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Notions of ‘Christendom’ often miss the mark – medieval Europe’s ideas about faith and power were not so simple

  • Written by Brett Whalen, Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
imageA painting in Rome's San Silvestro Chapel depicts Pope Sylvester I and Constantine the Great.Wikimedia Commons

During the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5, 2026, Paula White-Cain, senior adviser to the White House Office of Faith, introduced President Donald Trump as “the greatest champion of faith that we have ever had in the executive...

Read more: Notions of ‘Christendom’ often miss the mark – medieval Europe’s ideas about faith and power were...

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