Cover of Dominion

Book · 2020 · History

Dominion

The Making of the Western Mind

by Tom Holland · Recommended by 16 people on 12 podcasts

#143 of 16,684 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts

mentions
18
people
16
podcasts
12
episodes
17
critical mentions
0

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Tom Holland has this terrific book, Dominion, which points out that although we think we are secular, in reality, we are still a highly Christian society.
Niall Ferguson · The Tim Ferriss Show · Nov 2022 Listen at 1:40:06

What they say about it

Grouped from 18 mentions
  • Discussed by historian Tom Holland“historian Tom Holland”
    8
  • Called a great or wonderful book“a great book called Dominion”
    4
  • Argues Western values stem from Christianity“all of Western Civilization is essentially Christian”
    3

The best things said about it

6 of 18 · every mention
Recommended
He wrote a great book called Dominion where his book is basically arguing Christianity is saturated the world.
Michael Jones Timcast IRL · Feb 2025
Recommended
Tom Holland has a very good book about this uh the he's a he's a wonderful historian in Britain uh call I think it's called Dominion where he points out yeah he he points out what a revolutionary idea this was.
Fareed Zakaria Conversations with Tyler · Mar 2024
Recommended
Tom Holland wrote the book called Dominion where he's an atheist secularist who said that we all have a Christian inheritance whether you like it or not.
Seamus Coughlin Timcast IRL · Dec 2023
Recommended
My friend the historian Tom Holland wrote a nice book recently, Dominion, arguing that Christian ways of thinking about the world have outlived Christianity.
Niall Ferguson The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · Dec 2023
Discussed
I read Dominion. I think it's a really fascinating and beautiful book.
Ezra Klein The Ezra Klein Show · Sep 2025
Discussed
So you get Tom Holland the historian who has popularized this idea in his book Dominion that all of Western Civilization is essentially Christian without realizing it.
Alex O’Connor Modern Wisdom · Jul 2024

Where and when it comes up

Mentions per year

Counted mentions by episode date. Our archive is deeper for recent years; 2026 so far.

How it comes up

Recommended means the speaker tells listeners to read it.

Most mentions, by podcast

Top 9 of 12 shows

16 people who brought it up

Most recommendations first

Also: Joe Rogan · Michael Shellenberger · Philip Goff · Steve Levitt

Why people recommend it

Dominion by Tom Holland is a sweeping historical work examining how Christianity shaped Western culture, secular values, and modern moral frameworks. Niall Ferguson recommended the book on both The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast and The Tim Ferriss Show, arguing that the text brilliantly demonstrates how Christian concepts of morality and human rights continue to thrive even in an increasingly secular society. Rod Dreher similarly directed readers to the book during an appearance on Interesting Times to explain the historical foundations of Western secularism. On The Tucker Carlson Show, Bishop Robert Barron praised the volume for illuminating how Christian teachings established modern ideas of human dignity and equality. Fareed Zakaria highlighted the book on Conversations with Tyler, pointing out the author's analysis of Christianity as a genuinely revolutionary force in history. Seamus Coughlin brought up the book on Timcast IRL to emphasize that even secular and atheist individuals in the West maintain a deep Christian cultural inheritance. Michael Jones also discussed the work on Timcast IRL, noting its argument that Christian ideas have thoroughly saturated global thought. Finally, Tyler Cowen recommended the volume to his audience on Conversations with Tyler, reinforcing its significance as a vital exploration of how the Christian revolution fundamentally remade the modern world.

