But make no mistake, the irrepressible thrust of Western Civilization owes a lions share of its enabling nature to the East, in particular, the middle-eastern gift of Christianity. Without the egalitarian precepts introduced by Christianity, self-government as we know it, could not exist.

Ok, two things:

One, the area where Christianity developed is basically in the realm of the western world. Mesopotamia (Iraq, Iran, Israel) is where western "civilization" began way back with the Sumerians. And the whole area was part of the Roman Empire at the time Paul started his merry religion. Eastern civilization refers to the area of China and Japan, not Persia etc.

Two, Christianity as an institution had virtually nothing to do with the development of egalitarian and self-governing principles. Greece, though obviously not a perfect society, was the first attempt at universal input in government. Christianity didn't exactly influence them. Plus, how do Papal bureaucracy and the divine right of kings aid in furthuring egalitarian principles?