The Medieval Mind

Manchester saw the medieval mind as backward, superstitious, anti-intellectual, and violent. He is happy to tell the story of its demise.

Christendom

The heart of the Christian West in Europe that the Renaissance helped to destroy.

Rome

The old capital of the Roman Empire and seat of the Roman Catholic Church. It is the setting of many of the events described in the book.

Western Europe

The geographical territory where Christendom rose and fell.

The Papacy

The leading political institution in the Roman Catholic Church that once had incredibly political and spiritual control over Europe but whose power was increasingly broken over time.

Wittenberg

The home of Martin Luther and the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation.

The Armada de Molucca

The name of Magellan's set of five ships that he and his men would take around the globe.

The Printing Press

Invented by Gutenberg, the...