I recently finished reading How the Irish Saved Civilization. I fully concur with Jennifer’s assessment and cautions, and I’ll add a bit here.

It was a rather interesting read to see the story of the preservation of classical literacy through the Dark Ages. As the barbarians sacked Rome and the culture of learning and reason of the Greco-Roman era was demolished, significant bodies of Latin work were on track to be lost. When St. Patrick evangelized the Irish, their monastic culture soaked up learning and devoted considerable effort to copying Scripture, classic Greek and Latin texts, and numerous other works. Some time after Patrick, when they went back to continental Europe with the Gospel, they also brought their learning, books, and monastic systems, re-introducing Europe to her literary roots and bringing back some degree of literacy. Hence Ireland seems to have been God’s tool for preserving Roman literature and literacy, particularly church literature, through the fall of Rome.

One further thought: I think that Cahill sometimes fails to give sufficient credence to the supernatural influences at work in the lives and actions of the church and her people. The dynamics of the church are not merely the human actions and natural influences on the people; God works through and affects His church through His spirit, and I think Cahill would have done well to recognize this more thoroughly.