Kirsch correctly identifies the American cultural grounding in classical Roman, Protestant, and Enlightenment models, and the absence of connection with medieval culture. But he misses the reason for it. America’s founding was, in its way, part of the historical reaction against the Catholic Church.

Anti-papism, as it was called, the oldest and still one of the most accepted American prejudices, was a critical part of the Enlightenment. Medieval culture was therefore rejected precisely because it was so devoutly Catholic.

DOML’s greatest challenge will presumably be the enormous oeuvre of Thomas Aquinas. But whatever can be done to broaden familiarity with his works will go far to reverse the image of the Middle Ages as intellectually benighted.

It is fascinating to survey the many side effects of this anti-Catholic, anti-Medieval prejudice. Because Thomas Aquinas embraced (some say “baptized”) Aristotle, the taint of medievalism has somehow been stretched to cover the great Greek philosopher who lived eight centuries before.