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Dominion

The Making of the Western Mind

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Dominion

By: Tom Holland, Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Narrated by: Mark Meadows, Tom Holland
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About this listen

 Christianity is the most enduring and influential legacy of the ancient world, and its emergence the single most transformative development in Western history. Even the increasing number in the West today who have abandoned the faith of their forebears, and dismiss all religion as pointless superstition, remain recognisably its heirs. Seen close-up, the division between a sceptic and a believer may seem unbridgeable. Widen the focus, though, and Christianity's enduring impact upon the West can be seen in the emergence of much that has traditionally been cast as its nemesis: in science, in secularism, and yes, even in atheism.

That is why Dominion will place the story of how we came to be what we are, and how we think the way that we do, in the broadest historical context. Ranging in time from the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC to the on-going migration crisis in Europe today, and from Nebuchadnezzar to the Beatles, it will explore just what it was that made Christianity so revolutionary and disruptive; how completely it came to saturate the mind-set of Latin Christendom; and why, in a West that has become increasingly doubtful of religion's claims, so many of its instincts remain irredeemably Christian. The aim is twofold: to make the reader appreciate just how novel and uncanny were Christian teachings when they first appeared in the world; and to make ourselves, and all that we take for granted, appear similarly strange in consequence. We stand at the end-point of an extraordinary transformation in the understanding of what it is to be human: one that can only be fully appreciated by tracing the arc of its parabola over millennia.©2019 Tom Holland (P)2019 Hachette Audio UK Ancient Christianity Middle ages Ancient History Thought-Provoking Middle East

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Critic reviews

Terrific: bold, ambitious and passionate (Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads)
Tom Holland is fun to read, monstrously erudite, wickedly joyful, and ahead of the established consensus, on average, by four years, three months, and two days (Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of the Incerto (The Black Swan, Antifragile...))
This extraordinary book is vintage Tom Holland: history boldly and elegantly retold, with fascinating interconnections traced to create a narrative that cannot fail to stimulate, for it leads to a never-ending question (Diarmaid MacCulloch)
Fizzing with insights and challenges, this is one history book that is timely and important, as well as a feast of intellectual entertainment (Christopher Hart)
A rich and compelling history of Christendom . . . A masterpiece of scholarship and storytelling, Dominion surpasses Holland's earlier books in its sweeping ambition and gripping presentation (John Gray)
[Holland encapsulates] so much, so intelligently and entertainingly, in a book that's fizzing with ideas (Andrew Lycett)

Tom Holland's stupendous new book . . . There isn't a page of this magnificent book that does not contain some fascinating detail and the narrative is held together with a novelist's eye for character and theme (Tim Stanley)
A brilliant meditation on how Christianity in its Latin and Protestant forms entirely changed the way humans conceive life and their relationship to each other (Helen Thompson)
All stars
Most relevant  
Very dissapointing when the author stopped narrating after the preface. I would have preferred he narrates the whole book. It's not good business sense to make the first 5% or your product superior to the rest.

Incredible text, amazing information

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This amazing book has pointed out what is and has always been right in front of me, and I have completely taken for granted. it is that there is no such thing as to be objective. I realise that our whole education system presumes we can stand out side of what ever it is we decide to understand. that we can use empiricism as a surgeon skillfully uses a scalpel to separate bone from marrow and discern the truth of how things fit together. I realise too, we all desire to come to the truth of reality, of the world we live in. but that is the problem. we don't think we live in the world at all. Western society is about living on and not in. This truth was the first truth to be done away with when Europeans arrived in the New World. The people s of these lands lived very much "in" their world and as a result were categorised as lesser, as part of the beasts that surrounded them. the Christian s of Europe has no such delusion . they had been given dominion by God and had escaped the primitive life attached to the earth. they had technological wisdom and stood outside the plight of those who were still subject to the natural world.
In conclusion the epiphany that this book grants to those who see it, is that the way you view something has to be factored in to what you are looking at. if you believe in evolution, then you believe consciousness is very much part of it, therefore you can't use your consciousness to study it. If then we acknowledge that even the most anti Christian atheist is in fact nearer to Christian then any other ideology or way of seeing the world, then we should very seriously take a long look at what it's claims are and continue to be for millions of people

In plain sight

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I like the way that the book comes from a point of view to which it is possible to argue against. it therefore had my mind working and it is also very informative.

An enjoyable read.

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Tom has produced a masterclass of historical fact-facing to show how, even as the West discards Christianity, its influence lives on in its social values. He is candid about the absence of Christian faith in himself, yet he traces the indelible imprint of that faith in shaping our world. This is a must-read for enquiring minds.

Historical honesty and challenging candour

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Informative, comprehensive and very well written. I'd highly recommend it to believers and non believers.

Very good

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It's a bit difficult to get in to but the central part of the book in particular is fascinating. Would recomend but only to those interested in long historical narratives.

Great for the expert, good for the casual reader.

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perceptive, engaging, and well read. a cogent analysis of the shape and origins of Western culture

superb - very perceptive, engaging and well read

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The narration was brilliant!

The whole history of Christianity gets put into context. I do believe that part of the progress of the Christian faith is that it was never really Christian to begin with. Western beliefs lay heavily with Greek traditions, and slowly evolved to become more biblical through time. Tom Holland explains all of this right from before the earliest records right up to the present.

The only downside to it is that Tom doesn’t seem to compare Christian thought so much to Sikhism, Hinduism, or Buddhism, but sticks more to a comparison with Islam. Saying that only Christianity progresses seems a little blind though. I’m fairly certain that all religions progress, and rarely stay the same.

I think this will be a book debated for some time though, and has already opened up a lot of debates on the subject. Overall, I would highly recommend it.

Excellent

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I relished in his overturning of long held beliefs of mine without destroying my innate conviction of the essence of Christianity and its importance to humanity.
As often stated the only problem with Christianity is that it never been tried..

The objective nature of the writers view of the events and their consequences.

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Excellent, erudite and respectful canter through Christendom from Greek gods to woke...all is there and well done!

myths can also be true!

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