The two centuries covered in this volume were among the most creative in the history of the Church. Colin Morris charts the emergence of much that is considered characteristic of European culture and religion, including universities and commercial cities, the crusades, the friars, chivalry, marriage, and church architecture. In all these developments, the Roman Church played an important and often fundamental role. A re-evaluation of that role is now particularly apt given the dissolution of Christendom in its old form witnessed by today's generation.