How The Irish Saved Civilization

By Thomas Cahill

Susan Tam and the nine members of her Mount Forest Ladies Book Group understand the power of giving. “Each of us have a gift to share with humanity,” says Tam, explaining her views on an individual's moral responsibility. Tam, a homemaker, continues, explaining that her contribution “is the gift of community through (her) book group.” For three years, Tam and the exclusive literary circle, requiring residence on Mt. Forest Drive and a legitimate “woman” status to join, have enjoyed exchanging ideas and developing relationships with one another. “Each year we choose 12 books to read and then we review one of those each month,” explains Tam. This year, Tam's favorite book was Thomas Cahill's nonfiction tome, How the Irish Saved Civilization .

Cahill's How the Irish Saved Civilization details the contribution Ireland made to the intellectual progress of modern civilization. Cahill writes how St. Patrick of Ireland, became personally enthralled with the advancements realized by the mighty Roman Empire. Concerned that the fall of Rome would lead to a digression in the world's development, St. Patrick traveled throughout Europe, rescuing the Roman and Latin manuscripts that had helped form the basis of modern thought in military, politics, and philosophy. Upon successfully gathering the manuscripts, St. Patrick returned to Ireland. In the years following, curious scholars made their way into Ireland, joining St. Patrick to study the Roman and Latin manuscripts, generating fresh new ideas stemming from the originals. As a result, Ireland developed into a cultural and academic hub, producing “traveling teachers” responsible for progressive thought, and ultimately leading us out of the Dark Ages.

“Ireland, and St. Patrick especially, gave us an unprecedented gift,” says Tam. “They gave us knowledge.”

In addition, Thomas Cahill is currently working on a planned series of seven called The Hinges of History . The series outlines seven major contributions in history that are largely responsible for the current position of mankind. Titles from the series include, Desire of the Everlasting Hills , which deals with Jesus and the 12 apostles, and The Gifts of the Jews , which examines ancient Jewish culture along with the culture of the Bible .

– By Justin Petersen