How Christianity Remade the World: A Deep Dive into Tom Holland’s Dominion

By Dr. Tim Orr

The cultural revolution that began at the universities in the 1970s—rooted in a volatile mix of Marxism, postmodernism, the sexual revolution, and revolutionary justice critiques—appears to be running out of steam. What started as an intellectual rebellion within Western universities aimed to dismantle societal structures, replacing them with a vision of liberation and equity. Over time, this movement extended beyond the ivory towers of academia, profoundly altering politics, education, family life, and cultural norms. While this upheaval sought to create a more just society, its legacy is fraught with chaos and fragmentation, leaving fractured communities and weakened institutions.

Central to this cultural shift has been a redefinition of justice. Historically, justice in the West has drawn heavily from biblical concepts—equality (not equity), mercy, and compassion tempered by judgment (Micah 6:8). Revolutionary ideologies have replaced these with narratives of grievance, retribution, and power struggles. Justice has become less about reconciliation and more about redrawing societal power lines, favoring previously marginalized groups sometimes to the detriment of forgiveness and unity. This new framework often feels foreign and unsettling to those shaped by older traditions rooted in reconciliation and shared moral truths.

Against this backdrop, historian Tom Holland’s Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World offers a compelling exploration of Christianity’s enduring influence on Western civilization. Holland argues that many values championed in contemporary society—equality, justice, and human rights—are not products of secular enlightenment but are deeply rooted in Christian teachings. Even as modern movements critique or reject Christian doctrines, they remain indebted to Christian moral assumptions. This blog deeply dives into Holland’s arguments, unpacking how Christianity continues to shape the West and reflecting on the lessons we might draw from this legacy.

Christianity’s Radical Transformation of Antiquity

To understand Christianity’s transformative power, it is essential to consider the world it entered. With its vast reach and hierarchical social structure, the Roman Empire was a civilization governed by pragmatism and raw power. Roman society valued the strong and dismissed the weak, treating slaves, women, and children as property. Sexual exploitation was accepted as the natural prerogative of powerful men, and the concept of inherent human dignity was virtually nonexistent (Holland, 2019).

Christianity challenged this worldview with a revolutionary assertion: every person is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and, therefore, possesses intrinsic worth. This belief—radical at the time—undermined the very foundations of Roman society. The Apostle Paul’s declaration that “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, NIV) introduced a vision of equality that would reverberate through history.

Holland (2019) emphasizes that this egalitarian ethos gradually eroded the rigid hierarchies of antiquity. Over centuries, Christian teachings inspired movements advocating for human rights and social justice. The abolition of slavery, the elevation of women’s status, and the care for society’s most vulnerable can all trace their origins to the seeds planted by Christianity in a world that had little concept of moral equality.

The Enlightenment: A Christian Legacy in Disguise

One of the more fascinating arguments in Dominion is Holland’s assertion that the Enlightenment—often portrayed as a secular rejection of Christianity—owes much of its intellectual framework to Christian thought. The Enlightenment’s ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity, as exemplified by the French Revolution, echo Christian principles of universal human dignity and the brotherhood of humanity under God. Holland (2019) notes that even revolutionary cries for equality drew on the Christian teaching that “the last shall be first” (Matthew 20:16, NIV).

Voltaire, a vocal critic of institutional Christianity, is a case study of this paradox. His outrage over the unjust execution of Jean Calas, a Protestant in Catholic France, was shaped by Christian values of justice and compassion. Holland (2019) argues that Voltaire’s moral framework—though ostensibly secular—was profoundly influenced by the Christian ethic that defends the vulnerable and demands accountability for the powerful. The irony, Holland points out, is that the Enlightenment’s critique of Christianity often wielded Christian values as its weapon.

Woke Culture: A New Reformation?

Holland’s analysis extends to contemporary “woke” movements, such as #MeToo and social justice advocacy, which he provocatively frames as modern expressions of Christianity’s moral revolution. Movements like #MeToo assert that no one, regardless of their power or status, has the right to exploit another person. According to Holland (2019), this principle would have been incomprehensible in the pre-Christian world, where hierarchies justified exploitation.

