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STRANGE NEW WORLD: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution
CARL TRUEMAN with Foreword by Ryan T. Anderson
From Philosophy to Technology, Tracing the Origin of Identity Politics
How did the world arrive at its current, disorienting state of identity politics, and how should the church respond? Historian Carl R. Trueman shows how influences ranging from traditional institutions to technology and pornography moved modern culture toward an era of “expressive individualism.” Investigating philosophies from the Romantics, Nietzsche, Marx, Wilde, Freud, and the New Left, he outlines the history of Western thought to the distinctly sexual direction of present-day identity politics and explains the modern implications of these ideas on religion, free speech, and personal identity.
For fans of Trueman’s The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Strange New World offers a more concise presentation and application of some of the most critical topics of our day. Individuals and groups can work through the book together with the Strange New World Study Guide and Strange New World Video Study, sold separately.
*Cultural Analysis from a Christian Perspective: Explores the history of the sexual revolution and its influence today
*A Concise Version of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Offers an approachable presentation of the points in Trueman’s popular book
*A Great Resource for Individual and Small-Group Study: Each chapter ends with thought-provoking application questions
*Part of the 'Strange New World Suite': Can be used with the Strange New World Video Study and Strange New World Study Guide
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
This short book is not a precise précis of my larger work, 'The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self', but covers the same ground in a briefer and (hopefully) more accessible format. Readers who want the full argument, along with the detailed footnotes, should consult the longer work.
As always, I have incurred numerous debts along the way. Ryan Anderson first encouraged me to think about putting the argument of the larger book into a concise form so that it might be more useful to hard-pressed Washington staffers. He also generously provided the foreword. As always, Justin Taylor and the staff at Crossway were incredibly supportive of the project. Special thanks is also due to the following: Paul Helm for reading and commenting on drafts of chapters 5 and 6 in light of helpful criticism he made of the earlier book; the Institute for Faith and Freedom at Grove City College for generously funding not one but two research assistants during the academic year, 2020–21; Emma Peel and Joy Zavalick, the two aforementioned assistants, whose infectious enthusiasm, diligent editing, and work on the study questions and glossary—the latter of which I encourage you to consult if you encounter an unfamiliar term—greatly improved the final product; and, as always, my wife, Catriona, whose support of my work these many years has proved essential.
The book is dedicated to David and Ann Hall for their faithful ministry and dear friendship.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Preface
Chapter 1: Welcome to This Strange New World
Chapter 2: Romantic Roots
Chapter 3: Prometheus Unbound
Chapter 4: Sexualizing Psychology, Politicizing Sex
Chapter 5: The Revolt of the Masses
Chapter 6: Plastic People, Liquid World
Chapter 7: The Sexual Revolution of the LGBTQ+
Chapter 8: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Chapter 9: Strangers in This Strange New World
ENDORSEMENTS
“Carl Trueman is one of the truly vital thinkers of our time. In Strange New World, he explains just how the West’s preoccupation with a navel-gazing concern for emotional ‘authenticity’ has crippled our ability to think—and is consequently undermining the future of our civilization. A true must-read.” -Ben Shapiro, Host, The Ben Shapiro Show; Editor Emeritus, The Daily Wire; author, The Authoritarian Moment
“At last, one of the most important books of the century is available in a more accessible format for the general reader! If you are confused about the moral and spiritual chaos overtaking Western civilization, and anguished over the seeming impotence of Christianity to stop the collapse, Strange New World is the book you absolutely must read. Here, in a single volume, is the best diagnosis of our cultural crisis. Anyone who wants to get themselves and their children and communities through this new dark age with their faith and sanity intact needs to read Carl Trueman’s blockbuster.” -Rod Dreher, author, The Benedict Option and Live Not by Lies
“As I have traveled the world, I have often hired tour guides to lead me through unfamiliar locations. Their expertise has always proven helpful in explaining what I am seeing and experiencing. And in much the same way, Strange New World is essentially a guided tour to modern times. Trueman acts as a wise and trusted guide to a culture that has become increasingly uncomfortable and unfamiliar. I highly recommend you take the tour.” -Tim Challies, blogger, Challies.com
“An essential primer on how the world went mad. Trueman traces the origin and history of our worst ideas so that the nonscholar can understand why so many intellectuals are talking complete nonsense with such absolute conviction. A good read, a smart read, and an important read.” -Andrew Klavan, author, The Great Good Thing; host, The Andrew Klavan Show
“Carl Trueman is one of the most important public intellectuals of our time, and this book, Strange New World, should be required reading for anyone seeking to understand our present age. Trueman offers a brilliant analysis of the modern mind, the autonomous self, identity politics, and the sexual revolution. This book demonstrates courage on every page, and the reader will draw courage from reading it. Read it and tell your friends about it.” -R. Albert Mohler Jr., President and Centennial Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“In a rare combination of erudition and clarity, Carl Trueman explains us to ourselves. From Rousseau and the Romantics, through Nietzsche, Marx, and Freud, to today’s increasingly incoherent gender theorists, Trueman outlines the history of ideas that brought us almost ineluctably to this moment. But he doesn’t leave us here; by revealing the wrong turns, he maps out a way forward, all the while manifesting the integrity and charity of a true gentleman. In a world of confusion, Strange New World is crystal clear; its author, the teacher we need today.” -Erika Bachiochi, author, The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision
“This book is a You Are Here marker for disoriented pilgrims in postmodernity. Its sober analysis of where we are and how we got here will equip readers to engage contemporary confusion over identity. Strange New World makes the important argument of Carl Trueman’s earlier work, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, widely accessible and an excellent resource for classrooms, small groups, and individual inquiry.” -Jennifer Patterson, Director of the Institute of Theology and Public Life, Reformed Theological Seminary
AUTHOR
CARL R. TRUEMAN (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is a contributing editor at First Things, an esteemed church historian, and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including The Creedal Imperative; Luther on the Christian Life; and Histories and Fallacies. He is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
CRTT CW50
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