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	June2004				The Christian World of the Middle Ages by Bernard Hamilton. Sutton Publishing Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, 2003. Hardcover, 256 pp, RRP $75
		Book review The Christian World of the Middle Ages reviewed by Philip Blake
			Bernard Hamilton, who is Professor Emeritus of Crusading History at the University of Nottingham has written a remarkable and informative book! It is well-produced, superbly illustrated and contains a tremendous amount of detailed information about the Christian World of the Middle Ages. Although the Middle Ages is frequently restricted to the period from 1000 to 1400 AD, the author is more generous in his scope, especially in the period leading up to the millennium. He has painted a very broad canvas and covers areas of Christian influence rarely dealt with in other history books. The Western Church is well documented as are the Byzantine Church, the Levant and the Caucasus, Africa and Asia. Those who are keen on the history of church architecture will find the descriptions and plates of church buildings to be of fascinating interest. Condemned to repeat George Santanyana's well-known comment on history that 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,' is very appropriate here! The controversies which existed in the emerging Christian Church about the person and character of Jesus Christ and the place of the Holy Spirit are still with us today. The wording of credal statements still concerns us. The impact of Islam on the Christians of many years ago is still a relevant matter for discussion and resolution. There were and there always will be, faults on both sides! At times we may be tempted to 'write-off' medieval history as part of the so-called 'Dark Ages'. All was not good in the Christian World of this period, but it was not all dark, and much good came from the enlightenment which subsequently appeared. The Renaissance and the Reformation were really bom of the Middle Ages, and without what had gone before would not have appeared in their historical form. I commend this book for reading, reflection and for reference.