Dominion

How the Christian Revolution Remade the World

De: Tom Holland

Narrado por: Tom Holland

A “marvelous” (Economist) account of how the Christian Revolution forged the Western imagination.

Crucifixion, the Romans believed, was the worst fate imaginable, a punishment reserved for slaves. How astonishing it was, then, that people should have come to believe that one particular victim of crucifixion—an obscure provincial by the name of Jesus—was to be worshipped as a god.

Dominion explores the implications of this shocking conviction as they have reverberated throughout history. Today, the West remains utterly saturated by Christian assumptions. As Tom Holland demonstrates, our morals and ethics are not universal but are instead the fruits of a very distinctive civilization. Concepts such as secularism, liberalism, science, and homosexuality are deeply rooted in a Christian seedbed.

From Babylon to the Beatles, Saint Michael to #MeToo, Dominion tells the story of how Christianity transformed the modern world.

©2019 Tom Holland (P)2025 Basic Books

Reseñas de la Crítica

"This lively, capacious history of Christianity emphasizes the extent to which the religion still underpins Western liberal values."—New Yorker

"A galloping tour of Christianity's influence across the last 2,000 years, with vivid vignettes scattered across the centuries, and a concluding argument the Christian faith, 'the most influential framework for making sense of human existence that has ever existed,' still shapes the way that even the most secular modern people think about the world."—Ross Douthat, New York Times

"A sweeping narrative.... [Holland] is an exceptionally good storyteller with a marvelous eye for detail... excellent fun."—The Economist

A Difficult Subject Made Compelling and Thought Provoking

Interesting anecdotes woven into a broad history of Christianity. While there are several key themes, I was particularly taken by the view that describing Christianity as a religion is in itself to accept a Christian view of the world. Other so-called religions have not necessarily distinguished between the secular and religious. So, many who call themselves atheists, accept that and other elements of religious faith.

Best book I’ve read this decade

Dominion is a revelatory read, constantly surprising me with previously unknown roots of my own culture and experiences. Rereading with Mr. Holland as the narrator is quite a treat. It’s nice to hear it in the author’s familiar voice

Historical analysis of mankind with regard to religion.

I loved the attention to detail and looking into all facets of religion good and bad. It helped me understand the state in which we currently exist.

Cartoon Christianity with Pop History End

This writer probably got in trouble for writing such a great and muscular book, "Forge Of Christendom" that he had to throw this book into the post modern dump. Pretty much Cartoon-level "Jesus Gets You" stuff here. Nassim Taleb called Tom Holland a simple popularizer, he truly resembles that label with this book. Christianity is not the worship or glorification of the "poor", but this is the overwhelming undercurrent of the book. So even Stalin is just a confused "Christian" since communists wanted to eliminate classes. But Islam also has charity in the Pillars, so they must be confused Christians too.

Also, I guess this writer is British and likes the Beatles. Someone needs to tell him that outside of Britain and the Indians that like British stuff, the Beatles are not considered good. They are a joke with no cultural value, it's like listening to advertisement jingles. Not to mention that the lyrics in "Imagine" are basically satanically inspired. Certainty doesn't belong in a book about Christianity.

But everything in the second half of this book is basically gross pop history. To an Orthodox or Catholic, this will be like accidentally walking into to a "church" with a blue haired, wide rim glasses, Lutheran female priest in mid satanic homily about their post modern delusions. Truly Grotesque and Objectionable stuff that you would only do by accident. Basically the final chapters of this book become all about the masquerading Moloch, Baal, Lilith, Beelzebub, and Amon worshipers with "Jesus Gets You" stuff. Even puts Marxist and Communists (murderers of Christians during WW2 and after) into "Christian-ish" categories. Even a hard-boiled satanic Communist like Angela Merkel is Christain-ish. Strangely, the book drops bombs on Friedrich Nietzsche who never claimed to be a Christian but boldly explained that that Socialist Post Modern "morality" without Christianity is just a nihilist cult of envy and hate. This author would even call woke Spanish Podemos and PP Party, also murders of Nuns and Priests and lay people in the 20th century, as "christian-ish".

The first half of this book is good. Paul, Peter, Augustine, and Rome. The second half is essentially trashy. The writer tarnished his usual high standards. I have read many Tom Holland books.