Tom Holland | Why the West is more Christian than it thinks
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ธ.ค. 2021
- What has been the impact of Christianity on the development of Western civilisation? Could it have been so profound that it is now hidden from view? Even in a secular West, are we ‘goldfish swimming in a Christian pond’?
In our final Ramsay Lecture for 2021, Centre Academic Director and Deputy CEO Dr. Stephen McInerney interviews award-winning UK historian, biographer and broadcaster Tom Holland. Mr. Holland is author of the 2019 Sunday Times best-seller Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind.
In their discussion Mr Holland presses his case for the central place of Christianity in the formation of Western values, arguing ‘Christianity is the most enduring and influential legacy of the ancient world, (and) its emergence the single most transformative development in Western history.
In this exclusive interview Dr McInerney and Mr Holland discuss:
- How Mr Holland’s interest in antiquity led him to explore the shift from the brutality of ancient times to a more compassionate society today;
- The crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the ‘myth’ which lies at the heart of the development of Western values;
-The changing symbolism of the cross and its relationship to concepts of power;
- Christianity’s permeation in other ‘secular’ structures; and
- The influence of Christianity on modern concepts of love.
Please join us for this wide-spanning conversation.
Tom Holland is a brilliant historian. Love everything he does.
I could hear a lot more from Tom!
Listen to his Podcast, The Rest is History, it is ace.
Great interview 👍
Brilliant. More please😊
Peace full worship in Western countries🙏🙏🙏
One of me Raja yoga teachers - has said the same.
What now ?
Fare thee well - in life's journey.
Always something massive to learn from tom. Cant wait to see you on Jordan peterson podcast sooner rather than later 🙏🏿🤞🏿
You, in admiration for a Ceaser with soldiers, seems, at least trough many interviews and the book, founded on a personal story, seems to get an honorable and decent success. In his childhood, Peter of Russia, they told, was an admirer of battles with soldiers. Of course, somewhere in Europe, not in the fairytales of Australia, is someone of his family swimming in the same christian waters. Sailers, famous in England, are knowing ,,the big fish eats the little fish".
My fish in a little cup, named by me the fish of desires, ,,Hitchkock", died after a travel of mine. You can travel with a dog or a cat but not with fish.
Thank you very much. After all, he lived, Hitchkock, six hard years.
Corina Ijac
2023
I've read (and greatly enjoyed) Dominion. But I'm not entirely convinced that the human trait of compassion for (and genuine interest in the well-being of) others is more of a trait of Christianity than of other historical systems of ethical belief (in "Western" civilizations and others in Mediterranean Antiquity, in Mesopotamia, in Persia, in South Asia, in China, etc.).
Tom's own writings illustrate this beautifully: witness his commentary on Herodotus. The highly predatory Romans saw contemporaries of Julius Caesar also write ironically of his conquest of Gaul: "They created a wilderness and called it peace".
Even great conquerors in Antiquity could become icons of what we today call human rights: Cyrus the Great was famously tolerant, as was (after repenting) Ashoka. The Indian subcontinent in general has historically been a very accommodating place for a great variety of different moral teachings. And for many centuries, large swathes of the Islamic world too were remarkably tolerant and open societies.
The value and practice of compassion was common among Axial Age (and following) religions, philosophies, and teachings. Christianity inherited much of this kind of thought (natural law, liberty of soul, egalitarianism, salvation, etc) from Stoicism, Isis worship, Mystery Schools, and numerous other sources.
It was a time of immense syncretism. For example, there were ancient Jews who used neoplatonism to interpret the Tanak, attended Mystery Schools, and called their God Zeus-Yahweh. Some of these Hellenized Jews, such as those in Alexandria, had a a heavy influence on early Christian theology.
@Benjamin Steele And Holland ignores all of that (and what David said) to make his short-sighted, biased & cringeworthy argument.
Radioreportage unbelievable reportage about Roșia montană, an archeological site and roots of a people, and about ciornâi bîl, both extrordinary, by natural sounds, voices of humans who suffered. Both, very long, one hour-it's very long for a radioreportage. Not persuasive, not passionate, just not tired the listeners.
From the catholics had a tape with declarations of women speaking about aborte; the seconds seemed minutes, the tape had 30 min or what and seemed ages, couldn't hear the tape to the end. Probably, a tape with women from islam couldn't beeing heard to the end.
Thank you very much. Point.
Corina
Leider, leider, with Walhalla und Walkyria, germans have an other mythology of the beginning of the world, wonderfull too.
Corina Ijac
explain this >
"Strictly speaking it is incorrect to call an ancient Israelite a ‘Jew’ or to call a contemporary Jew an Israelite or a Hebrew."
(1980 Jewish Almanac, p. 3).
Yes. My parents married in the only town without a curch, the city Victoria, like the communism. They get aprovel from parents and did the marriage in front of a strange man from the street at the cityhall, at a day, the national day of the communism-when the cityhall is closed-, a day before and registered a day after. They kept the marriage!
