Understanding Western Society
Printed Page 183

Chapter Chronology

>How did the Christian Church become a major force in Europe?

TAS THE EMPERORS CHANGED THEIR POLICIES about Christianity from persecution to promotion, the church grew, gradually becoming the most important institution in Europe. The able administrators and creative thinkers of the church developed permanent institutions and complex philosophical concepts that drew on the Greco-Roman tradition, which attracted learned Romans.

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Saint Jerome and Saint AmbroseThis wood carving shows Saint Jerome and Saint Ambrose, two of the most important early church fathers, hard at work writing. Divine inspiration appears in the form of an angel and a dove. (Alinari/Art Resource, NY)