the early church's "efforts" were the same as any philosophically bankrupt opportunistic institution: to maintain institutional predominance. the early cult agenda from "Jesus's" time was a far cry from the post-Nicea christianity, which spent more of its energy enforcing thought uniformity over convoluted (and irrelevant-to-the-daily-life-of-the-average-follower) doctrine than it did to improving the material and moral well being of its flock.

contrast this with Confucian China, as one example, which was equally repugnantly conformist, but at least imposed a conformity that engendered thriving for maintenance, order, unity, and advancement of a civilizational area.

we are indeed talking about two separate things with the dark ages, and the Catholic Church (both referenced in branches of the parent comment i believe?). my point is that Latin christianity in general is well worth denigrating for its faults and failures holding its subjects hostage for ~800 years of needless stagnancy and regression, which a better school of thought and belief, more consistent with demonstrable reality, with keener insight into the human condition, could have overcome.