The Days of Christendom Vol. 1

New! Volume I — The Dawn of Christendom - Pre-History through the Age of Discovery

Volume 1 of 2 from The Days of Christendom: A Catholic History of Western Civilization —Two-Volume Set

This high school world history textbook from Seton Press, is designed to give students a connected narrative of Western civilization from prehistory and the ancient world through the modern era and the Church in the present day. Written from a distinctly Catholic perspective, this course presents history as more than a succession of dates, wars, and political events. The history of the Catholic Church serves as a central thread throughout the narrative, helping students understand the development of Western civilization, its institutions, culture, ideas, conflicts, achievements, and challenges in light of the Catholic Faith. Recommended Grades 10 or 11. Full Color. 959 total pages.

Volume I — The Dawn of Christendom begins with the earliest civilizations and follows the development of the Western world through the ancient, classical, Christian, and medieval eras. Rather than presenting history as a collection of unrelated dates and events, the textbook uses a continuous narrative to help students understand how civilizations, institutions, ideas, religion, culture, and historical events developed in relationship to one another.

Students begin with prehistory and the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt, then move into the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. The narrative leads naturally into the birth of Jesus Christ and the growth of the early Christian Church, showing how Christianity transformed the ancient world and contributed to the formation of Christendom.

The book then explores the development of Christian Europe and medieval civilization, including the rise of the Catholic Church, the Carolingian achievement, medieval learning and culture, and the relationship between Church and state. Students study major events and movements including the Crusades, the Spanish Reconquista, the Avignon Papacy, and the Great Schism, gaining a broader understanding of the religious, political, intellectual, and cultural forces that shaped medieval Europe.

The later chapters examine the Renaissance, the Protestant Revolt, the English schism, and the Catholic Reformation, followed by the Spanish and Portuguese exploration of the New World. Throughout the narrative, the history of the Catholic Church remains a central thread, helping students consider the influence of the Catholic Faith on Western civilization.

traces the story from prehistory and the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt through Greece and Rome, the birth of Christ, the growth of the early Church, the formation of Christendom, and the Age of Discovery.

Volume 1 contains 422 pages.

Volume II — Christendom at Dusk continues the narrative from the religious conflicts of early modern Europe through the modern world, covering the French Wars of Religion, the Thirty Years' War, absolutist monarchies, the founding of the United States, the suppression of the Jesuits, the French Revolution and Napoleon, Russian history, the Industrial Revolution, and the transformation of Europe and the Americas during the nineteenth century.

The final chapters examine the First World War, the rise of totalitarian regimes, Catholic resistance in the 1920s and 1930s, the Second World War, the expansion of Communism, the Cold War, and the Church in the contemporary world through 2024.

A Connected Catholic Approach to History

Rather than presenting history as a collection of disconnected textbook segments, The Days of Christendom uses continuous narrative prose to help students see the connections between people, events, ideas, institutions, and the development of Western civilization. Both volumes are richly illustrated with historical paintings, portraits, photographs, maps, and other artwork, with explanatory captions that provide additional context. Each chapter concludes with a Chapter Review containing short-answer questions drawn directly from the chapter text. Questions can generally be answered with a word, phrase, or sentence, giving students a straightforward way to review material and check their comprehension. These review questions are designed as a study help for the student to know the important parts of the chapter and find the answers for themselves. There is no answer key provided for these questions. 

Ideal for Catholic homeschooling, Catholic high schools, and families seeking a traditional Catholic approach to world history, The Days of Christendom provides a sweeping study of Western civilization while emphasizing the role of the Catholic Church and the Faith in shaping the history of the West.

The Days of Christendom includes:

•     Two comprehensive volumes covering ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern history
•     A Catholic perspective on Western civilization and World History
•     Coverage from prehistory through the contemporary era
•     The history and development of the Catholic Church woven throughout the narrative
•     Chapter Reviews with text-based comprehension questions (no answer key provided)
•     Historical paintings, artwork, portraits, photographs, and maps
•     Explanatory captions for illustrations
•     Approximately 959 pages across the two-volume set
•     Designed for Grades 10 or 11
•     Published by Seton Press

See the Two Volume set here

Volumes:

Vol. 1: The Dawn of Christendom — Prehistory through the Age of Discovery

Vol. 2: Christendom at Dusk — The Age of Discovery to Modern Times