Thomas Cahill finds roots of feminism, science, art in medieval Catholicism [video 68min]

In Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe, author Thomas Cahill takes a look at the rebirth of culture in Europe that followed the period of time known as the Dark Ages. During an event hosted by the Smithsonian Associates in Washington DC, Cahill presents a slideshow of medieval Roman Carholic images. He explains that placing the image of the Virgin Mary at the center of their churches marked the first time men began treating women with dignity, and that a major turning point in what would become modern science was the belief that communion bread could be the body of Jesus. Cahill's books include How the Irish Saved Civilization and The Gifts of the Jews.