Why might Western Europe have advanced faster than other cultures that weren't "under the iron grip of the Christian church"?
Islamic civilization, in particular, made crucial contributions during that time. Newton couldn't have invented modern physics without hundreds of years of preparation by Islamic mathematicians (including Arabic numerals, algebra, and trigonometry).
And it was really Rome, not Christianity, that was responsible for the stagnation in the west. The Romans were great at practical application but contributed very little new theoretical knowledge even before they converted to Christianity.
What progress was made during the six hundred years between Aristotle and Constantine?
Islamic civilization, in particular, made crucial contributions during that time. Newton couldn't have invented modern physics without hundreds of years of preparation by Islamic mathematicians (including Arabic numerals, algebra, and trigonometry).
And it was really Rome, not Christianity, that was responsible for the stagnation in the west. The Romans were great at practical application but contributed very little new theoretical knowledge even before they converted to Christianity.
What progress was made during the six hundred years between Aristotle and Constantine?