How the Irish Saved Civilization

by Thomas Cahill
 
Subtitled: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe - a thoroughly enjoyable overview of European Christianity in the first Millennium. I was already aware of the basic premise, that Celtic monks copying ancient manuscripts saved much of the great works of Roman thinkers, poets and theologians from the destruction of the barbarians demolishing civilization in Europe (the fall of Rome and its aftermath). Cahill's style is both informative and personal. I particularly liked this quote from the very end of the book: "The Romans are the rich and powerful who run things their way and must always accrue more because they instinctively believe that there will never be enough to go around; the catholics, as their name implies, are universalists who instinctively believe that all humanity makes one family, that every human being is an equal child of God, and the God will provide." I've been meaning to read this book for a long while, glad for the recent vacation that gave me the time to do so.