The themes of rebirth, renewal, and restoration are intimately familiar and indeed deeply tied to the human experience. Ancient mythologies spoke of the phoenix, a bird that died in a flash of fire but was reborn from its ashes. The theme of rebirth is repeatedly present in the Bible. In the Old Testament, renewal is integral to the story of Noah and the flood, the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and the promise of the Messiah to Abraham and his descendants. In the New Testament, Jesus repeatedly returns to the theme of rebirth and renewal, including with his own crucifixion and resurrection. But there are also stories of national and cultural renewal. The fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century presaged the period we call the “Dark Ages,” which eventually...