Christianity and European Culture: Selections from the Work of Christopher Dawson

Christopher Dawson (1889-1970) has been widely praised as one of the most important Catholic historians of the twentieth century. Commended by T. S. Eliot, Arnold Toynbee, and many others for his sophisticated approach to history, Dawson integrated a providential vision with traditional historical analysis. Many of his works focused on the important relationship between religion and culture. This volume is the first edited collection of Dawson's works to appear in several decades. It includes the full text of The Historic Reality of Christian Culture (1960) and features selections from numerous works, including The Making of Europe (1932), The Judgment of the Nations (1943), and Medieval Essays (1959). Dawson believed that the modern era challenged traditional ways of living through its denigration of historical memory. He emphasized the need to understand the role religious values had played in the formation of culture, especially Western culture, and their continuing influence in world affairs. He sought to reconnect Europe's material wealth and economic power with the fundamental religious values that once had formed the core of European identity. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the development of Dawson's thinking on questions that remain of contemporary importance. It illustrates Dawson's approach in defining "Christian culture," its likelihood in the present era, and its adaptability to non-Western and pluralist societies. The collection also provides insight on issues ranging from the "new evangelization" and the future of modern liberalism to the "clash of civilizations" that is emerging as the newest challenge in the post-Communist world. Christianity and European Culture will be of interest to students and scholars of history, historiography, theology, and the history of ideas. It is intended also for those interested in Dawson himself, or in twentieth-century Catholic intellectual history.