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Christendom
- The Triumph of a Religion
- Narrated by: Peter Heather
- Length: 23 hrs and 48 mins
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Christendom
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
A major new reinterpretation of Christendom, by one of our foremost medieval historians.
In the fourth century AD, a new faith exploded out of Palestine. Overwhelming the paganism of Rome, and converting the Emperor Constantine in the process, it resoundingly defeated a host of other rivals. Almost a thousand years later, all of Europe was controlled by Christian rulers, and the religion, ingrained within culture and society, exercised a monolithic hold over its population. But, as Peter Heather shows in this compelling new history, there was nothing inevitable about Christendom's rise to Europe-wide dominance.
In exploring how the Christian religion became such a defining feature of the European landscape, and how a small sect of isolated and intensely committed congregations was transformed into a mass movement centrally directed from Rome, Peter Heather shows how Christendom constantly battled against both so-called 'heresies' and other forms of belief. From the crisis that followed the collapse of the Roman empire, which left the religion teetering on the edge of extinction, to the astonishing revolution of the eleventh century and beyond in which the Papacy emerged as the head of a vast international corporation, Heather traces Christendom's chameleon-like capacity for self-reinvention and astounding willingness to mobilize well-directed force.
Christendom's achievement was not, or not only, to define official Christianity, but - from its scholars and its lawyers, to its provincial officials and missionaries in far-flung corners of the continent - to transform it into an institution that wielded effective religious authority across nearly all of the disparate peoples of medieval Europe. This is its extraordinary story.
Critic reviews
"Heather's sweeping and engaging history of the making of Christendom over a thousand years is full of reinterpretations and new insights...his approach makes for a startlingly fresh look at a familiar story, a non-triumphalist history of the triumph of Christianity, and his book is all the more powerful for it." (Jane Shaw)
"Heather casts his eye across the whole medieval period as he unfolds a fascinating story about a religion in a surprisingly precarious position." (Dan Jones)
"It is more pressing than ever to understand how exactly Christianity came to dominate in Europe. Heather's account cuts through the myth of an innately Christian, culturally monolithic Europe... [and] sheds light on the mechanics of state coercion and intermittent violence which led to the birth of Christendom. It's no light reading - but there's enough drama to make it a page-turner. (Eleanor Myerson)
What listeners say about Christendom
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- mernst
- 08-01-24
In depth and illuminating
Loved the sections covering the Roman and Crusading eras. Very interesting conclusions reached and arguments made against traditionally held historical positions. Can be gruelling in the more granular moments but is a book well worth having read.
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- Well That Aged Well
- 20-10-23
Brilliantly narrated, and written
Would most definatley recomend this book. I find that not all authors who narrate their own books are very good. But Peter narrates, and write brilliantly. If you want a introduction book on how christendom came to Europe this is the book to read
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- Amazon Customer
- 28-01-24
Comprehensive and authoritative book
Heather’s research is comprehensive, his oratory is authoritative and engaging. An excellent tour of the development of the Christian West.
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- Kindle Customer
- 30-04-23
Like sunshine after rain.
Peter Heather interweaves political and ecclesiastical history in a thoroughly logical, immensely well informed, and persuasive way to a curious reader of history. It is not necessary to bring a great deal of knowledge into this book, background information is given where appropriate without excessive diversion. I found his book on the Fall of Rome a great introduction to the subject, which I would also highly recommend, indeed more of an invitation to "Christendom".
Christianity is the backdrop for two thousand years of European History in all that time it has has both spiritual and temporal impacts on lives and events. Christendom is a go to book to explain how these two elements interweave over time and how the interaction has created and shaped the political and religious reality of the time in which all those generations lived. This book is not one a professional writer has decided to research and write, the knowledge, synthesis and research necessary to write a book like this can only be the product of a career's worth of effort and assimilation.
Any student of European History will find something in this book useful to their understanding of the period and people of interest. I cannot recommend it enough it was a joy to read.
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