Author Bio: Edward Gibbon (1737 CE - 1794 CE) - potentially the single most famous historian of the 1700’s; a prime model of the Enlightenment era; known for a story telling style; one of the founding fathers of history as a profession. After discovering Catholicism, his father forcing him back to study Calvinism, and a reluctant return to the Protestant faith, Gibbon held a strong distaste for religion.
Speaker: See above
Date/Context: Written during the Enlightenment period, a time where the use of reason prospered; the first volume appeared in 1776 and the last in 1787; a rather controversial book due to its blame on religion in a highly religious time; when a comprehensive, fact-filled theory was not available for Rome’s fall, his theory shone through by being both comprehensive and using many sources.
Summary: Gibbon’s major assertion is that Christianity played a major part in the fall of the Roman Empire. For example, the church preached peace far too much for an empire so large, and all military sprit was gone. Also, the wealth went to charity instead of taxes or an army, and the state became distracted with theological disputes rather than conquering lands or preventing the invasion of more pertinent enemies. People persecuted due to the new religion became domestic issues, threatening the stability of the Roman empire. However, religion impacted the Romans in a myriad of beneficial ways as well. Christianity taught many to obey a lawful emperor, and the Bible helped many soldiers, however often used, keep faith with their leaders and not fear death. It also served to placate some barbarians to the North therefore potentially delaying Rome’s fall. Constantine's religious conversion, and the following Edict of Toleration, both helped and hurt the Roman fall.
Key Quotation: “… the church, and even the state, were distracted by religious factions… the attention of the emperors was diverted from camps to [church] synods…”
“If the decline of the Roman empire was hastened by the conversion of [the Emperor] Constantine, his victorious religion broke the violence of the fall, and mollified the ferocious temper of the conquerors.”
The summary was well completed and chronologically set up. Only thing missing that the more specific key terms to support the main idea and i think the authors bio can be expained more. But overall the PDP is nicely set up.
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