Understanding the Modern Culture Wars: 
The Essentials of Western Civilization

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Prologue

 11

 

Section 1: The Mediterranean World

 

25
Chapter 2: Obstacles, Diversity and Trade  27

I.    Introduction 

II.   The Obstacle of Transportation

III.  Diversity as Both an Opportunity and an Obstacle 

IV.  Plunder as an Obstacle to Life 
Chapter 3: Early Civilizations 41

I.    Introduction 

II.   Economic Life 

III.  Religious Life 

IV.  Political Life 

     A.    Egypt

     B.    Mesopotamia 

V.   Conclusion

Chapter 4: Building Empires 

 63

I.    The Assyrians 

II.   The Resurgence of Babylon by the Chaldeans 

III.  The Persian Empire 
Chapter 5: Greece  77

I.    A Brief History 

II.   Philosophy

III.  Alexander and the Spread of Hellenism 

     A.    The Attempt to Hellenize Judea 

     B.    The Ptolemaic Empire 
Chapter 6: The Roman Empire 99

I.    The Roman Republic 

II.   Revolution and the Rise of the Emperors of Rome 

III.  Some Other Issues of Life in Rome 
Chapter 7: Christianity 119

I.   The Fullness of Time

II.  Early Church History 

 

Section 2: The Middle Ages

 

139
Chapter 8: The Early Period 141

I.    The Fall of Rome 

II.   The Byzantine Empire 

III.  The Rise of Islam

IV.  Western Europe 

Chapter 9: Feudalism

 161

I.  The Political Environment

II.  Life on the Manor

Chapter 10: The Church and the State

 175

I.   The Spread of Christianity and the 
     Development of the Roman Catholic Church 

II.  Monasticism 

III. The Crusades

Chapter 11: Intellectual Pursuits 

 197

I.    An Overview 

II.   Scholasticism 

      A.   Anselm 

      B.   Thomas Aquinas 

      C.   William of Occam 

III.  Science and Technology
Chapter 12: Growth and Development in the Later Period 217

I.    The Renewal and Growth of European Cities 

II.   Building Cathedrals 

III.  The Rise of Nations 

A.    England and France 

B.    Spain 

 

Section 3: The Early Modern Era

 

233
Chapter 13: The Renaissance 235

I.  Challenging the Christian Religion 

     A.    Petrarch (1304-1374) and Boccaccio (1313-1375)

     B.    Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) 

II.  Renaissance Art and Literature 

     A.    Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) 

     B.    Michelangelo (1475-1564) 

III.  The Changing Political Climate 
Chapter 14: The Protestant Reformation 251

I.     Introduction 

II.    Early Reformers 

III.   Martin Luther 

IV.   John Calvin 

V.    The Reformation and England 

VI.   The Catholic Reformation 

VII.  The Impact of the Reformation on Life in Continental Europe
Chapter 15: The Advancement of Science 277

I.    Introduction 

II.   The Essence of Scientific Inquiry 

III.  The Development of Modern Science

     A.    Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) 

     B.    The Copernican Revolution 

     C.    The Relationship Between Theology and Science 

     D.    Vesalius 
Chapter 16: Exploration and Trade 291

I.    Introduction 

II.   Exploration, Discovery, and the Commercial Revolution 

III.  Mercantilism

 

Section 4:  The Modern Era:  Conflicting World Views

 

303
Chapter 17: The Battle for Human Minds 305

I.    Introduction 

II.   The Movement to Rationalism 

III.  Sowing the Seeds of Irrational Thought
Chapter 18: The Battle for Human Hearts 327

I.    The Rise of Romanticism 

II.   Social Reform and the Growing Influence of Marxism 

III.  The Religion of No Religion: A Leap of Faith Beyond the Facts

IV.  The Subversion of Christianity
Chapter 19: The Battle for Political Control 353

I.    Introduction 

II.   A Judeo-Christian View of the Purpose of Government 

III.  The Misuse of Government Power 

IV.  From Rousseau to Marx to Hitler: 
      The Political Catastrophes of Romanticism 

     A.    France 

     B.    Russia 

     C.    Germany 

V.  The Struggle for Limited Government
Chapter 20: The Battle for Economic Control 381

I.    The Industrial Revolution 

II.   The Meaning of Free Trade 

III.  The Socialist Mentality
Chapter 21: Epilogue 403
Index 409