How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West
Andrew Wilson
wheaton, illinois
Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West
Copyright © 2023 by Andrew Wilson
Published by Crossway
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.
Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates.
Cover illustration and design: Jordan Eskovitz
First printing 2023
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-8053-6
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-8056-7
PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-8054-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Wilson, Andrew, 1978- author.
Title: Remaking the world : how 1776 created the post-Christian West / Andrew Wilson.
Other titles: How 1776 created the post-Christian West
Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, 2023. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022058032 (print) | LCCN 2022058033 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433580536 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781433580543 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433580567 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Civilization, Western—18th century. | Seventeen seventy-six, A.D. | Secularism—Western countries. | Social values—Western countries.
Classification: LCC CB411 .W55 2023 (print) | LCC CB411 (ebook) | DDC 909/.0982109033—dc23/eng/20230130
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022058032
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022058033
Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
For Mum, Dad, Annie, Sarah, and David,
in abundance
to begin the world over again.
thomas paine, common sense
The modern world is full
of the old Christian virtues
gone mad.
G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
1 Roots: The Presence of the Past
4 Patriots: Becoming Democratic
6 Skeptics: Becoming Ex-Christian
7 Machines: Becoming Industrialized
10 Christians: Grace, Freedom, and Truth
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About Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian WestHow 7 Transformational Events in 1776 Paved the Way for Today’s Post-Christian West. With dizzying social transformations in everything from gender to social justice, it may seem like there’s never been a more tumultuous period in history. But a single year in the late 18th century saw a number of influential transformations—or even revolutions—that changed the social trajectory of the Western world. By understanding how those events influenced today’s cultural landscape, Christians can more effectively bear witness to God’s truth in a post-Christian age. In Remaking the World, Andrew Wilson highlights 7 major developments from the year 1776—globalization, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the Great Enrichment, the American Revolution, the rise of post-Christianity, and the dawn of Romanticism—and explains their relevance to social changes happening today. Carefully examining key documents and historical figures, Wilson demonstrates how a monumental number of political, philosophical, economical, and industrial changes in the year of America’s founding shaped the modern West into a “WEIRDER” society: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic, Ex-Christian, and Romantic. This thoroughly researched yet accessible book offers a unique historical perspective on modern views of family, government, religion, and morality—giving Christians the historical lens they need to understand today’s post-Christian trends and respond accordingly. Relevant Cultural and Historical Analysis: Skillfully connects key ideas and events from the past to the present. Comprehensive: Examines important developments from 1776, including the American Revolution, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; James Watt’s steam engine; Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations; and Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. Informative: Covers key historical figures, including John Adams, Edmund Burke, and David Hume. Biblical: Equips and encourages readers to share the gospel in a post-Christian world. A Great Resource for Pastors, Scholars, and Readers of Carl Trueman’s The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. |
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