By Trevin Wax, TGC.
Carl Trueman’s new book, The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades Our Humanity, will likely make my list of Favorite Reads of the Year. Immensely readable for the thoughtful observer of our current cultural climate, it’s also penetrating in its analysis and insight. Trueman brings into view something outside the frame of his Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self—he shows how technology, not merely philosophy, has sped our cultural devolution in recent years.
Because of the scope of topics he covers, no one will escape feeling a level of discomfort in his trenchant diagnoses. Some Christian conservatives will nod along while reading the chapter on sexuality, only to be challenged when they turn the page to see how reproductive technologies such as IVF also fall under his banner of desecration.
Some nonreligious conservatives will breeze through the book, only to be surprised that they—like Roger Scruton—might fit in the same box as Richard Dawkins, because Trueman believes the desire for Christianity only for its benefits is, in fact, another form of nihilism.
Those on the political right will “Amen” the many examples of desecration on the secular left, only to discover there’s no partisan escape, for Trueman also points out the desecrating impulse of those who associate themselves with the right.
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What This Means for the Church
Trueman’s analysis is provocative and, in the main, right. And it has ramifications for how we think about discipleship and evangelism. Understanding that the biggest problem is desecration—not merely disenchantment—goes a long way in helping Christians think through the reasons why many in our culture express hostility toward Christian doctrine and especially Christian ethics. It opens a window into the why of desecration: the exhilaration many feel as they tear down the holy. It helps Christians brace for cultural conflict while maintaining a laser focus on local church ministry—reinforcing what we believe and why (the creed), the necessity and formative influence of worship in Word and sacrament (the cult), and the nonnegotiable elements of Christian conduct (the code). A renewal of the culture cannot happen apart from a renewal of the church.