. The origins of the modern hospital (nearly unheard of before this time)? Thanks again to the Church.
  
  Oh and the so called Inquisition courts and all their bad press? They were actually preferred to the secular government courts, because and accused could be assured that they were being represented fairly in court by an actual learned attorney and not some government appointed representative who was probably corrupt. And the Inquisition coursts actually had punishments that fit the crime. (the comparison examples of the number capital crimes and exucutions committed by Inquisition courts versus government courts was especially eye-opening)
  
  Of course it might be politically incorrect to praise the Catholic Church these days. People have the misconception that some antiquated institution with some old leaders wearing weird costumes could not have actually built up Western Civilization. Not sure what the answer is to correct these along with all other falsehoods and slander being published these days as history. But this book could go a long way. But it is only as good as long as it is read.
  
  
• 
  Jacob Aitken

  Reading Prof Woods' book is sometimes like listening to a grandfather talk about his grandkids. Nonetheless, this book is important and scores major points on a number of key issues. I found the following bits of information useful and I will end on a critique of Woods' methodology.
  
  His section on how the Catholic church preserved the ancient learning is standard fare today. Only the most obstinate would deny it. The section on the monks parallels Thomas Cahill's account of the Irish.
  
  I especially enjoyed his account of how the monks cleared the land and made it hospitable for living. They took land that was the equivalent of the area around the mouth of the Mississippi and made it mirrors of paradise. They experimented with technology and were able to make many scientific breakthroughs. Woods speculates they would have preceded the Industrial Revolution by a couple of centuries and spared the working class many of the horrors of it.
  
  Woods scored major points on Science. He showed how the Christian worldview destroyed the pantheistic worldviews of the ancient world, worldviews that make true science impossible. He does a good job on the Galileo incident. Galileo had only a brief area correct and with much arrogance, he proceeded to insult those who were actually trying to help him. Galileo's model was mathematically strained and it was the church, irony of ironies, that demanded scientific evidence of Galileo.
  
  Woods scored huge points in his section on art. And as a Protestant, I admit that my church has done a terrible job on aesthetics and the Incarnation. I especially loved the section on the Cathedrals.
  
  In his chapter on International law Woods notes that there must be a transcendent law above nations, but this also poses a problem. If we posit a law above nations to which nations can appeal, then who is the Umpire that arbritrates between the nations? Woods' point is that government, whether national or international, doesn't solve this problem, it only shifts it.
  
  His section on the Market was both a good primer in free market and economics and an annoying example of Sherlock Holmes' "dog that didn't bark." Yes, I agree with Prof Woods that Spanish scholastics anticipated the free market and the gold standard. I also agree that Protestants have anticipated the Marxist fascination with the wage labor. But why did not Woods mention how Papal encyclicals this century put a strain of free market libertarianism? What Woods did not mention was just as significant as what he did.
  
  Evaluation:
  All Christians, Protestants and Catholics, need to read this book. Woods, like many, equates the word "catholic" with the word "Catholic." Protestantism did forever separate the Christendom ideal, but one can also make the claim that late medieval scholastics, Occam and Scotus, were doing a good job as well. Scotus introduced categories that would strain the good parts of Anselm and Aquinas. Long before Luther conciliar movements were questioning the hegemony of the Pope. These are two examples of how the "throne and altar" were beginning to crack. The problem began long before Protestantism.
• 
  Kris

  Woods’s bias is clear. His favoritism toward the Catholic Church heavily colors his scholarly arguments, and as a result I felt skeptical while reading this book.
  
  First off, as other reviewers have pointed out, the claim that Catholics “built” Western civilization isn’t an accurate descriptor. I think terms like “heavily influenced” or maybe “shaped” would be better. Sure, Christianity was a foundation for many Western principles, but Woods seems to be straining to prove that Catholic leaders specifically and intentionally thought up nearly every academic subject and useful invention in Europe. The subtext cries out that it’s always Catholics always inventing everything.
  
  The book not only contains a biased tone and is too wide in scope, but it’s also uneven in structure. Woods devotes an entire (tiny) chapter on Catholic foundations in economics, which is embarrassingly lacking in content and connections. In his last chapter, everything seems to be up for grabs as he throws in a hodge-podge of ideas about natural rights, dueling, suicide, and infanticide. Dubious claims are sprinkled throughout the book; one in particular that struck me as odd is Woods’s note that Martin Luther was as “inveterate an enemy of the Catholic Church as ever lived.” Um… no. I’m no historian and even I know that’s not true.
  
