A Secular Age

By: Charles Taylor

Narrated by: Dennis Holland

What does it mean to say that we live in a secular age? Almost everyone would agree that we - in the West, at least - largely do. And clearly the place of religion in our societies has changed profoundly in the last few centuries. In what will be a defining book for our time, Charles Taylor takes up the question of what these changes mean - of what, precisely, happens when a society in which it is virtually impossible not to believe in God becomes one in which faith, even for the staunchest believer, is only one human possibility among others.

Taylor, long one of our most insightful thinkers on such questions, offers a historical perspective. He examines the development in "Western Christendom" of those aspects of modernity which we call secular. What he describes is in fact not a single, continuous transformation, but a series of new departures, in which earlier forms of religious life have been dissolved or destabilized and new ones have been created.

As we see here, today's secular world is characterized not by an absence of religion - although in some societies religious belief and practice have markedly declined - but rather by the continuing multiplication of new options, religious, spiritual, and anti-religious, which individuals and groups seize on in order to make sense of their lives and give shape to their spiritual aspirations.

What this means for the world - including the new forms of collective religious life it encourages, with their tendency to a mass mobilization that breeds violence - is what Charles Taylor grapples with, in a book as timely as it is timeless.

©2007 Charles Taylor (P)2014 Audible Inc.

The grand granularity, and lucidity of Taylor's thought

Taylor moves through the history of ideas - always bringing each item into illuminating conceptual frameworks - with remarkable clarity. It is an overwhelming topic, of course, but anyone hoping to gain a, at a bare minimum, sufficiently granular understanding of what the grounds of attitude toward the world is, as it is shaping up into the more or less present moment, would do well to find themselves acquainted with this seminal work.

The only very slight qualm I have with this edition is that the French, which is a thoroughly reoccurring aspect to Taylor's text, seems a little stilted. Could be far worse, of course, and, seeing as that is the sole, and principle criticism, there's really very little reason to not pursue this thoroughly enlightening, and edifying (if, granted, a dizzyingly long and complex) grand opus.

Brilliant

A very compelling diagnosis of the modern secular culture. Extremely helpful in understanding the tensions between the modern moral order and modern epistemology, which often seem incompatible. The narrator is a perfect choice for this book. Very clear articulation and enjoyable for listening. Highly recommended.

Paradigm Shifting

I cannot unsee the reality that Taylor unveils through this magisterial work. If you have questions/doubts/wonders about how & why the spiritual longings and ethical concerns of our modern day fit with the scientific, “Enlightened” view of the world... there’s no better exposition.

What it means to live in a secular age

The book itself is well written and important, but the narration was problematic. There are many extended quotations in French (followed by English translation), which the narrator relentlessly mangles. A small thing compared to the overall importance of the book, but after several hours it was annoying and distracting.

Wine and wine skin

Worth the effort. A wonderful account of the world’s quest to experience the Wine in ever evolving wine skins. And Taylor describes it wonderfully and invites us to stand with him at the intersection. Of Dust and Spirit. Self as Divine Participant. Man as potential. Steinbeck”s Timshel. “”Thou mayest”