The Cube and the Cathedral.

• Author: Sikorsky, Erin
• Position: Book review

THE CUBE AND THE CATHEDRAL George Weigel (New York: Basic Books, 2005), pages 202.

In The Cube and the Cathedral, Catholic theologian George Weigel posits that the issues defining Europe today--from declining birth rates to support for international institutions--stem from its rejection of Christianity and its embrace of secular humanism. Terming this rejection "Christophobia," Weigel argues that Europe's secularism creates low "civilizational morale," threatening the continent's public life and culture.

While Weigel coherently enumerates Christianity's contribution to European culture and politics--he dedicates an entire chapter to a list of names of important Christians--the book falters as he attempts to prove Europe's rejection of Christianity and its correlation to the contemporary problems facing the continent.

His primary supporting evidence that Europe has rejected Christianity is the debate in the European Union (EU) over the eventual exclusion of any reference to Christianity in the preamble to its constitution. While this example illuminates some of Europe's cultural divides, it does not contribute to Weigel's main...