I have no doubt that Douglas Wilson is a good man, and possibly even a great theologian and teacher. He has pastored Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, for many years; he is on faculty at New St. Andrews College; and he as debated Christopher Hitchens.
All that being said, his most recent book 5 Cities that Ruled the World is a poor reflection on his life of ministry. It is poorly edited and choppy, contains unsubstantiated historical myths (like the sowing of Carthage with salt) and by in large appears to be only superficially researched. There are huge tractates without so much as a footnote or indication of the source and then tiny, obscure references footnoted ad infinitum.
Rather than approach the subject of Judeo-Christian western civilization (which is what this book is actually about) objectively, I felt that Wilson came to the facts with a very definite agenda. He was going to prove that the entire history of the world revolves around the emergence of the ‘Christian nation’ of the United States.
I will give him credit; he tries to appear impartial; but the evidence is everywhere. This is a book with an agenda, and history is often made to reinforce that agenda whether it wants to or not.
If you want to know more specifics, you can check out my previous posts: post 1, post 2, and post 3.
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