How did we move from a world where belief in God was almost inevitable to one where disbelief feels natural? Charles Taylor unravels this monumental shift, exploring how reform, disenchantment, and humanism reshaped our search for meaning. With insights from figures like Adam Smith, John Locke, and even Julian Barnes, Taylor invites us to navigate the tensions of faith, doubt, and transcendence in today’s cross-pressured world.

How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor

Imagine navigating today's world with an existential map, one that charts the highs and lows of belief and doubt. In our secular age, where faith and skepticism coexist, Charles Taylor's book "A Secular Age" offers a guide to understanding this complex terrain. Taylor's narrative uncovers the haunting presence of transcendence in our mundane lives, highlighting the dance between belief and disbelief. 

Julian Barnes, in "Nothing to Be Frightened Of," echoes this sentiment, articulating the struggle with mortality and the temptation of belief despite his secular upbringing. He humorously grapples with the idea of God watching his adolescent indiscretions, revealing a pragmatic agnosticism. Yet, Barnes acknowledges the beauty of religious art and the haunting question: "What if it were true?" His reflections challenge the dogmatic certainty of new atheists, suggesting a nuanced appreciation for faith's aesthetic allure.

Similarly, David Foster Wallace's characters in his stories are caught in existential vertigo, yearning for meaning in a world overshadowed by self-awareness and consumerism. Wallace's tales reveal the persistent haunting of transcendence, where even the secular cannot escape the ghosts of belief.

In this secular age, both believers and skeptics inhabit a cross-pressured space, where faith is contested and doubt is fraught. This dynamic landscape calls for a deeper understanding of how we arrived here and how we might navigate the future. Taylor's work is a narrative map, guiding us through the history and implications of our secular world, challenging simplistic narratives and inviting us to explore the depth of our existential condition.

Can Charles Taylor's "A Secular Age" Guide Us Through Belief and Doubt?

Imagine stepping into a time machine and traveling back to the late medieval world, where atheism was almost inconceivable. Charles Taylor's exploration in "Reforming Belief: The Secular as Modern Accomplishment" isn't just about losing faith; it's about how society transformed, creating room for exclusive humanism—a world where meaning can be constructed without God. 

In medieval times, the natural world was seen as a meaningful cosmos, society was grounded in heavenly reality, and people lived in an enchanted world filled with spiritual presences. These features made unbelief nearly impossible. 

The modern age, however, shifted drastically. The world became disenchanted; meaning moved from external signs to internal minds. Diseases weren't caused by demons, and mental illness wasn't possession. The modern self became "buffered," protected from external spiritual forces, fostering individualism and privacy—a space where disbelief could thrive.

Taylor's narrative is rich with transformations that made exclusive humanism possible. The "secular age" didn't just subtract belief; it reshaped our very understanding of life and society. The shift from a cosmos filled with divine significance to a universe governed by natural laws altered our social and ethical landscapes. Reform movements, including the Protestant Reformation, played a crucial role in this transition, challenging hierarchical religious structures and promoting sanctification of ordinary life.

Taylor's argument is a zigzag of historical contingencies, where changes in devotion and theology paved the way for a secular worldview. He emphasizes the irony that religious devotion initially motivated the very shifts that allowed for exclusive humanism. As we navigate Taylor's intricate tapestry of ideas, we're invited to reflect on our own secular imaginary—how we imagine and live our lives without even realizing the assumptions underpinning our thoughts.

So, how did we get here? Through a complex dance of reform, disenchantment, and reimagining the self and society. Taylor's journey through history reveals the profound, often unintended, consequences of these shifts, leaving us pondering the vibrant tapestry of belief and unbelief that defines our modern world.

Charles Taylor's Time Machine: From Enchanted Cosmos to Secular Humanism

Ever wondered how we transitioned from a world where belief in God was a given, to a secular age where disbelief seems plausible? This isn't just the old world minus God; it's an era of new possibilities. Charles Taylor explores this shift, emphasizing that our secular age isn't about disbelief—it’s about believing differently. 

Humans need meaning, and when the supernatural loses its sway, we create new frameworks. Taylor introduces "exclusive humanism," a concept born from a reconfiguration of meaning that resists simple stories about losing faith. This narrative probes how exclusive humanism became a viable option.

