Western Civilization II

The Old Testament Christian traditions gave us a foundation for Western Civilizations. The Western part of it came from its Old Testament origins in the ancient Middle East. From there it expanded westward to Greece and to Rome. From the Classical civilizations it grew into Northern and Western Europe. Later on it crossed the waters going westward to the Americas. We call it Western Civilization because that is the direction it has spread. It did not spread to the east. Different patterns, forms, and philosophies emerged there. In many ways this east-west division can be drawn on a map along the dividing line between the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. East of the line the primary faith was based on the Eastern Orthodox Church, centered at Constantinople. West of the line it was the Catholic Church, centered in Rome, which dominated life in the Medieval period and beyond.