Thank you for your critique of and insights about what I find to be a remarkable and provocative, though far from perfect, work by Henrich. On a quick read of Schulz (2019), the reference Henrich uses for Fig. 9.6 on p. 315, it appears that the data for that figure come from the Iberian Peninsula, the Carolingian Empire, and Roman Britain. That is, the communes and city-states of Italy are only a small component of the entire dataset. Perhaps this fact explains why your observations and conclusions are at variance with Henrich's. From your comments, one might conclude that what the Italian peninsula received a "dose" of was Rome, rather than the Church, and so its data would have been less relevant for Schulz and Henrich's immediate thesis -- though could address a different thesis, perhaps involving how an “inoculation” with a dose of Rome leads to immunity against subsequent "infection" by the Church. Other of your comments make me suspect that the Church was, to a degree, "Rome by other means," those other means largely excluding force of arms. Again, thanks for bringing your expertise to bear on this fairly enormous subject.
Thank you for your critique of and insights about what I find to be a remarkable and provocative, though far from perfect, work by Henrich. On a quick read of Schulz (2019), the reference Henrich uses for Fig. 9.6 on p. 315, it appears that the data for that figure come from the Iberian Peninsula, the Carolingian Empire, and Roman Britain. That is, the communes and city-states of Italy are only a small component of the entire dataset. Perhaps this fact explains why your observations and conclusions are at variance with Henrich's. From your comments, one might conclude that what the Italian peninsula received a "dose" of was Rome, rather than the Church, and so its data would have been less relevant for Schulz and Henrich's immediate thesis -- though could address a different thesis, perhaps involving how an “inoculation” with a dose of Rome leads to immunity against subsequent "infection" by the Church. Other of your comments make me suspect that the Church was, to a degree, "Rome by other means," those other means largely excluding force of arms. Again, thanks for bringing your expertise to bear on this fairly enormous subject.