AllMovie

Part one of this two-tape set contrasts the two halves of the early Christian world, the sagging decay of Rome with the opulent splendor of Byzantium. Also covered is the loss of the Holy Land to the sudden rise of Islam, and the internecine arguments that served to further divide the church. The second tape of the set concentrates on the conversion of Saxon tribes by Bishop Boniface and Charlemagne and graphically shows how religion was once a tool of national unity. Serious in tone and well documented, this video is appropriate for use in the college classroom.