The Kingdom has not yet come, but we’ve made progress
To be honest, I never gave much thought to Christianity’ influence on the world until I read N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird’s book Jesus and the Powers last fall.[1] Since then I have seen our nation’s elected leaders attempting to make sure that everyone knows how Christianity shaped our nation. For example, Ryan Walters’, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, mandated that the Bible be incorporated into the classroom.[2]
In his book Dominion, Tom Holland traces the impact of Jesus’ teachings throughout the last 2000 years.[3] Holland starts his book giving examples of pre-Christian history. The acts of Persian torture Holland discuss made King Darius’s attempt to feed Daniel to the lions seem like a humane act of execution.[4] Holland then proceeds to trace Jesus’ teachings, later conveyed by Paul in both his letters and missionary journeys, through various church and governmental leaders throughout history. Concepts such as “concern for the downtrodden” exhibited by Basil and Gregory or human equality are cited throughout the book.[5] Holland also highlights the “crimes of Christian civilization,” those that occurred both inside and outside the church.[6]
I read an AI summary of the book and a synopsis by Phil Mitchell.[7] I also listened to a couple videos focusing on Holland’s book. One involved several philosopher’s discussing Holland’s book and Charles Freeman’s The Reopening of the Western Mind.[8] In his concluding remarks, Jason Rheins says “Holland is a book that academics aren’t even going to bother to talk about.” Yet here we are several scholars discussing this book in the context of leadership[9]
For this post I want to take a few moments to consider Holland’s closing remarks.
“Inevitably, to attempt the tracing of Christianity’s impact on the world is to cover the rise and fall of empires, the actions of bishops and kings, the arguments of theologians, the course of revolutions, the planting of crosses around the world. It is, in particular, to focus on the doings of men. Yet, that hardly tells the whole story. I have written much in this book about churches, monasteries, and universities; but these were never where the mass of Christian people were most influentially shaped. It was always in the home that children were the likeliest to absorb the revolutionary teachings that, over the course of two thousand years, have come to be so taken for granted as almost to seem human nature.”[10]
I believe that by tracing Christianity’s impact on the world Holland is portraying the steps, sometimes baby and sometimes giant, that God has made in bringing his kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. Jesus instructed his followers to pray “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”[11] Holland considers this the “doings of men.”[12] It is the doings of men, but just like the stories in the Bible, it is really God working through imperfect, fallen men (and women). As Wright and Bird suggest, even leaders being used by God still struggle with the temptations to [hold on to or] abuse power.[13]
Holland states that it is in the homes where children are most likely to hear teachings influenced by Christianity.[14] In doing this are we not fulfilling God’s command found in Deuteronomy 6?
“4Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.”[15]
Holland states that these teachings have become almost like human nature.[16] In RARE Leadership Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder discuss living into your identity. “Who we are determines what we will do and identity operates faster and more powerful than choices.”[17] The teachings modeled in the homes shapes the child’s identity. That identity, as Warner and Wilder point out, is part of our fast-track thinking, so in essence, it does become human nature (muscle memory).
How does Holland’s book relate to leadership? Holland states the purpose of the book in his preface “This book explores what it was that made Christianity so subversive and disruptive; how completely it came to saturate the mindset of Latin Christendom; and why, in a West that is often doubtful of religion’s claims, so many of its instincts remain – for good and ill – thoroughly Christian.”[18] This book is just over 500 pages, yet as Holland indicates, it is only a small example of Christianity’s impact on the world. This is similar to how John concludes his Gospel.
“30Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”[19]
I am not calling Dominion the Bible or a gospel, but it does contain many lessons like the Bible, of both success and failure of how Christianity influenced the world. Leader at every level should take time to consider how they and those they lead have been impacted by Christian thought/teaching and how to harness that to accomplish their mission and vision.
As a Christian leader, Holland’s book can also serve to remind us that many of the people whom we lead may act Christian because of Christianity’s influence on our culture, but they may lack the faith necessary to fully live out the Christian identity and we should not expect them to do so.
[1] N.T. Wright and Michael Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2024), 30.
[2] Oklahoma State Department of Education, OSDE Instructional Support Guidelines for Teachers.
[3] Tom Holland, Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind, (London, UK:Little Brown, 2019).
[4] Daniel 6:16 (Christian Standard Bible).
[5] Holland, 123; Galatian 3:28.
[6] Holand, 518.
[7] Phil Mitchell, “A Synopsis of Dominion, by Tom Holland, The 401st Prophet, May 6, 2021, https://www.the401stprophet.com/a-synopsis-of-dominion-by-tom-holland.
