would have done的一个使用方法剖析

Yet he could not tell anyone about his theory as the powerful Christian Church would have punished him for even suggesting such an idea.

本句源于人教版高中英语教程必学五的Unit 1。请老师剖析一下句中 would have punished 的使用方法。谢谢！

Yet he could not tell anyone about his theory as the powerful Christian Church would have punished him for even suggesting such an idea.

这个问题不难理解。在as 引导是什么原因从句中，for even suggesting such an idea 等于一个虚拟条件句：if he had even suggested such an idea

全句可理解为：

the powerful Christian Church would have punished himif he had even suggested such an idea.

这个句子表达的意思，是与过去事实不符的假设：事实上，他并没（没敢）提出如此一个看法，基督教也没惩罚他。