Peter Heather

Medieval historian Professor Peter Heather explains how Christendom rose to dominate Europe and says there was nothing inevitable about the way it happened.

Heather shows how Christianity constantly battled against so-called heresies and against other beliefs. It was teetering on the edge of extinction at the collapse of the Roman Empire. Heather explains Christianity’s capacity for re-invention and ability to mobilise well-directed force and shows how the Papacy emerged as the head of a vast international corporation.

Heather is chair of medieval history at King’s College, London, and author of The Fall of the Roman Empire; Empires and Barbarians: Migration, Development and the Birth of Europe; The Restoration of Rome; and Rome Resurgent.

This event is part of the festival’s programme on Christian tradition.