Christians quickly embraced the notion that increased communication would bring about enlightenment and progress, just as sixteenth - century Protestants had seen printing as a providential
device to overcome ignorance and superstition and «bring Western Europe
out of the
dark ages.»
As Elizabeth Eisenstein says in her book on the role
of the printing press, Protestant clergy «viewed printing as a providential
device which ended forever a priestly monopoly
of learning, overcame ignorance and superstition, pushed back the evil forces commanded by Italian popes, and, in general, brought Western Europe
out of the
dark ages.»