Every mention

18 counted mentions · 3 passing or ad reads below
Niall Ferguson my friend the historian Tom Holland wrote a nice book recently Dominion arguing that Christian ways of thin… 2
Recommended
“my friend the historian Tom Holland wrote a nice book recently Dominion arguing that Christian ways of thinking about the world have outlived Christianity”
Recommended
“Tom Holland has this terrific book, Dominion, which points out that although we think we are secular, in reality, we are still a highly Christian society.”
Louise Perry i don't know if you've read tom holland's book dominion no you don't mean tom holland the guy that plays sp… 2
Discussed
“and actually this the argument that's made by Tom Holland in his book Dominion in many ways me too despite me too being a secular movement traces its Origins back to that first sexual Revolution”
Recommended
“i don't know if you've read tom holland's book dominion no you don't mean tom holland the guy that plays spider-man do you no i don't a comment a common mistake no um no he's a british academic and historian writer um and he's got this fantastic book called dominion which is about um basically about history christianity and the”
Bishop Robert Barron I'm with Tom Holland, you know, not Spider-Man, but the the popular historian Tom Holland. Do you know book… 1
Recommended
“I'm with Tom Holland, you know, not Spider-Man, but the the popular historian Tom Holland. Do you know book called Dominion? Wonderful.”
Fareed Zakaria Tom Holland has a very good book about this uh the he's a he's a wonderful historian in Britain uh call I t… 1
Recommended
“Tom Holland has a very good book about this uh the he's a he's a wonderful historian in Britain uh call I think it's called Dominion where he points out yeah he he points out what a revolutionary idea this was”
Michael Jones he wrote a great book called Dominion where his book is basically arguing Christianity is saturated the world 1
Recommended
“he wrote a great book called Dominion where his book is basically arguing Christianity is saturated the world”
Rod Dreher Well, I would direct them to Tom Holland’s great book from a few years ago, “Dominion.” 1
Recommended
“Well, I would direct them to Tom Holland’s great book from a few years ago, “Dominion.””
Seamus Coughlin Tom Holland wrote the book called Dominion where he's an atheist secularist who said that we all have a Chr… 1
Recommended
“Tom Holland wrote the book called Dominion where he's an atheist secularist who said that we all have a Christian inheritance whether you like it or not”
Tyler Cowen I will again remind our audience members of Tom's current book Dominion have the Christian Revolution remad… 1
Recommended
“I will again remind our audience members of Tom's current book Dominion have the Christian Revolution remade the world”
Alex O’Connor so you get Tom Holland the historian who has popularized this idea in his book Dominion that all of Western… 1
Discussed
“so you get Tom Holland the historian who has popularized this idea in his book Dominion that all of Western Civilization is essentially Christian without realizing it”
Andrew Doyle Tom Holland wrote is a historian he wrote a book recently called Dominion 1
Discussed
“Tom Holland wrote is a historian he wrote a book recently called Dominion”
David Oldroyd-Bolt Wokeism, it was said by the historian Tom Holland in Dominion is a warped form of Christianity. 1
Discussed
“Wokeism, it was said by the historian Tom Holland in Dominion is a warped form of Christianity.”
Ezra Klein So on the one hand I see the author of Dominion Tom Holland on a lot of writing podcasts. I read Dominion.… 1
Discussed
“So on the one hand I see the author of Dominion Tom Holland on a lot of writing podcasts. I read Dominion. I think it's a really fascinating and and beautiful book,”
Joe Rogan I don't think it's a coincidence that most woke people a fist s-- because this is their alternative for rad… 1
Discussed
“I don't think it's a coincidence that most woke people a fist s-- because this is their alternative for radical religion I think that's probably right there you know Tom Holland wrote is a historian he wrote a book recently called Dominion he makes this case that with the absence of Christianity in comes woken us that it was just”
Michael Shellenberger the enlightenment is a is arguably a secularized version of the judeo-christian tradition that's the argume… 1
Discussed
“the enlightenment is a is arguably a secularized version of the judeo-christian tradition that's the argument that Tom Holland makes and dominion and N made it others make it”
Philip Goff I mean there's wonderful recent book Dominion by Tom Holland which is again the history of the influence of… 1
Discussed
“I mean there's wonderful recent book Dominion by Tom Holland which is again the history of the influence of Christianity. What a bloody radical idea that was.”
Steve Levitt So, you've written a book called Dominion, which if I took away the right message, gives Christianity a sur… 1
Discussed
“So, you've written a book called Dominion, which if I took away the right message, gives Christianity a surprising amount of credit for much of what is good about modern society, values like human rights and compassion, the sanctity of life.”

Also mentioned in the same episodes

Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
Plugged
“And I remember when I was writing Dominion, I wasn't 100% certain what conclusions I would come to or what path I would take as I was writing it.”
Plugged
“his latest is Dominion how the Christian Revolution remade the world which I am a big fan of”
Plugged
“I found when I was when I came to writing about Christianity and Dominion is a study of of the entire sweep of Christianity”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Fareed Zakaria, World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0); Ezra Klein, SWinxy / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0); Louise Perry, ARC Forum / Wikimedia Commons (CC0); Rod Dreher, Elekes Andor / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); Tyler Cowen, Tyler Cowen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0); Joe Rogan, The White House / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain); Steve Levitt, Stephen Foskett / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).