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The Six Ages of the Church

Summary

Christopher Dawson's "Six Ages of the Church" show a cyclical pattern of events in

history. Each of the six ages demonstrates an overall "rise and fall" pattern during each spiritual

renewal cycle. Once each age peaks, it encounters a new adversities' onslaught. Therefore, the

first Age is about the beginnings of the movement of Jesus. This Age is unique given that it does

not "follow an existing tradition of faith and order" (pg. 35). The second Age is about the

Christian Empire whose achievements is known as the age of the church fathers (pg. 37). The

third age was characterized by the Barbarians' conversion in the west. Its growth involved

monasticism, the apostolic forces' coalition, the papacy. Its achievements included the making of

monasteries (pg. 40). The fourth age was about the United Christian Europe whose growth was

the monastic reform salvaged from the darkest period/age, and it was primarily for the church

(pg. 40). The fifth age was primarily about the ghetto church, and it was characterized by the

counter-reformation of the Catholic Church. Its achievements involved the revival of religious

life as well as the Tridentine Reform (pg. 43). The six age is our age after the French revolution,

and it involved the slow recovery of the church (pg. 44).

My Opinion on the meaning of Fulfilment

Dawson's "Six Ages of the Church" demonstrates how the variability of dangers or risks

affirms a certain of fulfillment, which I think are drawn from the historical events across all the
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ages. In my view, for instance, the meaning of fulfillment in the passage comes from the Church.

One may argue that, at first sight, every successive achievement movement and retreat are a

unique phenomenon considering they appear to suggest that the Christianity history is subject to

some law of sociology that curtails its complete sense of fulfillment as well as prevent its

spiritual freedom. However, I meaning of fulfillment from the passage is drawn from all the

historical events, which, personally, I think the Church, from way back, did not follow the

existing tradition of faith and order; rather, it created something new and special that resulted in

spiritual creativity. Therefore, the meaning of fulfillment, in my opinion, is drawn from the fact

that the New Testament, which I also believe it gives us a sense of satisfaction in terms of unique

and invaluable insight. Additionally, I consider fulfillment from the passage as cultural

achievement drawn from the triumph of the church.

The Author's Personal Experience of Fulfilment

The author's personal experience of fulfillment is drawn from all the achievements from

the "Six Ages of the Church." For instance, Christopher Dawson's experience of fulfillment is

drawn from the historical reality of the Christian culture. In essence, the author considers these

historical events throughout the ages as a definition of fulfillment as, first, the indication of the

beginning of the connection between the Empire and the Church. Secondly, by doing so,

fulfillment, thus, comes from the Church becoming a rich and powerful institution (pg. 38). The

author's personal experience of fulfilment also comes from the creation of a new Christian

culture following the coalition of monasticism, apostolic forces and the papacy (pg. 39), which,

in this case, initiated the renaissance of the church, which according to the author, fulfilled the

reformation of the church in the fifth age.

Lessons Learned
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Remi Brague's analysis of all the historical cycles complements the "The Six Ages of the

Church" by Dawson. A number of lessons learned from this passage is drawn from the

secularization of the mind as far as contemporary intellectual for purposes of making visible the

multiple renaissances' cyclical sweep in the history of multiple ages (pg. 41). In this case, it is

acknowledged that the rebirth's animating principle is "lanity," which makes it easy define the

dynamic nature of the Western civilization throughout the six Ages. Accordingly, it is the very

principle that is used against in measuring and declining any Age. Additionally, it is learned

from the passage that these Ages demonstrates to us the manner in which the threats' variability

to Christendom had often been characterized by the flexibility of creative and adaptive secondary

(pg. 43); therefore, it makes it possible to distinguish between the multiple and successive

renaissances of the West and Europe throughout the six Ages as far as the Church is concerned.

Conclusion

Christopher Dawson's "Six Ages of the Church" has been analyzed from the history's

cyclical pattern of events. For instance, all the six Ages are identified from different historical

events. These Ages ranged from the uniqueness of the first Age to the French revolution slowing

down the recovery of the church. This section is followed by my personal meaning of

fulfillment, which is drawn from the history of Christianity, which is drawn from the New

Testament. Additionally, the author's personal experience of fulfillment was drawn from the

realities of history as well as the Christian culture, which the author believes is as a result of the

coalition of monasticism as well as the papacy and apostolic forces.