Taylor points to significant shifts, particularly in the early modern understanding of Providence. Think of it as a process of "immanentization," where significance gets enclosed within the material world. 

Historically, Providence assured a cosmic plan, but thinkers like Adam Smith and John Locke reimagined it as an economic order. This led to a shrinkage of God's role to mere economic interest, making God a distant creator rather than an active participant in human affairs. As mystery fades, the humanistic world swells in importance, creating a self-sufficient universe.

Taylor critiques how Christian apologetics inadvertently diminished the faith. By focusing solely on God as creator rather than the saving action of Christ, it paved the way for exclusive humanism. This reductive religion, akin to deism, lacked the depth to resist secular humanism's rise. As God’s role shrinks, exclusive humanism becomes a more viable spiritual outlook, independent of ecclesiastical authority—a civil religion emerges.

This civil religion, rooted in mutual benefit, reflects modern moral order detached from specific doctrines. Taylor describes "polite society," a self-sufficient framework where transcendence is eclipsed, amplifying the importance of the immanent sphere. There's an excitement in this shift—a confidence that humans can create meaning without divine assistance. This epistemic and cultural Pelagianism marks exclusive humanism as an achievement.

Taylor also notes the changes within religion, highlighting the depersonalization of God. This results in "excarnation," where religion becomes disembodied and abstract, moving away from communion. Such shifts open doors for exclusive humanism and atheism, challenging modern Christianity to find relevance in the new age.

Taylor's narrative is a cautionary tale of how our secular age emerged from a complex interplay of religious and philosophical shifts. Exclusive humanism didn’t just happen; it was crafted through a nuanced reimagining of meaning, reflecting both the achievements and challenges of modernity.

Has Charles Taylor Unlocked the Secret to Our Secular Age's Rise?

In "A Secular Age," Charles Taylor explores the existential "feel" of living in a secular world. He examines how medieval and early modern reform movements led to exclusive humanism, allowing for a moral project without transcendence. This shift resulted in a "secular 3 age," where belief is contested, creating a space marked by tensions and fractures. 

Taylor describes the "nova effect," a metaphor for the explosion of belief and unbelief options, leading to pluralization and fragilization of visions for a meaningful life.

The secular age is haunted by a sense of loss and malaise due to disenchantment. People, even unbelievers, feel cross-pressured by immanence and the desire for transcendence. Reactions to modernity include Romanticism, which challenges the disenchanted order, and negative responses to orthodox Christianity, particularly fueled by theodicy.

Taylor highlights a shift in the cosmic imaginary from a "cosmos" to a "universe," where humans find themselves adrift in an infinite, anonymous space. This shift fuels a sense of deficit and loss, prompting people to seek meaning within the immanent order, creating a supernova of spiritual options.

Art, particularly post-Romantic, creates a space for unbelief, offering an outlet for those pressured by the flattening of the world. Art becomes autonomous, providing significance without moral burden. Concert halls and museums become new sacred spaces, offering immanent mystery without returning to traditional religion.

Taylor analyzes how converts to unbelief often tell subtraction stories, where science's form, not evidence, drives conversion. This narrative paints unbelief as mature and courageous, yet often stems from an immature faith. Taylor suggests offering a more complex understanding of Christianity, inviting converts to historic, sacramental faith.

Overall, Taylor's work captures the complexity of living in a secular age, where cross-pressures forge myriad paths to significance, and existential malaise reflects a longing for a lost transcendence.

Navigating Charles Taylor's Cosmic Shift: From Sacred Cosmos to Secular Universe

Taylor challenges the mainstream secularization thesis, which typically narrates a decline of religion in modern society. He argues that the conventional explanation, often articulated through a "subtraction story," doesn't capture the complexity of the secular shift. Instead, he proposes a nuanced understanding by exploring the "unthoughts" underlying secularization theories.

Taylor critiques the assumption that religion's decline is tied to modernity's progress, such as scientific advancement, increased individual autonomy, or urbanization. He contends that these explanations overlook the persistent spiritual and semi-spiritual beliefs that continue to shape human behavior. By questioning what constitutes "religion," Taylor suggests that a broader view reveals its enduring presence, albeit transformed.

Taylor uses Saint Francis of Assisi as a case study to illustrate differing perspectives or "unthoughts." Depending on one's viewpoint, Francis can be seen as either an inspiring figure transcending worldly concerns or as misguided in his self-denial. This exemplifies how secularization theories are influenced by pre-existing assumptions and perspectives.