  In all fairness, I did learn new things from this book. Woods shows great clarity in explaining Galileo’s dealings with the church, and makes some great connections between Christianity and man’s natural rights. And of course, the Catholic Church’s long-standing commitment to charity can’t be criticized. The conclusion was too short, but still contained poignant insights: beautiful cathedrals have sadly become nothing but “museum pieces, interesting curiosities to an unbelieving world,” he says. I admire Woods’s point that Europe has created a “self-imposed historical amnesia,” having forgotten its Christian roots.
  
  Regardless of his good points, I can’t ignore the holes in his analysis or the bias in his writing. Simply put, Woods doesn’t coherently present enough evidence and analysis to prove his thesis. But I admire his efforts. If only the end product had lived up to its title.
  
• 
  Richard

  This book is absolutely fabulous. There is so much good information here of which I was totally unaware. I had the impression "Middle Ages, Dark Ages... nothing much happening of importance in the world." Nothing could be farther from the truth.
  
  Here is a quick smattering of what I didn't know before. The Church started the University system in the 1200s. The Church was a huge supporter of the sciences throughout its history. Indeed, most of the scientific discoveries of the Middle Ages came from monasteries or from people who owed much to monastic thought. The story of Galileo's persecution generally omits key facts, and in any case is something of an outlier. There is no other example of the Church sanctioning scientific inquiry during that time. The Church first developed the key concepts of international law and of economic theory. The Catholic Church initiated and institutionalized the practice of charity. Catholic thinkers developed the ethical framework that is today embodied in the US Declaration of Independence and the Constitution including the Bill of Rights. The Catholic Church was a powerful positive transformational force for Western civilization, in marked contrast to the relative lack of development experienced in societies dominated by Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, or paganism.
  
  As an added bonus, the book is not a difficult read at all. I give this book my highest, unqualified recommendation to anyone who cares one whit about history and especially to those who want to learn more about the origins of where we as Americans came from.
• 
  Manuel Alfonseca

  ENGLISH: A comprehensive analysis of the way in which Western Civilization arose thanks to the Catholic Church. I've enjoyed especially the chapters on the University, science, international law, and charity. This book has been discussed on January 2022 in the Goodreads Catholic Book Club.
  
  ESPAÑOL: Análisis exhaustivo de cómo surgió la Civilización Occidental gracias a la Iglesia Católica. Me han gustado especialmente los capítulos sobre la Universidad, la ciencia, el derecho internacional y la caridad. Este libro ha sido objeto de discusión en enero de 2022 en el Club del Libro Católico de Goodreads.
  
• 
  Christopher

  Perhaps a more appropriate title would be "How the Catholic Church Has Been of Benefit to Western Civilization" The other title, a bit too grand for a 280 page book.
  
  It was interesting. I never realized how important monks were with their scientific mind set, their zeal to preserve and copy classic manuscripts, and their community oriented service. Most of the latin manuscripts from ancient Rome and Greece we have today were because of those early monks.
  
  The church also established the university system. And the author showed evidence that the church also established the modern hospital as we know it.
  
  He did not go into the church's oppression, nor manner of political influence that today we deem to be ruthless, godless, and corrupt. For instance there was no mention of the the church's infamous debacle with Galileo. Instead, he focused on things parts of the church did to counter it.
  
  He cited how many priests were vocally critical of the Spanish's treatment of the natives in the new world. Most interesting he cited sources of early scholastic priests arguing for inalienable rights two centuries before John Locke did. In addition, to my taste, he cited 16th century priests treating economic theory 200 years before Adam Smith and getting things right that Smith got wrong.
  
  So, overall a fantastic read, but the subject matter is far too vast to be contained in such a short read. But I do recommend it. It helped keep in mind that for a millennium after the fall of the Roman empire the Catholic church was the only voice for civilization and good in the western world.
• 
  Chris Friend

  I read this one out of genuine interest, with an open mind to see a different side of church history. (I was raised Protestant, so my view is a bit tainted.) This book reminds me of an elusive mosquito flying around inside my room -- I keep listening for it, but when it's audible, it's annoying. The author brought forth a very interesting collection of ideas created or inspired by priests and monks from Catholic history, but what he never convincingly did was explain how Catholicism, or the ideology of the church (and not simply its individual members) helped foster such wide-reaching reform and inspiration as he suggested the church as a whole is responsible. Also, if I were to remove the words "antiquity" and "milieu" from the author's vocabulary, verily, I say unto thee, verily shall he wither into nothing and perish ever more.
• 
  Arnoldas Rutkauskas

  Perdėm vienpusiškas vaizdas, pagrįstas nulinuko lygio argumentais. Išvedinėjimai ir pritempinėjimai, tai oho, kokio lygio. Skaitant toks jausmas, kad be bažnyčios pasaulis nesisuka, o mes neegzistuojam
• 
  Terri

