Part 12/14:
Aldrete encourages us to reconsider the traditional narrative of decline and fall. The period from AD 300 to 700, often seen as a time of chaos, also saw remarkable cultural and religious developments:
Christian theological consensus (e.g., Nicene Creed)
Growth of monasticism and doctrinal debates
The rise of Islam and its interactions with Byzantium
Artistic, philosophical, and intellectual innovations
Instead of a story solely of collapse, it can also be seen as a time of renewal and transformation, laying foundations for medieval Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the broader Islamic world.