Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World

As a ravenously obsessed fan of "The Rest Is History" podcast, I went down the rabbit hole searching for books written by the podcast’s two exceptional historians, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. This unparalleled duo both possess an incredible breadth of historical knowledge that is as impressive as it is thought-provoking, always inspiring me to learn more. It was looking through their work that led me to read Dominion, a book that has profoundly reshaped my understanding of history. The genius of its premise lies in Tom Holland’s ability to identify and articulate a shaping force so pervasive in Western civilization that it could only be recognized by a truly astute scholar. Holland argues that Christianity has not only been the primary influence on the West, but also that its impact continues to shape our modern world. The book masterfully weaves together the threads that form the tapestry of Western thought, demonstrating how Christianity’s influence is both deep and wide-ranging. Ambitious in its scope, Dominion traces the historical thread of Christianity, beginning with the Bible and continuing through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and beyond, chronicling the path Christianity has carved from antiquity to our contemporary culture. Holland’s unique vantage point, informed by a lifetime dedicated to the study of classical and ancient history, allows him to explore the causes and effects of Christianity’s influence. This book stands out not only as a well-researched and significant scholarly achievement but also as an accessible read for anyone interested in understanding our past—and, by extension, our present. Its insights shed a unique and important light on both our history and our current times. To me, reading Dominion was a transformative experience which both deepened my understanding of the world and at times shattering prior assumptions I long took for granted. For these reasons and more, I consider this book a truly unmissable read.

Does a person have to believe in God to be moral? The short answer to the much debated query is no. Plenty of atheists and agnostics lead lives that are just as moral (or immoral) as their deity-believing neighbors. But what about a society? A country? A civilization? To what extent does morality as we enlightened moderns understand it actually derive from Judeo-Christian theology and philosophy? In his sweeping yet detailed look at the history of western civilization, historian Tom Holland makes the argument that what we think of as universal moral ideals—looking after the poor, equality among men, women's rights, etc.—are actually the byproducts of Western Christianity. Holland shows the sharp contrasts of western civilization before and after Christianity emerged, noting that Greco-Roman paganism espoused norms that would horrify us. He also shows how causes often considered non-Christian or even anti-Christian, such as communism and secularism, have their intellectual roots in Christian reformist efforts. So pervasive is this influence, Holland argues, that even as Christianity is in sharp decline in Europe and North America, the moral assumptions remain in place. Overall, Holland's arguments are strong ones. He cites and quotes many primary sources to buttress his claims. He also gives several examples to back his thesis. For example, Holland describes the actions of groups like the Diggers, the Quakers, and the Levellers, whose communal models predate Karl Marx by a couple of centuries. Also of great interest are the anti-Christian intellectuals that Holland quotes who credited (or blamed) the religion for mainstreaming ideas like charity for the weak and equality of all people. Prominent examples include the Marquis de Sade and Friedrich Nietzsche. If there was one weakness to the book, I would say that some of the connections between pre-modern Christian thinkers and 20th/21st century influencers were a bit speculative. When tying the Beatles' "All you need is love" song to St. Paul's "the greatest of these is love" sentiments, Holland didn't have a source showing the pop band directly citing the New Testament writer as their inspiration. Then again, when something is so integral to one's thinking, to the point of being thoroughly internalized, how often does one actually know the source of one's inspiration? Such is the nature of Christian influence on western society, a great survey of which is described (sometimes in disgusting detail) by Holland. The biggest question left largely unexplored by Holland's excellent opus was how long such moral influence will last as churches continue to close en masse in western nations. As more Americans and Europeans are raised without a direct line to Christianity, will they begin to abandon such universal norms? Will we see such things as human sacrifices, slavery, abandonment of the poor, child killing, severe body mutilation, and rampant sexual promiscuity become the norm once more? Or are we already at that point, as seen with elective abortion, homosexuality, "gender-affirming care," hook-up culture, rape culture, the rise of online hate, drops in charitable giving and cuts to government welfare programs? Regardless of the answer, Holland's book is a must-read for lovers of history, those interested in modern western ethics, and any curious thinker.