  So good! This was actually the book I ordered, alongside the Catechism, when I first was interested in becoming Catholic (or rather, beginning to practice the faith I had been baptised into 19 years earlier). I didn't make it past halfway before attending Mass for the first time in my life and signing up for classes to prepare for my Confirmation. A couple of years on, I have finally picked up and finished this book. I am so glad that it sparked my interest in the Catholic faith, and I'm sure that had I not come across it, I would've spent my 20s floating around aimlessly on some vague doctrine of self-importance and empowerment.
• 
  Neil

  It's a shame that the greatest prejudice in the world still exists today...hatred towards the Catholic Church. I recommend all intelligent people (and especially Catholics) listen to this audiobook or read it to gain a true understanding of what the Catholic Church did for Western civilization.
• 
  David

  How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization is loaded with fascination facts, back stories, and great thinkers to up your knowledge level about some of the world's great discoveries. Many people today, when they hear Catholic Church, immediately think about scandals like pedophile priests, and that is a serious problem. But there is another side of the Church that is almost like a best kept secret. Some of the most brilliant scholars are among the clergy and monks of different orders within the Church that made scientific breakthroughs, established the basis for legal systems and human rights, and developed numerous inventions to name a few. It reads a bit dry at times, but if you stay with it, you will be amazed at what you will learn. For example, the dimensions and layouts of cathedrals were designed to aid in scientific research by means of strategically placed windows and portholes in studying the movements of the bodies in the solar system. If you have an interest in how certain knowledge came about and by whom, this book is for you.
• 
  Karina

  The jacket is stunning. I've just started reading, and the first chapter is more like an overview, more of a preface or an introduction. I do hope the author will go into more detail in further chapters.
  
  --
  There's a lot of good information I didn't know. I liked the way the author sort of pointed out the importance of the Catholic ideas to the development of science, in particular (e.g. the universe - because it was created by God - is orderly and intelligible, so we can study it. By contrast, the ancients thought all nature was sort of personified, had its own will, and thus cannot be predicted, etc.).
  
  There was a little bit hostility to other belief systems. For instance, I noticed in one place a debate between a catholic cardinal and a prominent protestant which wasn't relevant to the topic at hand, and so I thought it was unnecessary to describe it. I think he was just trying to sort of introduce that catholic cardinal this way by relating an anecdote about him. But it struck me as unfair to the other side, because there is probably a lot more to that debate than this. In a different chapter, the author contrasted a couple of economic ideas and tried to show that the protestant thinking led to the incorrect model... I thought he was pushing it a bit much.
• 
  Robert

  Lots of information in a relatively small space. Nicely edited and Complete with references to whomever is interested to deepen on a subject area. The contributions of the Church to the arts, music, architecture, charity work and, of course, morality are, or used to be, well known. But what really took me aback was Dr. Woods' exposition about how modern science is really a derivative of medieval theology. That should be of great interest these days, given the veneration, almost worship, rendered to science lately. And not only that, we all should be reminded about where our most noble and advanced ideas in law, natural human rights, economy and the institution of the University really come from.
• 
  Benjamin Spurlock

  An absolutely fantastic read, easily approachable yet well-researched. Thomas E. Woods Jr. takes on the common misconceptions about the 'Dark' Ages and the role of the Catholic Church within it, and shows that not only are they incorrect, but often they run counter to how history actually ran.
  
  Anyone interested in the history of Western civilization, no matter their religious or philosophical persuasion, should read this book. Few images are as inspiring to me as that of the clergy, desperately attempting to salvage civilization from the relentless onslaughts and tragedies with which they were faced. That this book was written, and that we appreciate it, proves that their labor and sacrifices were not in vain.
• 
  J.M. Varner

  (listened to audiobook via Overdrive)
• 
  Ebookwormy1

  In the interest of disclosure, I suppose I should start by saying that while I am a follower of Jesus Christ, I am not a Catholic. I have many disagreements with the Catholic Church, such as the elevation of tradition to the level of inspiration (placing the thoughts/ writings of the Church fathers and papacy on the same level with Biblical revelation), veneration of icons, required celibacy of priests, etc. However, recently, I have noticed that Catholicism has gotten two things right about which I am passionate: 1) Life issues, particularly abortion and euthanasia; and 2) Speaking out against persecution of Christians by Islamic and Communist nations. Because the Catholic Church is an international non-governmental organization, it has been able to consistently speak out about these issues without the political/ diplomatic constraints that impair our governments from promoting these ideas and maintaining an intractable focus on these concerns of life and liberty.
  
