The ARI Bookshelf Explores Three Books on the Influence of Christianity on Western Culture

Podcast audio:

In this episode of The ARI Bookshelf, Jason Rheins, Ben Bayer, Don Watkins, and Alex Silverman examine two contrasting perspectives on the influence of Christianity: Tom Holland’s Dominion and Charles Freeman’s The Closing of the Western Mind and The Reopening of the Western Mind.

While Holland’s widely discussed book argues that Christianity is the foundation of science and Western values, Freeman’s books present a contrary view. Our panelists bring their expertise to evaluate the arguments in both books, assessing their historical and philosophical accuracy.

The discussion covered:

• The central arguments of the books;
• Why the Church feared Aristotelian philosophy;
• How Freeman’s books provide a more thorough and philosophical analysis than Holland’s;
• How Holland diminishes Greek influence on modernity;
• How Holland appropriates secular ideas and thinkers into Christianity;
• The role of Christianity in the abolition of slavery;
• The relationship between Christianity and science;
• Why Holland’s book gained popularity while Freeman’s did not.

The video premiered on March 11, 2025.