The paradox is that many of these movements reject Christianity outright while unknowingly perpetuating its values. The #MeToo movement’s emphasis on human dignity and bodily autonomy aligns with the Christian teaching that everyone is created in God’s image. Similarly, contemporary calls to uplift marginalized groups echo Jesus’s command to prioritize “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40, NIV). While these movements may reject institutional Christianity, their moral foundations remain deeply rooted in Christian assumptions about justice and human worth.

Postmodernism and the Deconstruction of History

Another pillar of the cultural revolution—postmodernism—has sought to deconstruct historical narratives, particularly those that present the West favorably. This movement often portrays Western civilization as inherently oppressive, emphasizing its failures while minimizing its achievements. Holland (2019) suggests that this approach distorts the biblical principle of self-reflection, encapsulated in Jesus’s teaching to “remove the plank from your eye” (Matthew 7:5, NIV). Instead of fostering constructive critique, postmodernism often devolves into wholesale condemnation.

This relentless critique has left Western culture increasingly detached from its roots, floundering for meaning and direction. In rejecting the narratives that once provided a sense of purpose and identity, postmodernism has created a vacuum that modern movements struggle to fill. Holland’s Dominion serves as a timely reminder of the profound influence of Christian values on Western civilization and the dangers of severing ourselves from this legacy.

Culture Wars: A Family Feud

Holland’s insights into the ongoing culture wars are particularly compelling. He argues that these conflicts are not battles between Christians and secularists, as they are often framed, but rather intra-Christian debates over which moral priorities should take precedence. For example, the abortion debate juxtaposes the sanctity of life against the principle of bodily autonomy—both deeply rooted in Christian thought. Similarly, disputes over gender and sexuality reflect tensions between traditional Christian understandings of the created order and the Christian call to advocate for the marginalized.

Holland (2019) notes that these debates have become more polarized due to the loss of a shared Christian language. During the Civil Rights Movement, leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. invoked biblical themes to articulate their vision of justice, making their arguments resonate with a society still steeped in Christian teachings. Today, however, both sides of the culture wars often fail to recognize the Christian roots of their positions, leading to fragmented and often acrimonious discourse.

The Invisible Christianity of Secular Society

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Holland’s thesis is his claim that Christianity’s influence persists even in societies where religious belief is declining. Western nations, particularly in Europe, pride themselves on their secularism, yet their moral frameworks remain profoundly Christian. Holland (2019) likens this influence to dust particles in the air: invisible but omnipresent. Human rights, equality, and the moral imperative to care for the vulnerable are often assumed to be self-evident truths. Still, they are the product of centuries of Christian thought.

This realization has profound implications. Recognizing Christianity’s enduring influence challenges the narrative that modernity represents a complete break from religious traditions. It invites believers and non-believers to engage more thoughtfully with the values they hold dear and consider their origins in the Christian moral imagination.

Conclusion: Recognizing and Reclaiming Our Roots

Tom Holland’s Dominion is both a historical analysis and a call to reflection. It challenges the narrative of Western progress as a departure from Christianity, convincingly arguing that modern values are deeply indebted to Christian principles. This recognition is intellectually enriching and essential for navigating our time's moral and cultural debates.

In a world grappling with fragmentation and moral confusion, Dominion offers a hopeful reminder of the power of Christianity’s legacy. By reclaiming the principles that have shaped Western civilization—justice tempered by mercy, the dignity of every human being, and the transformative power of forgiveness—we can work toward a society that is not only fairer but also more compassionate and united. As Holland (2019) aptly concludes, Christianity’s influence endures, even without active belief, offering a moral compass that can guide us through the complexities of the modern world.

References

Holland, T. (2019). Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. Basic Books.

Holy Bible, New International Version. (1978). Zondervan.

Tim Orr is a scholar of Islam, Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant with over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six degrees, including a master’s in Islamic studies from the Islamic College in London. Tim taught Religious Studies for 15 years at Indiana University Columbus and is now a Congregations and Polarization Project research associate at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. He has spoken at universities, including Oxford University, Imperial College London, the University of Tehran, Islamic College London, and mosques throughout the U.K. His research focuses on American Evangelicalism, Islamic antisemitism, and Islamic feminism, and he has published widely, including articles in Islamic peer-reviewed journals and three books.