Dominion (Holland book)

Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind
First edition (US)
AuthorTom Holland
Cover artistSalvador Dalí
LanguageEnglish
SubjectChristianity
GenreHistorical non-fiction
PublisherBasic Books (UK & US)
Publication date
2019
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePaperback
Pages624
ISBN9780465093502

Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind (published as Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World in the United States) is a 2019 non-fiction history book by British historian Tom Holland.

The book is a broad history of the influence of Christianity on the world, focusing on its impact on morality – from its beginnings to the modern day.[1] According to the author, the book "isn’t a history of Christianity" but "a history of what's been revolutionary and transformative about Christianity: about how Christianity has transformed not just the West, but the entire world."[2]

Holland contends that Western morality, values and social norms ultimately are products of Christianity,[1][3][4] stating "in a West that is often doubtful of religion's claims, so many of its instincts remain — for good and ill — thoroughly Christian".[5] Holland further argues that concepts now usually considered non-religious or universal, such as secularism, liberalism, science, socialism and Marxism, revolution, feminism, and even homosexuality, "are deeply rooted in a Christian seedbed",[6][7][8] and that the influence of Christianity on Western civilization has been so complete "that it has come to be hidden from view".[1][7]

It was released to positive reviews, although some historians and philosophers objected to some of Holland's conclusions.

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference wsj was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Tom Holland talks to Andrew Brown about Dominion: The making of the Western mind". Church Times. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ McDonagh, Melanie (12 September 2019). "Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind by Tom Holland – review". Evening Standard. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  5. ^ Strand, Daniel (17 June 2020). "Are We All Christians Now? A Review of Tom Holland's Dominion". Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Dominion : how the Christian revolution remade the world". WorldCat. OCLC 1125323915. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  7. ^ a b Simon, Ed (13 July 2020). "What Was Christendom?". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference newyo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).