Unbelievable? Classic: Tom Holland vs AC Grayling: Did Christianity Shape Western Values?
7 snips
Oct 14, 2025 
In a lively debate, award-winning historian Tom Holland argues that Christianity has profoundly shaped Western values, while philosopher A.C. Grayling counters that classical philosophy is the real bedrock. They delve into the radical transformation brought by the cross, the role of Paul in redefining dignity and equality, and how both Christianity and Enlightenment thinkers influenced modern ethics. Tensions rise as they discuss the preservation of classical texts and whether humanism springs from Christian roots or Greek ideas.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Holland's Personal Reassessment
- Tom Holland recounts his own shift from admiring classical heroes to questioning their values while researching ancient figures.
- This personal change propelled his exploration of where modern values actually originate.
Christianity's Cultural Saturation
- Tom Holland concludes many modern Western moral assumptions trace back through Christianity rather than directly to classical antiquity.
- He argues Christian stories and institutions have saturated Western culture so deeply they shape values subconsciously.
The Cross As A Social Revolt
- Holland stresses the crucifixion's reversal of Roman values turned humiliation into dignity and elevated victims' status.
- He says that central Christian imagery reconfigured social hierarchies by making the lowly spiritually significant.
