Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

  • The Closing of the Western Mind

  • The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason
  • By: Charles Freeman
  • Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
  • Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (13 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Closing of the Western Mind

By: Charles Freeman
Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

A radical and powerful reappraisal of the impact of Constantine's adoption of Christianity on the later Roman world, and on the subsequent development both of Christianity and of Western civilization.

When the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 368 AD, he changed the course of European history in ways that continue to have repercussions to the present day. Adopting those aspects of the religion that suited his purposes, he turned Rome on a course from the relatively open, tolerant, and pluralistic civilization of the Hellenistic world, towards a culture that was based on the rule of fixed authority, whether that of the Bible, or the writings of Ptolemy in astronomy and of Galen and Hippocrates in medicine. Only a thousand years later, with the advent of the Renaissance and the emergence of modern science, did Europe begin to free itself from the effects of Constantine's decision, yet the effects of his establishment of Christianity as a state religion remain with us, in many respects, today. Brilliantly wide-ranging and ambitious, this is a major work of history.
©2002 Charles Freeman (P)2021 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
Christianity Europe History Religious Studies Rome Ancient History Italy
Show More Show Less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Jesus Wars cover art
Egypt, Greece and Rome cover art
How Dead Languages Work cover art
Turning Points cover art
The Puzzle of Christianity cover art
The Bright Ages cover art
The Histories cover art
Worshipping the State cover art
Jesus cover art
History of the Church cover art
Athanasius of Alexandria: His Life and Impact cover art
The Real Story of Catholic History cover art
The Abrahamic Religions cover art
Cities of God cover art
What Is Christianity? cover art
The Triumph of Christianity cover art

What listeners say about The Closing of the Western Mind

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    11
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for curliegirlie

Thought provoking book. Critical Thinking

A great read. Critical thinking at its best and how theology tried/tries to suppress it with faith through the years.
A must read text for any Logical, rational, evidence based reasoned people. Everyone else... You might not like it but you do need it.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!