To what extent was Edward Gibbon’s ‘Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’ “intrinsically
anti-Christian”1?
Word Count: 3,780 words
1
Paul Turnbull, “The ‘Supposed Infidelity’ of Edward Gibbon”, The Historical Journal no.1 (1982): 23
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2638805
1
,Contents
Introduction: ....................................................................................... 3
Gibbon’s Language and Tone: ........................................................... 6
Gibbon’s Implied Personal Beliefs: ................................................. 11
The Reaction and Impact of Gibbon’s Work: .................................. 15
Gibbon’s Reference to other Religions: ........................................... 18
Conclusion: ...................................................................................... 21
Bibliography .................................................................................... 23
2
, Introduction:
Edward Gibbon was an English historian who wrote the six-volume work the Decline and
Fall of the Roman Empire that was published between 1776–1789. It explains the factors
leading to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, and some critics consider it to
be “the greatest historical work written in English”.2
This book was written during the Enlightenment, which was a philosophical movement in
Europe in the 17th and 18th century.3 The movement championed reason and the ability for
humans to understand their own condition, and it heavily impacted Gibbon’s work.4 Gibbon
continued this theme through his historical analysis of the reasons behind the fall of the
Roman Empire, but arguing the rise of Christianity as a factor in Rome’s fall was central to
this. Hugh Trevor referred described Gibbon as the “greatest of all” the Enlightenment
historians for challenging and re-assessing the long-accepted causes for the fall of Rome. 5
In the Decline and Fall, Gibbon argues that the growth of Christianity was “socially corrosive”
to the Roman Empire for several reasons.6 The most prominent of these was that when
Christianity became the state religion in the 4th century AD, the Church took away state land
and economic resources, causing the power structure in Rome to change.7 Also, Gibbon
2
Christian Classics Ethereal Library, "Edward Gibbon: English Historian of the Roman Empire",
Christian Classics Ethereal Library, accessed Jan 11, 2022. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/gibbon
3
Britannica, “Enlightenment”, Britannica, accessed Dec 27, 2021.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/The-Enlightenment
4
N. Scuralli, "The Significance of the Roman, Germanic and Christian Foundations: How Gibbon
Misunderstood the Fall of the West," (masters dissertation, Concordia University, 2018), 2.
https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/984426/8/Scuralli_MA_F2018.pdf
5
H. R. Trevor-Roper, “Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth-Century: The Historical Philosophy of
the Enlightenment” (1963), quoted from John Robertson “Hugh Trevor-Roper, Intellectual History and
‘The Religious Origins of the Enlightenment’”, The English Historical Review no. 511 (2009): 1403.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/25639853
6
Edward Clodd, "Gibbon on Christianity," (lecture, South Place Institute, London, Mar 17, 1916).
https://conwayhall.org.uk/library/memorial_lecture/gibbon-and-christianity/
7
Gregory Aldrete, Great Courses Daily: Why Did the Roman Empire Fall?, Dec 4, 2020, accessed Feb
7, 2022. https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/why-did-the-roman-empire-fall/
3
anti-Christian”1?
Word Count: 3,780 words
1
Paul Turnbull, “The ‘Supposed Infidelity’ of Edward Gibbon”, The Historical Journal no.1 (1982): 23
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2638805
1
,Contents
Introduction: ....................................................................................... 3
Gibbon’s Language and Tone: ........................................................... 6
Gibbon’s Implied Personal Beliefs: ................................................. 11
The Reaction and Impact of Gibbon’s Work: .................................. 15
Gibbon’s Reference to other Religions: ........................................... 18
Conclusion: ...................................................................................... 21
Bibliography .................................................................................... 23
2
, Introduction:
Edward Gibbon was an English historian who wrote the six-volume work the Decline and
Fall of the Roman Empire that was published between 1776–1789. It explains the factors
leading to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, and some critics consider it to
be “the greatest historical work written in English”.2
This book was written during the Enlightenment, which was a philosophical movement in
Europe in the 17th and 18th century.3 The movement championed reason and the ability for
humans to understand their own condition, and it heavily impacted Gibbon’s work.4 Gibbon
continued this theme through his historical analysis of the reasons behind the fall of the
Roman Empire, but arguing the rise of Christianity as a factor in Rome’s fall was central to
this. Hugh Trevor referred described Gibbon as the “greatest of all” the Enlightenment
historians for challenging and re-assessing the long-accepted causes for the fall of Rome. 5
In the Decline and Fall, Gibbon argues that the growth of Christianity was “socially corrosive”
to the Roman Empire for several reasons.6 The most prominent of these was that when
Christianity became the state religion in the 4th century AD, the Church took away state land
and economic resources, causing the power structure in Rome to change.7 Also, Gibbon
2
Christian Classics Ethereal Library, "Edward Gibbon: English Historian of the Roman Empire",
Christian Classics Ethereal Library, accessed Jan 11, 2022. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/gibbon
3
Britannica, “Enlightenment”, Britannica, accessed Dec 27, 2021.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/The-Enlightenment
4
N. Scuralli, "The Significance of the Roman, Germanic and Christian Foundations: How Gibbon
Misunderstood the Fall of the West," (masters dissertation, Concordia University, 2018), 2.
https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/984426/8/Scuralli_MA_F2018.pdf
5
H. R. Trevor-Roper, “Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth-Century: The Historical Philosophy of
the Enlightenment” (1963), quoted from John Robertson “Hugh Trevor-Roper, Intellectual History and
‘The Religious Origins of the Enlightenment’”, The English Historical Review no. 511 (2009): 1403.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/25639853
6
Edward Clodd, "Gibbon on Christianity," (lecture, South Place Institute, London, Mar 17, 1916).
https://conwayhall.org.uk/library/memorial_lecture/gibbon-and-christianity/
7
Gregory Aldrete, Great Courses Daily: Why Did the Roman Empire Fall?, Dec 4, 2020, accessed Feb
7, 2022. https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/why-did-the-roman-empire-fall/
3
