Status Updates From Religion and the Rise of We...

Excellent so far. Like a much more accessible version of Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age. Still, requires some academic background knowledge of European and especially church history to get the most out of it. Another example to me of how we live in a less educated age than our forebears.

Medieval Catholic thought incorporated Arabic, Jewish and Greek philosophies beneath the Divine Truth of Jesus Christ. Martin Luther considered this a tremendously bad thing, and wanted to get back to Jesus. But in order to do that he had to disconnect his movement from the early church fathers.

I didn't realize there were different types of cities. Not all of them are 'economic units.' Some were fortified church communities. Others were communes for gilds; organized labor groups that through corporate membership provided rights to their constituents.

Both the Church and the State composed the One Body of Christendom, in which all organs were complete and entitled to full rights. Later joined by the City.