The Making of Europe : An Introduction to the History of European Unity

Christopher Dawson

ISBN 10: 0813210836 / ISBN 13: 9780813210834

Published by Catholic University Of America Press Dez 2002, 2002

About this Item

Neuware - -- A book in systematic metaphysics and the philosophy of religion. Oliva Blanchette provides a critical response to the Heideggerian deconstruction of metaphysics. He pulls together in a coherent and encompassing whole a number of essential themes -- such as Being, Goodness, Truth, the Universe, Becoming, Substance, Matter, Form, Potency, Act, Diversity, Transcendence, Immanence, and Metaphysics itself -- and shows how they belong together when considered in the light of traditional philosophy.-- The author explores what metaphysics is about and how relevant it remains today.

Seller Inventory # 9780813210834

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Making of Europe : An Introduction to the History of European Unity
• Publisher: Catholic University Of America Press Dez 2002
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813210836
• ISBN 13: 9780813210834
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 204W x 156H x 21D millimeters 204 millimeters width by 156 millimeters height by 21 millimeters depth
• Weight: 445 grams

About this title

Synopsis

In this seminal work, described by the Times Literary Supplement as "impressive alike by the authority of its learning and the originality of its argument," Christopher Dawson concludes that the period of the fourth to the eleventh centuries commonly known as the Dark Ages is not a barren prelude to the creative energy of the medieval world. Instead, he argues that it is better described as "ages of dawn," for it is in this rich and confused period that the complex and creative interaction of the Roman empire, the Christian Church, the classical tradition, and barbarous societies provided the foundation for a vital, unified European culture.

In an age of fragmentation and the emergence of new nationalist forces, Dawson argued that if "our civilization is to survive, it is essential that it should develop a common European consciousness and sense of historic and organic unity." But he was clear that this unity required sources deeper and more complex than the political and economic movements on which so many had come to depend, and he insisted, prophetically, that Europe would need to recover its Christian roots if it was to survive.

Glenn Olsen has noted that Dawson's point "was that the spread and history of Christianity had provided the narrative which had formed Europe and taken out of this narrative, Europe could hardly be spoken of as existing." In a time of cultural and political ambiguity, The Making of Europe is an indispensable work for understanding not only the rich sources but also the contemporary implications of the very idea of Europe.

About the Author

Christopher Dawson (1889-1970) was a British independent scholar, who wrote many books on cultural history and Christendom. Dawson has been called "the greatest English-speaking Catholic historian of the twentieth century.