Gibbon’s work is colored by an Enlightenment-era skepticism toward organized religion, particularly Catholicism, which he often portrays as superstitious, dogmatic, and detrimental to the Roman Empire’s stability:
Gibbon argues that Christianity undermined the Roman Empire by promoting pacifism, otherworldliness, and a rejection of civic virtues (e.g., Volume 1, Chapter 15). He suggests that the Church diverted resources and loyalty from the state to ecclesiastical concerns. This oversimplifies the complex socio-political factors of Rome’s decline—such as economic instability, barbarian invasions, and internal corruption—while scapegoating Christianity.
Historians, like Christopher Dawson (The Making of Europe), argue that the Church preserved Roman culture through its institutions, monasteries, and legal traditions, fostering continuity rather than collapse.
Gibbon romanticizes pagan Roman culture, implying that Christianity supplanted a vibrant religious system (Volume 1, Chapter 2). In reality, paganism was already declining due to internal inconsistencies and lack of institutional cohesion, as noted by scholars like Peter Brown (The World of Late Antiquity).
Gibbon’s deistic leanings lead him to view miracles and divine providence with skepticism, dismissing accounts in Christian sources like Eusebius or Lactantius as fabrications (Volume 1, Chapter 15). Catholic theology, rooted in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, holds that divine intervention is compatible with historical events. Gibbon’s rejection of the supernatural distorts his analysis of Christianity’s appeal and influence.
Gibbon’s focus on the Western Roman Empire’s fall overlooks the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire, where Christianity and imperial authority coexisted for centuries. This omission undermines his thesis, as the Eastern Church’s integration with the state, as described by scholars like John Meyendorff (Byzantine Theology), suggests Christianity was not inherently destructive to empire.
Gibbon covers 16 centuries of the empire’s history.
There’s a rather well-done overview of the multi-volume set online. The professor includes many photographs of ruins, artwork, maps, etc. to help set the scenes.
I binge-watched it one rainy weekend when Prime had it for free.