[8] ARI Bookshelf, “Dominion by Tom Holland, and The Reopening of the Western Mind by Charles Freeman,” Ayn Rand Institute, 1:21:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjhHIgZzO3k&t=5s.
[9] ARI Bookshelf.
[10] Holland, 519
[11] Matthew 6:10
[12] Holland, 519.
[13] Wright and Bird, 49.
[14] Holland, 519.
[15] Deuteronomy 6:4-9
[16] Holland, 519.
[17] Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder, Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead, (Chicago, IL: Moody, 2016).
[18] Holland, xxix.
[19] John 20:30-31.
About the Author
Jeff Styer
Jeff Styer lives in Northeast Ohio's Amish Country. He has degrees in Social Work and Psychology and currently works as a professor of social work at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Jeff is married to his wife, Veronica, 25+ years. Together they have 4 beautiful children (to be honest, Jeff has 4 kids, Veronica says she is raising 5). Jeff loves the outdoors, including biking, hiking, camping, birding, and recently picked up disc golf.10 responses to “The Kingdom has not yet come, but we’ve made progress”
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Thanks for your thoughts, Jeff. How do you think leaders today can better recognise and harness the “quiet power” of the home in forming identity, especially when so much of leadership energy can be spent on public platforms, institutions, and programs?
Glynn,
Thanks for the question. One way to harness that power is for leaders to ensure that families have the resources they need in shaping their children’s identity. This includes having time at home, having appropriate parenting knowledge and skills and access to various community resources that can assist. By community resources I am not thinking of only an agency that provides something like parenting classes. I am also thinking of something like the Cleveland Museum of Art, which is free to visit and provides opportunities to engage in family discussions such as what is art, what defines beauty, what historical event was the art portraying and what can we learn from it about our past and who we are today. Families need time together and a stimulus to quietly shape identity.
I’m not sure how to get leaders to recognize the importance of shaping a child’s identity in the home. One would think it to be common sense, but as you mentioned their energies seem focused elsewhere. This is something I will have to continue to ponder.
Thanks for your blog, Jeff.
You mentioned the power of the home to shape children. I think that is a profound thought from Holland.
How should this shape our thinking about leadership, the church, and ministry to families?
Graham,
Great question, thanks for asking it. Recognizing this power, as leaders (in any arena) we need to ensure that the people who we are leading are spending time with and taking care of their families. As the church we need to ensure that families have the resources they need to shape and minister to their children at home. Do we offer age-appropriate devotionals? Do we provide ideas for tying everyday activities to our faith? Do we provide families with ministry opportunities? There are a lot of parents who are intimidated with the idea of discipling their own children and I believe churches need to walk alongside families in providing them guidance and resources.
Hi Jeff,
How can Christian leaders cultivate environments—especially in the home and community—that shape identity through lived faith rather than cultural inheritance alone?
Shela,
Are you allowed to ask me two questions? First a Christian leader must model this behavior themselves. The leader needs to ensure that time is spent at home with the family, not always running around from one activity to the next. The home must be a place where Scripture is taught and lived out. What are the dinner time conversations like, do they discuss family and other issues and seek what God might say about those issues. Does the family attend church where everyone in the family has time to learn about God through the Scriptures and is the church and home a place where people can work out their faith through questions. This is so important, I saw my youngest get involved in another church’s youth group and he grew so much. Over the past year, when he was having a rough time, he would go see the youth leader, Isaac. It was also not uncommon for him to be an hour or more late coming home from youth group because he and a group of others, often including Isaac would engage in conversation regarding faith issues. Activities like these I believe are a starting point in shaping identity through faith.
Hi Jeff,
In what ways can leaders navigate the tension between being used by God and resisting the temptation to misuse power, as illustrated by historical Christian figures?
Shela,
That is where the body of Christ steps in. A leader must surround himself/herself with an advisory board or oversight committee who is not afraid to be honest with the leader. The leader must also be humble enough to accept the guidance and wisdom from this group of people. The Old Testament has stories of kings whose advisors only told him what they thought he wanted to hear for fear of losing their life or position of influence. A Christian leader cannot allow that to occur.
Hi Jeff, Thank you for bringing up the importance of learning the Christian faith at home – or, as Holland put it, on the knees of their mothers. Yet for some children, that is impossible, whether due to health, poverty, or abuse, etc. Do you think it is actually possible for the community to step into the parental role to support young children, particularly in their faith journey?
Diane,
Yes in various capacities I believe it is possible. I know there are churches that do this as part of their community outreach. Locally we have a mentoring organization that is involved in most of our area school districts typically at the Junior high and high school level. Last year though my son was part of a pilot program having high school students mentor an elementary aged student. They met once a week at the school. Here is a link to the organization
https://www.ohuddle.org/