Description
Did Christianity build the modern West?
From human rights and equality to science, secularism and democracy, many thinkers now argue that Christianity lies behind much of what modern Western societies value most. Popular historian Tom Holland helped revive this debate with his bestselling book Dominion, but how far can the argument really go?
In this episode of Unbelievable?, John Nelson is joined by Mike Jones of Inspiring Philosophy and writer Matt Whitley to explore whether Christianity is truly the foundation of the modern West.
Are ideas such as human rights, individual freedom and care for the vulnerable uniquely Christian? Did Christianity help create the conditions for modern science? And if Western values emerged from Christian roots, does that tell us anything about whether Christianity itself is true?
Along the way they discuss slavery, secularism, the rise of modern identity politics, Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray, Tom Holland's influence, and whether a post-Christian society can retain the values it inherited from Christianity.
00:00 Did Christianity build the modern world?
03:20 The "Tom Holland argument" explained
07:00 Why modern activism may owe a debt to Christianity
10:40 Are human rights a Christian invention?
20:00 What counts as genuinely Christian influence?
28:30 Christianity, slavery and abolition
45:00 Did Christianity make modern science possible?
53:30 What happens when society leaves Christianity behind?
56:20 Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray and "cultural Christianity"
59:40 Is the West becoming anti-Christian?
01:07:00 Why the church needs to talk about the "weird stuff"
01:12:20 How do you move from admiring Christianity to believing it?
01:15:20 Can the Tom Holland argument support Christian faith?
01:16:40 The beautiful story that explains Christianity's enduring appeal
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