Dominion is one of the best books written I have ever read. It flows from chapter to chapter in such a beautiful way, and without fail, Tom has crafted such a masterpiece. with such an intense topic and the daunting task of the world's change under Christianity into a fruitful and joyus read. I will re-read this book again and again as my main reference for the timeline of global change and impact that the world continues to need. Christ be with Tom in his life and adventures.

Tom Holland does a great job of laying out how we can't understand our history without understanding Christianity and how it has fully dominated western thoughts and understanding of humanity. A real tour de force he covers over two thousand years in a very engaging format, albeit occasionally he meanders and one wonders how he will connect the dots. As someone who reads Catholic theology and history, there's a few places where he is lacking some context that could use more fleshing out, but overall a great read. From the late Romans to the Enlightenment to the modern atheists he highlights how one can't escape the Christian understanding of humanity as a foundational, dare I say sacral cornerstone of our values and ideas.

Brilliant interpretation of what made western culture and success what it is today.

Amazing stories to go along with each major "era" and tie the book's themes together. Very enjoyable read.

Fascinating and intricate read. Holland pursues the so-called religion, broadly termed the understanding of Christianity, as a function of history and civilization. It's an intriguing angle to observe the pervasiveness of religion disguised as Christ-following. It's a dissonant read. The book has stuck in my mind for some weeks before writing this review. That doesn't happen often. The book explores rarely cited history to enable the reader to consider the actions of men of religion who perpetrate the opposite of clear biblical teaching in the name of religion. Excellent examples include the dissonance of the 4th Crusade's sack and massacre of the devotedly Christian and Roman Constantinople. The political-papal designs of the Albigensian Crusade to exterminate and erase Cathars and seize their autonomous lands in the name of a French king and papal revenue. In the name of a religion, the worst crimes of men are perpetrated in the name of Christ. A wholly corrupt institution of religion imagined repeating the Cathar extermination in opposition to Reformation. The result was the near-total destruction of Europe in 100 years of cumulative and simultaneous wars (French Wars of Religion, 80-years War, the 30-years war) to no purpose. The Spanish conquest and enslavement of Western Hemisphere peoples in the name of religion. The invention and convenience of witch trials and inquisition. Holland goes on to explore the lowest lights and logic of the deconstruction of Christ's teachings for the methods of politics, money and men. The later chapters move the issue into the modern context to consider beliefs and the nature of Christianity's effect on all aspects of morals and belief. Agnosticism and atheism and faiths in between are framed within a secular context that make the book a must-read. The kindle edition enables a profound reading experience. References can be readily followed and then followed further. I spent a couple of nights simply deep-diving into a line of thought through Holland's references. There are some very cool back alleys to explore. Holland is not an Apologetic in the sense that the Christ-following reader would notice. Some of his points will make an Apologetic wince. Don't wince. Engage the author's thought line through his references and conclude as you will. I, for one, could not determine what side of belief Holland lives in. It's thoroughly and perhaps antagonistically unbiased. Much better than expected. It's a 'must-read'.

Very thoughtful book by the great Tom Holland

O livro é bom, porque deixa claro que o Cristianismo teve um impacto sem igual no mundo. Nossa moralidade sexual, compaixão e direitos naturais são heranças cristãs. O problema do livro é que o autor nem sequer tenta separar suas avaliações de sua visão de mundo progressista. Critica a condenação de Paulo às relações homossexuais como hipócrita, ataca Donald Trump com base em alegações progressistas e exalta as militâncias de esquerda americanas. O livro não perderia nada sem isso. Pelo contrário, a avaliação teria sido bem mais imparcial e séria sem as opiniões políticas do autor.

An uplifting and fascinating read. Except for the end which is depressing. (Is this really all Christianity has left us with?) Tom Holland is such a wonderful scholar and writer.

Best read for curious earthly minds

This is an enlightening read.

I bought this thinking it was a different book to his UK version of a similar name. It's not, though it has a nicer contents page. Tom Holland is objective. The book itself was in pristine condition.