Marcion, 96–7, 103, 467
Marduk (Babylonian god), 40, 43, 44, 48
Mark, St, 97
Marmoutier, plain of (near Tours), 128–9, 130, 131, 139, 382–3
marriage, 266–9, 434, 509, 512
Marsh, Othniel Charles, 424, 435
Martin of Tours, St, 127, 128–32, 133, 137, 155, 200, 382–3; basilica at Tours, 139–40, 177, 379–80, 382
martyrs, xxiii, 84, 92–4, 95, 155, 207; in early third-century Carthage, 109, 110; Boniface in Frisia, 185–6, 189, 190–1
Marx, Karl, 438–42, 453
Mary, the virgin Theotokos, 260, 263; visions of in Cappadocia, 126; Islamic view of, 166, 167; and the crucifixion, 260–1; statue of in Albert, 445; appearances at Fatima, 451
Mary I, Queen of England, 313, 316, 319
Mary Magdalene, 259–60, 269
Maryland, 355
Massachusetts, 326, 328, 364, 488
mathematics, 27, 228, 248, 332, 335, 336, 337
Matilda, Countess, 220
Matthew, St, 97
McCartney, Paul, 472, 476, 479, 480–1
Menasseh ben Israel, 355, 356–7, 358, 461
Merkel, Angela, 499–502, 503–4, 505
Mesopotamia, 6–7, 33–4, 35, 55, 123
Mexico, 288–91, 292, 330, 332, 399
Michael, St, (angel), 142, 145–6, 155, 160–1, 445
migrants: hostility to, 285, 500, 501, 502; non-European to Western Europe, 499–502, 503–5; fear of the East on the move, 501
Milan, 207–8, 210, 255–7
Milingo, Emmanuel, archbishop of Lusaka, 484
millennium (1033 period), 203–4, 206–8
Milton, John, 341–2, 351–2, 354, 393
miracles: St Paul in Galatia, 72; St Martin of Tours, 129, 130, 131, 133, 140; Michael at Gargano, 142–3, 145–6; and Columbanus, 158–9, 160; on Hungarian plains, 204; and Hildebrand (Gregory VII), 208, 210; and Lady Elizabeth, 237; on Mount Tabor, 277; Spinoza on, 360, 361
missions: and Boniface, 185–6, 187, 188–91, 458–9; and Augustine of Hippo, 186; discipline and hardship, 187; in Mexica, 290, 291, 292; Puritan in New World, 327–8; Catholic in New World, 330–1; and human rights of natives, 331–2, 367–8; Jesuits in China, 332–6, 342–3; Quakers to the Jews in Amsterdam, 357, 358; British in India, 404; in heart of Africa, 418, 482–3; Nietzsche’s view of, 450
monks (monachoi): in fourth-century Loire Valley, 128–9, 131; early Irish, 156–61, 174, 317; monasteries of Columbanus, 157, 158, 159, 160, 177; discipline and hardship, 157–8, 159, 174, 187; cult of St Michael, 160–1; sent by Pope Gregory to Kent, 171, 175, 319, 320; and writing, 195–6; celibacy rules, 207, 509; at Cluny, 215–16
Montana, 419–20, 428
moral and ethical values, xxi, xxv, xxvii; enduring impact of Christianity, xxii–xxvi, xxviii–xxix, 517, 521–2, 524–5; as culturally contingent, xxv; and Greek gods, 15; St Paul’s message, 75–8; freedom of choice, 267; and Nietzsche’s hatred, 448–50, 455, 496; Hitler’s contempt for Christianity, 459–60, 465; dreams of a better world, 480; dogma of humanism, 522; see also equality; forgiveness; justice; sin; toleration, concept of
Morocco, 415, 417
Moses, 52–5, 59–60, 167, 168–9, 228, 464, 475
Muhammad: and military conquest, 164–5, 166; teachings of, 166, 167; as mouthpiece of Qur’an, 167; and Moses, 168–9; Sunna (corpus of law), 179–80, 222, 416, 417, 494, 495; Dabiq prophecy, 493
Münster, 309, 310, 318, 350
Müntzer, Thomas, 305–6, 309, 349, 350
Mussolini, Benito, 455, 456, 459
Napoleon, 389–90, 392, 393, 395, 405, 406, 408, 444–5
nation state, 384, 385, 386, 415, 450, 468
‘natural law’ concept, 27–8, 77, 222–3, 494
Nero, Emperor, xxi–xxii, 79–81, 83–4, 85*, 90
New England, 326–8, 364, 365, 367–8, 384–5
New Testament: Acts of the Apostles, 85*, 136, 440; origins of, 97; named angels in, 145; Islamic view of, 167; as authored by mortals, 168; Luther translates, 304–5, 306; see also gospels; St Paul, letters of
New World, 287–93; West Indies, 287–8, 292, 365–7, 392–3, 394; Cortés in Mexico, 288–91, 292, 332, 399; arrival of the Mayflower, 325–6, 516; Pilgrim settlers in, 326–8, 364, 437, 516; native Americans, 327–8, 332; abolitionists in, 367–70
New Zealand, 427
Nicaean council (325), 114–16, 168, 221, 241
Nietzsche, Friedrich, 446–50, 451, 455, 459, 468, 478, 496, 515, 516, 518, 521
Niobe, 12, 48, 79
Noah, 186, 368, 421
Nyssa (Cappadocia), 123, 130