Corina
The duplicity of a mongol, getted to these and last days till France, isn't different to de duplicity of a hore, especially a high trained one. Here, in Romania, we know that mongols are mongols.
,,câtă frunză, câtă iarbă, mărite, sunt"-(mongolii)
settled: câtă frunză?, câtă iarbă? ( for the horse, not for the hore)
Corina Ijac
(55:02) Secularists have a *proscriptive* form of morality (56:02); they are SJW-lost when encountered with unique moral conondrums.
The Religious have a *prescriptive* form of morality (55:59); their guiding principles are more defined and refined over the centuries and allows them to be adaptable even in the most rigorous environments.
Ridiculous. In what world is "Thou shalt not..." not prOscriptive (inhibition-based & focused on what we should not do)? 😄
@@joejohnson6327
... the fact that there are negative commands reflect that there is a defined set of prescriptive guiding principles (which the Good Book details in excess later on).
*the
The handmaidens are protesting the laws against abortion. Hence, the puritan outfits.
Yep. It is. Unfortunately
The Buddha and the Christ
+++++++++++++++++++++
Both these names are titles and not the names of the persons , the first has its origins in poo(பூ) of Tamizh meaning flowering that is Siddhartha had a flowering of Wisdom within him and came to be called as the Buddha, the second is from Christos of Greek meaning the anointed for a mission the same as Messiah in Hebrew, they say more of the outer budding of history into a utopian society led by the Christ and his bride the Church.
Both this inner and outer phenomenon is needed in forming the perfect human of Creation ,here we see the east meeting the west in conceiving the child of evolutionary perfection and today we are blessed to be witnessing this great event. The event of the great introspective perceptions of Asia merging with the great extroverted progress of Europe. The result of which is the Awakening that is beyond any time of history.
It is pertinent upon us to make the best use of this unprecedented time in not causing more hatred and animosity but building bridges and friendships to come up with the best human existence possible in this fine planet. The challenge of climate change is before us and the possibility of human( not the planet) extinction also. The uneven imbalances of the righteousness produced by the Buddha and the Christ is at the root of this trouble.
If ever the world will see the light of inner(அகம்) and outer(புறம்) Perfection which alone can save us it is undoubtedly in the coming together of the best that the east and west has produced and that is the personal revolution of the Buddha and the societal transformation of the Christ...
Doctrine of demons ^
Very interesting comment. Today the Thay is being honored with funeral rites in Vietnam. My condolences, if that is appropriate. I'm a Christian, but would have to agree that the things Tom says can't be ascribed solely to the West. There is also in the Buddhist tradition many Christian similarities. I agree that there is an Awakening happening now in all parts of the world. I call it a New Humanism, and it will result, I believe and I hope, in a New Reformation of culture and religion.
I agree that it is a time for bridge-building and the affirmation of universal human rights. Climate Change is the foremost threat to our world. It is not a tenable position to ignore it. I do not see ignorance as a Christian value, though I find many saying so (essentially).
Do you find the blending of Buddhism and Christianity to be a popular movement? We are also seeing "Chrislam," as it is being called, Muslims being inspired by the prophet Isa to do good works and so forth.
These things are very interesting to me. I pray that you would be increased in revelation and light in Christ and the blessings that He brings those who seek the light.
@@carlosreira413 A spirit of wisdom perhaps… The original comment is essentially preaching the New Age; occult in disguise as it were. A global mission akin the the construction and spirit behind the Tower of Babel. Essentially…doctrines of demons. The West is ready for harvest, but the laborers are few. Why don’t we do something about that?
@@jakeschwartz2514 Yes, brother Jake, let's pray to the Lord of the harvest. That it be a truly New Age. I see Christians denying Jesus by their works, and the heathen affirming Him by theirs. Look at Yemen. Nearly nothing has been done by the Christian West. In order to give, you must find a Muslim relief agency, such as Freedom Bakeries.
"A bruised reed he will not break and smoldering wick he will not snuff out."
These things are taught in the Word of God. I don't know what demons teach. And if the food is in fact demonic, then we are called to think in a new way: "We all possess knowledge, but love edifies. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."
"Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations (until) all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God..."
How else can I speak?
@@carlosreira413 christianity, and Christ, is only a "bridge builder" in the sense of building a connection to the god of the bible. In every other sense it's the "great polarizer", to use today's terminology. If it's anything less than that it's worse the useless.
When will Tom Holland write about how Christianity and Abrahamic religion is more Pagan than it thinks?
Read this book
THE GREAT WICKEDNESS OF CHRIST'S SAINTS, HIS ELECT, AND ALL CHRISTIANS: This Book is the Revelation I will give to Apostle John
What's it about
@@bijjajonathan49 Babylon is southern Iraq. It's okay though.