He further divides history into phases, leading to our current "Age of Authenticity." In this era, expressive individualism prevails, encouraging personal spiritual quests over collective religious identities. Such quests highlight the shift in how the sacred is perceived, now uncoupled from political allegiance and traditional authority.

Taylor's narrative suggests that while traditional religion might seem to decline, the spiritual quest persists, albeit in individualized forms. Even as secularization progresses, our age remains "haunted" by its religious past, suggesting a post-secular era where traditional narratives are increasingly challenged.

In essence, Taylor provides a compelling counternarrative to secularization, emphasizing the complexity of religious transformation rather than mere decline, urging us to consider the broader implications of spirituality and authenticity in shaping modern life.

Is Charles Taylor's 'Age of Authenticity' Redefining Religion in Our Post-Secular World?

In "A Secular Age," Charles Taylor dives into how we navigate our modern world, which he describes as an "immanent frame" — a metaphorical box that encloses the natural, while excluding the supernatural. 

Taylor challenges the secularist confidence that this is simply "the way things are," arguing that both secular and religious views are merely different "takes" on reality. He explores why some people perceive this frame as closed, while others see it as open to transcendence. Taylor suggests that our orientation within the immanent frame is not solely based on knowledge but rather on lived experience and existential questions.

Taylor points out that secular confidence often dismisses alternative perspectives, leading to a "spin" that overlooks the contestability of secular assumptions. He critiques "closed world structures" (CWSs) — frameworks that reinforce a closed view of the world — and argues that these are not neutral discoveries but constructions with moral underpinnings. 

Through anecdotes like Dolores Hart's decision to leave Hollywood for a convent, and Gerard Manley Hopkins's poetry, Taylor illustrates how some individuals break out of the immanent frame's closed view, feeling a pull towards transcendence. He highlights the tension between modern moral aspirations and traditional religious views, suggesting that both secular humanism and Christianity face dilemmas in fulfilling their ideals.

Taylor's work is less about proving one view over another and more about fostering conversation. He invites readers to consider the cross-pressures of modernity and the persistent human yearning for "fullness" — a sense of meaning that transcends the ordinary. 

By leveling the playing field, Taylor seeks to open a space for dialogue between secular and religious perspectives, encouraging a nuanced understanding of our shared human experience. In this way, Taylor's analysis is both a critique and an invitation to reconsider the contours of belief in a secular age, aiming to bridge the gap between immanence and transcendence.

Navigating the Immanent Frame Beyond Belief

Navigating today's world involves a complex interplay of belief and doubt, reflecting an ongoing tension between secular and religious perspectives. In this secular age, transcendence still haunts our mundane lives, challenging simplistic narratives about faith and disbelief. 

The journey from an enchanted medieval world to a modern, disenchanted reality reveals how society transformed to accommodate exclusive humanism—a framework where meaning can exist independently of divine reference. Historical shifts, including the Protestant Reformation, played crucial roles in reshaping our understanding of life and society, paving the way for secular humanism.

Our modern secular world is marked by existential pressures, where the desire for transcendence coexists with a focus on immanence. This dynamic creates a cross-pressured space, inviting deeper reflection on how we arrived at this point and what it means for our future. 

The transition to a secular age wasn't simply about losing belief in God; it involved reimagining meaning and fostering individualism, privacy, and a self-sufficient moral order. Exclusive humanism emerged from this reconfiguration, offering new possibilities and spiritual outlooks detached from traditional religious authority.

The existential "feel" of living in a secular age involves navigating an "immanent frame," where the natural world is enclosed, often excluding the supernatural. This frame challenges secular confidence and highlights the contestability of secular assumptions. 

Rather than proving one view over another, the analysis invites dialogue between secular and religious perspectives, encouraging a nuanced understanding of our shared human experience. Ultimately, the exploration seeks to bridge the gap between immanence and transcendence, fostering conversation about the persistent human yearning for meaning beyond the ordinary.

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How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor

James K.A. Smith

7 Key ideas

18 MINS

How did we move from a world where belief in God was almost inevitable to one where disbelief feels natural?

How did we move from a world where belief in God was almost inevitable to one where disbelief feels natural?

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