Some great discoveries were made more than two thousand years ago. But they were not expanded on until much later. What happened to delay their development?
The collapse of the culture and loss of much of the knowledge gained was a big hit to scientific development, but the blame put on Christianity isn't founded. The church at the time was the main place to go to for education, and were doing quite a bit of science during the start of the scientific revival spurred by the translation of many Greek and Roman texts from Arabic into Latin. (The science was continued on still during the 'dark ages', but not much focus is placed on it because it didn't happen in the European areas of the world. Much of history is biased towards the European side whilst ignoring what happened in the rest of the world) Hindrance by Christianity only came later when science started proving the assumed knowledge of Christianity at the time wrong, but by this point they weren't able to do much other than slow advancement a little. Some parts of Christianity were still embracing science while other parts were opposing it.
While it is true that knowledge was being advanced in certain parts of the world at a swifter rate than in Western Europe, overall Christianity came with a handicap. All the research it funded and promoted was capped by the need to keep God above all. It was like running a race with lead shoes down a straight and narrow road. But you are right, there is more to it than that. Christianity somehow contributed to world progress, in its own way. One can talk of the different schools of Christianity, for example. Western Christianity was steeped in war and darkness for many centuries. Eastern Christianity i.e. the Eastern Roman Empire i.e. Byzantium was more stable and integrated, safeguarding much of the ancient Greco-Roman knowledge. The Renaissance reveals all the above. The spike in knowledge and research it produced is indicative of the potential of thought derived from rational rather than theistic thinking. It reveals the handicap Christianity had imposed on the world in terms of philosophical prowess and scientific discovery, while at the same time pointing out how Eastern Christianity was far more versed in science and philosophy than Western Christianity. One of the watershed events for the Renaissance was, after all, the fall of Constantinople, from where scholars emigrated to the West, mostly Italy. It also marked the rise of Russia as a strong nation, circa the end of the 15th century, for some chose to go there instead of Italy.
Currently reading Stephen Greenblatt's "The Swerve." It's all about how an ancient scientific mindset was trampled by Christianity. It won a national book award. Although I'm plodding through it slowly, it's a really good book. If you have any interest in Greek/Roman culture or the history of the early church I highly recommend it. I'm sure that it has a great take on enlightenment culture as well but I'm not that far in.
I've heard this fact occasionally and it still makes me stop and think for a second: 1990 is closer to the moon landing than it is to present day.
That is definitely disappointing. However, hopefully the present day is closer to a Martian landing than it is to 1990.1990 is closer to the moon landing than it is to present day.