  That said, when I heard of this book, I was interested in reading it for two reasons: 1)Seeing God's hand working in history is amazing to me; and 2) I am interested in exploration of the concept that saturation of a culture by Christianity inevitably creates benefits beyond the spiritual for both Christians and non-believers alike.
  
  This book was informative. The main focus is the contribution of individual members of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages in both preserving the knowledge of antiquity and then building upon it pillars of thought that became the foundation of western civilization as we know it. While contributions of the papacy and the church as a centralized organization are mentioned, the focus is on individuals and monastic organizations. I found the discussions of universities, law (civil and international as well as the concept of innate human rights), economics, science and charity to be particularly strong. Manuscript preservation/ copying, architecture and morality were much as I expected, although the discussion of the arts was downright disappointing.
  
  The book suffers from three weaknesses. One is that it's limited scope undermines it's thesis. While the author addresses some concerns head on "Was the Catholic Church anti-science? What about Galileo?", his complete silence on more complex matters, such as the debauchery of the papacy in the same time frame, leaves the reader feeling that we are getting a high-gloss perspective on the Catholic Church. Secondly, the author makes several (admittedly scattered) pejorative references about Protestantism and the Reformation which detract from his message. Most readers will be cognizant that we are not getting the entire story. Mr. Woods' affirmation of his Catholic faith and his touching dedication to passing it on to his children unfortunately serves to highlight a reader's concerns about Woods' ability to provide an objective look at the contributions of the Catholic Church he loves. Finally, non-fiction writing is going through an evolution of which Mr. Woods is either unaware or incapable of emulating. The exceptional writing of Adam Hochschild's "King Leopold's Ghost" or Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City" as well as captivating journalistic works like Melissa Fay Greene's "There is no me without you" and Martin Meredith's "The Fate of Africa", are changing the way we read about history. Woods' dry, text book approach, while acceptable for an academic, is not going to propel either his work or his thesis into mainstream discussion. And I think that is too bad, because his ideas warrant discussion.
  
  These weaknesses are unfortunate, as the information the book does present is well researched and well thought through. Mr. Woods' efforts contributed significantly to my thoughts about those unexpected/ unintentional benefits of the saturation of Christianity to believers and unbelievers. I would be interested in reading more on this topic.
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Chris Comis

  Good introduction to the developing interest in Christendom. Woods does a good job of showing how what we call "Western Culture" is really just the cultural by-product of Christendom as it was developed in the middle ages. I have two beefs with the book though:
  First off, he should've titled the book "How the Catholic Church Built Christendom," rather than using the politically correct phrase "Western Civilization." But even this phrase has become blacklisted by our current priests of multiculturalism. And secondly, for being an Ivy League trained historian he sure took a lot of undeserved shots at the Reformation. I understand he is a practicing Roman Catholic and all, but even most RCs will confess these days that the Reformation was needed for all the abuses going on in the Church at the time. Woods often takes a "white-hats/black-hats" approach to the history of Christendom. He gives credit where credit is due, but then he turns around and blasts those who were actually trying to re-catholicize the Church and Society (i.e., the magisterial reformers).
  
  Overall, a great book for learning about our (true and faithful) Catholic roots, which have brought about Christendom as we know it today.
• 
  Anne

  The purpose of the book: "All of these areas: economic thought, international law, science, university life, charity, religious ideas, art, morality-- these are the foundations of a civilization, and in the West every single one of them emerged from the heart of the Catholic Church."
  
  This book exposes a lot of the myths we have come to assume are facts about the history of Western thought and its relationship to Catholic Christianity. I was particularly interested in the connection between belief in God and art/architecture. The Dean of the School of Philosophy at Catholic University spoke of a link between a civilization's art and its consciousness of the transcendent and explains the connection between modern "anti-metaphysical philosophy" and our art and architecture. This section really connected with me since modern and postmodern art and literature have never really resonated with me. Lots of food for thought from a guy with four Ivy League degrees-- hopefully enough credibility to share with someone who may not have already bought in, so to speak.
• 
  Carol Apple

  "How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization" is an excellent survey of what occurred in Europe between approximately 200 AD and the Renaissance, which for many of us is a giant blank spot in our historical consciousness. Although the book covers the topic of Catholic influence on thought and culture right up to the present, the bulk of the material focuses on the middle ages. The great ideas about natural rights, international law, humane justice, charity to the poor and sick, and experimental science are often associated with thinkers of 17th and 18th centuries, but it turns out these ideas did not just pop into history from nowhere. Where did the concepts and frameworks that currently define civilization come from? Thomas E. Woods strongly suggests some very convincing answers to that question.
  