Old Testament, 38*, 40–1, 42–4; conquest of Canaan, 34, 37–8, 42, 45–6, 54; and Jews of Alexandria, 38–9, 59; Genesis, 40–1, 48, 186, 258, 384, 420, 421–2, 465; concept of sin in Genesis, 41–2, 139, 271–2, 273; Song of Deborah, 44*; Book of Joshua, 45–6, 338–9, 475; Book of Psalms, 46, 339, 420, 484; Book of Job, 47–8, 49, 146, 150, 422, 438, 520; monsters and serpents, 48–9, 520; Exodos, 51–2, 59, 145, 464; and Origen, 103–4; as authored by mortals, 168; Pentateuch as Bede’s inspiration, 174–5; story of Noah, 186, 368, 421; Spinoza’s use of term, 362
Olympic Games, 79
Oppenheim, Simon, 406, 407, 408
Orbán, Victor, 501–2, 504
Origen, 100–4, 106, 115, 144, 168, 222, 339, 399, 441; school at Caesarea, 104–7; fame and influence of, 107, 130; torture and death of, 108, 109; and Satan’s story, 147; dismisses literal interpretation of Apocalypse, 153
Orléans, 206, 207
‘Orthodox’ Christianity, 452–3
Osiris, 25
Otranto, 285, 286
Otto the Great (Emperor), 199–202, 500, 501
Ottoman Turks, 278, 285, 294, 330, 416–17, 451, 500
Owen, Richard, 438
Oxford, Bishop of, xxvii
Oxford University, 227–8, 278, 429, 460–1
Padua, university at, 335, 336
paganism: origin of term, 144; and Michael, 145; and Gregory’s papacy, 149–50; and Britain, 172, 187; and Boniface, 185–6, 187–90, 191, 319–20, 399, 445, 458–9, 483; Eostre (festival of the spring), 188; underworld of (hel), 188; Thunor’s oak tree, 189, 191, 320; Franks’ war against, 190–1, 192–4; Irminsul destroyed, 191, 193; Hungarian defeat at Augsburg/the Lech (955), 198–9, 200–1, 202, 500, 501; Christian kingship reasserts itself, 199–203; as justification for imperialism, 331, 399, 401; and African Christians, 483–4; see also idolatry
palaeontologists, 419–22, 424–5, 429, 522–3; ‘Bone Wars’ exposed (1890), 435
Palestine, 163, 451; invaded by the ‘Saracens’ (634), 164–5, 166; six-day war (1967), 473
Palmeiro, André, 333–4
papacy, xxiii; title of Pappas or ‘Father’ (‘Pope’), xxii; Rome’s protection devolves to, 148–9; Gregory elected to, 148–50; and the Carolingians, 180; and crowning of Charlemagne, 191; pope crowns Charlemagne emperor, 191; victory over Saracens at Garigliano, 201; corruption and scandal, 208; emperor Henry III’s intervention, 208–9, 218; and emperor’s right to confer bishoprics, 208–9, 211, 212, 218; Lateran palace, 209, 212, 293; legates (agents), 209, 219, 225, 242; claim to universal authority, 209–20; ‘Curia’ (court), 219, 221, 225–6, 241; as head of Christendom, 219–20; writ as above all a legal one, 219–20; Fourth Lateran Council (1215), 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, 268; at Avignon, 261, 265; Boniface VIII asserts papal supremacy, 261; Schism, 265–6, 278–80, 281; and Napoleon, 389; and Nazi Germany, 464–5, 466; see also Catholic Christendom; Gregory the Great; Gregory VII, Pope (Hildebrand)
Paris, 171, 208, 224, 226; university at, 227–8, 249; cathedral of Notre Dame, 270, 382; Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre (1572), 317–18; Charlie Hebdo murders, 506–7
Patrae (in southern Greece), 12
Patrick, St, 156–7, 187
Paul I, Pope, 180
Paul, St: and Galatia, 65–6, 67–9, 70, 72, 74, 165, 169; tour of Roman world, 65–6, 67–9, 70–9, 331–2; primacy of love, 66, 67–8, 69, 72, 75, 472–3, 475, 479; conversion on road to Damascus, 66–7, 72, 136; and divine nature of Jesus, 67, 69, 71, 74, 105; rejects cult of Caesar, 67; universality of message, 68–9, 71–3, 74, 85, 169, 220, 465; and freedom, 71–2, 73, 74–5, 311, 362, 365, 383, 474; in Corinth, 73–4, 77; and sexuality, 75–6, 272–3, 431–2, 434–5, 510, 512; paradox at heart of teachings, 76–7; view of women, 76–7, 259, 263, 266, 478–9; law of God written on the heart, 77, 169, 180, 195, 222, 362, 376, 479; and testimony of conscience, 77, 104, 296, 357, 479; and Stoic philosophy, 77–8, 104, 222; parousia (physical presence of deity), 78–9, 83, 90; and class systems, 81–3; execution of, 84, 98; and ‘outsiders’, 102; and Islam, 168, 180, 417; and tone of revolution, 187–8, 376, 479, 523; and Luther, 296, 302; Spinoza on, 362; and Nietzsche, 449