The Reformation brought an end to religious unity in the West, but the Renaissance masterpieces produced by Catholic artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael remain among the most celebrated works of art ever produced. Some scholars and historians attributes Christianity to having contributed to the rise of the Scientific Revolution. The university is generally regarded as an institution that has its origin in the Medieval Christian setting, born from Cathedral schools. Many historians state that universities and cathedral schools were a continuation of the interest in learning promoted by monasteries.

Many of Europe's universities were also founded by the church at that time. The medieval cathedrals remain among the most iconic architectural feats produced by Western civilization. During the Middle Ages, the Church rose to replace the Roman Empire as the unifying force in Europe. Church scholars preserved literacy in Western Europe following the Fall of the Western Roman Empire. The cultural influence of the Church has been vast.

Festivals like Easter and Christmas are marked as public holidays the Gregorian Calendar has been adopted internationally as the civil calendar and the calendar itself is measured from the date of Jesus's birth. In various ways it has sought to affect Western attitudes towards vice and virtue in diverse fields. Throughout its long history, the Church has been a major source of social services like schooling and medical care an inspiration for art, culture and philosophy and an influential player in politics and religion. Christianity has been intricately intertwined with the history and formation of Western society.

Bid the Gods Arise by Robert Mullin