The Fires of Faith

The fires of faith, the bright lights of destruction, the explosion of fanaticism, the everlasting wars and feuds that filled this era – was there even one year when their reigned a peace comparable to the pax romana that Augustus had envisaged or the pax mongolica that the great Mongolian khans created at the height of their power? All the undoubted devastation should not make us forget that the fires of faith brought life as well as destruction.

– Frederich Heer, editor
(from the introduction)

312: In This Sign Thou Shalt Conquer – Robert Browning

Constantine’s victory at the Milvian Bridge ensures the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire

432: Mission to Ireland – Nora Chadwick

St. Patrick undertakes the Christianization of Ireland; a light is kept burning in the West during the dark years ahead

451: The Scourge of God – Jean Favier

The last Roman nobleman, Aetius, faces Attila the Hun on a plain in Gaul; the invader is halted, but Roman greatness is past

520: The Rule of St. Benedict – David Knowles

St. Benedict founds Monte Cassino, with incalculable benefits for the preservation of learning and the future progress of civilization in Europe

622: Flight to Medina – S.M. Stern

Mohammed’s Hegira, or emigration to Medina, heralds the appearance of a powerful new religion in the Middle East.

794: Japanese Renaissance – Geoffrey Hindley

The Japanese capital is moved to Heian (modern Kyoto), marking a cultural transition from imitation of China to native inspiration

800: A Crown for Charlemagne – Freiderich Heer

At St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Leo II startles the King of the Franks by crowning him Holy Roman Emperor.

886: England for the English – Jack Lindsay

An England beset by Norse invaders finds a champion in Alfred the Great; the heroic warrior takes London and creates a new nation.

(Yeah, this is pretty Anglo-centric…..)

950: The Caliph of Cordova’s Library – Stephen Clissold

In one of Europe’s most splendid cities, Moslem Cordova, a great library and university are founded to create a bridge between ancient and modern times.

(One cannot ignore the contributions of Islamic science and medicine)

955: At the Lechfeld – Freiderich Heer

Otto the Great defeats the invading Magyars and helps draw the line between Eastern and Western Europe that will endure for a thousand years.

982: Voyagers West – Reneé Watkins

Exiled from Iceland, the hot-tempered Eric the Red sails west to explore and colonize Greenland, a stepping-stone to the New World.

1066: William the Conqueror – Richard Winston

In an historic encounter at Hastings, the Norman invader overthrows the native English ruler and establishes a new dynasty in the island kingdom.

1077: Humiliation at Canossa – Peter Munz

Henry IV submits to Pope Gregory VII at Canossa; the struggle between Pope and Emperor, Church and State, reaches a climax.

1100: Abelard in Paris – Regine Pernoud

In quest of knowledge, Peter Abelard arrives at the city on the Seine, where a great university is taking shape.

1194: The Palace of the Virgin – Yvan Christian

Rebuilding their cathedral destroyed by fire, the people of Chartres create a new architectural style and a monument to medieval faith.

1204: The Fall of Constantinople – Peter Munz

Rapacious Westerners turn the Fourth Crusade into an attack on the city by the Golden Horn; the breach between Eastern and Western churches becomes a permanent one.