  I listened to the audio book and found it informative and enjoyable, an excellent door-opener to further research. I plan to use it as one of several texts for my homeschooling son's western civ course next year.
• 
  Antonio Malcata

  Este livro relembra algo que, em 2021, já parece estar muito esquecido e ignorado: a Igreja foi a principal construtora da civilização ocidental. Arte, arquitetura, ciência, universidades, direito, moralidade, economia. A Igreja teve um papel fundamental em todas estas áreas e este livro evidencia bem isso.
  
  E parece que, hoje em dia, os próprios católicos têm vergonha de falar da Igreja.
  Acho que se têm vergonha é porque não conhecem realmente a sua história magnífica e o legado enorme que nos deu a todos (e que nos dá).
  Este livro dá-nos a conhecer tudo isto.
  
  Aconselho verdadeiramente a leitura a todos.
  Amigos católicos, para conhecerem e se orgulharem da Igreja.
  E amigos não católicos, para desconstruir os muitos preconceitos que há contra a Igreja. Ou simplesmente porque, enquanto livro de história, achei muito interessante e ajuda a perceber alguns dos pilares da nossa sociedade!
• 
  J.

  This book is really the most in-depth book I have encountered thus far on real Catholic History. After reading a book like this I am quite proud to say that I am Catholic in spite of the problems it faces today. Dr. Tom Woods does a great job of speaking in the positive while refuting the negative claims against The Church. This book is more then a primer, it is a knowledge base, a well-spring of historical facts that refute the popular misconceptions so easily! Dr. Tom Woods has done a great job with a plenitude of references and endnotes to back up his claims. Rightfully, the longest chapter is in the book is about "Catholicism and Science" which I believe will refute the more militant atheists claims about the alleged conflict between science and religion as well.
• 
  Joe

  This is exceedingly interesting and is extensively footnoted. The bibliography has 154 books in it making the book an excellent reference for the church's involvement in any number of contributions to the modern world. Woods covers a vast scope of time and content, frequently citing non christian scholars to show that the influence of the church is simple fact. He also provides an overview of a number of key figures and time periods in the Church summarizing both the basics and the most recent hypotheses on its historical influence. Finally, he gives a helpful review of the whole galileo affair which is quite helpful to put in its proper place.
• 
  Eric

  I was somewhat surprised, but I suppose also pleased, to learn from Woods that our more modern view indicates that the "dark ages" were somewhat shorter, and less dark, than what I seem to recall growing up as being a thousand years of societal nothing; yes, a bit overstated, I guess. Having myself read some of the works of Stanley Jaki, which pose a modern science beholden to works that spring from antiquity, they seem to support Woods' argument that the whole Galileo story of Catholic darkness is rather overblown. A good overview without being exhaustive of how we got to where we are, even if one is not Catholic.
• 
  Eric Wurm

  This book reads as an unrelenting apologetic for the church. The author deflects the bulk of any criticism of the church while simultaneously implying that the church is to be credited for every advancement in humanity for the last 2000 years. Vladimir Putin would blush at the level of propaganda having been thoroughly outdone.
• 
  Kevin Estabrook

  Listened to this book over the summer. The style was a bit rough, but the content was enlightening. I don't think people are really aware of the positive impact the Church has had on the development of culture...
• 
  Adnan

  If you ever thought that Catholicism constituted the main reasons for darkness in the Christian world, especially in the middle ages, making them the dark ages, then you are in desperate need to read this book -- that is, if you wanted your views challenged.
• 
  Raphael Bastos

  Caí nesse livro por acaso por conta dos podcasts do Tom Woods e do Stefan Molyneux, e acabei retornando à minha perdida fé (se é que um dia tive, não sei se apenas a catequese contava), então não tenho nada além de gratidão pela sua existência e extensa pesquisa sobre o assunto, pois é algo que vou levar comigo para o resto da vida.
  
  O livro é curto, mas excelente para aqueles que não sabem sobre a história da Igreja Católica e querem saber mais. Ele é muito mais instigante do que uma satisfação teológica ou histórica maior. Me sinto com muito mais vontade de procurar mais outros livros sobre cada assunto específico que ele trata no livro que a Igreja teve influencia (arte, direito, moral, ciência, manutenção do conhecimento antigo, etc.)
  
  Não dou as 5 estrelas simplesmente por ser apenas um compilado de tudo mais que existe e que podem ser encontrados através da bibliografia, mas com certeza é excelente e vai ser minha recomendação para todos que, como eu, querem saber mais sobre a história do catolicismo.