The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics without God - Hardcover

"Sheds light on the history of the twentieth century for everyone."

This provocative book by leading Catholic commentator George Weigel examines Europe's crisis of culture and exposes it as a crisis of secularism Contrasting the civilization that created the "cube" of the Great Arch of La Defense in Paris with the culture that produced the "cathedral" of Notre-Dame, Weigel contends that Western Europe has abandoned its Christian roots and has embraced in its place a soulless secularism that threatens to erode the traditional order in the region. He traces the rise of secularism back to horrors of the twentieth century - the slaughters of World War I, Naziism, and communism - which were themselves breakdowns, not consequences, of the traditional European culture. He goes on to look formation and expansion of the European Union, arguing that this has fostered the move towards secularism. Weigel contends that a Europe that abandons its Christian heritage is not one that is better prepared to protect human rights, democracy, or even its own citizens. Weigel believes that Europe, especially Western Europe, is at such odds with the US on international affairs because it has abandoned the Christian roots that had always anchored the region's worldview. He offers a provocative analysis of what he sees as the beginning of Europe's demise and what the results could be for both Europe and America.