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  • Dominion

  • How the Christian Revolution Remade the World
  • Written by: Tom Holland
  • Narrated by: Tom Holland, Mark Meadows
  • Length: 22 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (111 ratings)

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Dominion

Written by: Tom Holland
Narrated by: Tom Holland,Mark Meadows
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Publisher's Summary

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)2019 Basic Books

What the critics say

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

"What in other hands could have been a dry pedantic account of Christianity's birth and evolution becomes in Holland's an all-absorbing story...It takes a master storyteller to translate the development of a philosophical notion into a captivating story, and Holland proves to be one... Holland offers a remarkably nuanced and balanced account of two millennia of Christian history - intellectual, cultural, artistic, social and political. The book's scope is breathtaking." (The Literary Review)

"Christianity may not be on the march, but its principles continue to dominate in much of the world; this thoughtful, astute account describes how and why... Holland delivers penetrating, often jolting discussions on great controversies of Western civilization in which war, politics, and culture have formed a background to changes in values... An insightful argument that Christian ethics, even when ignored, are the norm worldwide." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

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What listeners say about Dominion

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a Story

so comprehensive, and thought provoking. It was easy to listen, being swept up in the many characters and global expressions of the story. Perhaps to his credit the author doesn't use this book to pick a side and justify his position, and the book seems stronger for it. It's a daunting journey that is well worth the investment, and really well narrated!!

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

good content, bad narrator

I heard Tom in a couple YouTube videos and immediately liked him. He's a decent writer and an even better historian. What killed the audiobook for me was the narrator. It sounded like he was trying to turn everything into an action thriller. The overall effect was to have the reader believe that either he didn't know the material or that his range of ability was very limited. Personally I wish Tom had narrated the whole thing and not just the introduction.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

2000 years of history in one fell swoop

The author manages to transition seamlessly between various figures and topics, going from perspective to perspective in a way that always has you ready for the next perfectly timed historical name drop. Starting with Jesus and going all the way to Donald Trump he never seems to lose momentum even as he checks in with almost every relevant major character and event along the way. The book Overall maintains a very objective and measured approach that never ventures into the realm of being preachy or annoying. Definitely worth a read for any fan of history.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing...

To write a book on 2,000 years of Christianity is a tremendously ambitious endeavor, and one that an historian should not undertake alone. The subject is too vast and require specialization for several periods and geographical areas. This led, in Dominion, to the distortions of events, like the Crusades, which were not a conflict between two players (Christians and Muslims). There were four major groups : the Muslim Turks, the Christian “Latins”, the Muslim Arabs, and the Christian Romans (which never called themselves Byzantines, contrary to what Mr. Holland claims). At times, Muslims fought Christians but also Muslims, and Christians fought Muslims but also Christians, as politics and economic goals played often a more significant role than religion. Another problem with the book is the preponderance given to religious or spiritual factors to explain events. The question of the celibacy for priests for example, was a also measure to stop the feudalization of the Church, which was in danger of losing its vassals and properties, as bishops were transmitting them from father to son… The Pope was a very temporal ruler as the Head of the Papal States, constituted around 750, from territories “appropriated” from the Emperor of Constantinople (false Donation of Constantine), following an alliance with the Carolingien Franks, an event of capital importance for Western Christendom – not mentioned by Mr. Holland. Few lines as well on the Christian Orthodoxy of the Medieval Roman Empire of Constantinople – even though Christianity was one until 1204 (contrary to what Mr. Holland claims, the schism of 1071 did not mark a permanent rupture). The Roman missionaries brought Christianity to the Slavic world, to Ethiopia and other African countries. The Christian Empire, led by an Empereur (Basileus Autokrator) which claimed to be the lieutenant of God of earth, considered that war was to be avoided at all costs. Killing at war was seen as a murder, a sin, and soldiers had to make penance when they came back. The Romans were horrified during the Crusades when they saw Latin clergymen taking part in battle, as for them it was to commit murder with the same hands that held the body of Christ. Did not that “Eastern” Christianism deserve as much place as Protestantism? For all those reasons, and others, I have found the book disappointing.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Superbly interesting overview of Christianity

Tom Holland manages the difficult task of providing a 2000 year history of Christianity, and summarizing its impact on today's culture. Very interesting!

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Fabulous! Really amazing. This book helped me understand so many beliefs that I actually took for granted.

Fabulous! Really amazing. This book helped me understand so many beliefs that I actually took for granted.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Masterful

The continuity of content and presentation is so incredibly good! I was hooked for over 21 hours!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Hard to follow

The sentences are very long and complex and not suited for listening. the book should have been adjusted for audio content.
I'd prefer a more clear logical description than what the author attempts. It's hard to follow the story without prior knowledge of the characters mentioned. I've started the Rubicon by Holland and it's the same thing. He writes for history geeks, not for an average person interested.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great content, but the narrator falls short.

I tried adjusting the playback speed in an attempt to make the listening experience more engaging or tolerable due to the narrator's consistent fatigue.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful listen

My first Tom Holland, not my last. Beautifully written, not a boring list of what happened, but a narrative, an epic.

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