Post-Christian

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY NOV 11, 2019

Veith (Reading Between the Lines), provost at Patrick Henry College and former culture editor at World magazine, assesses the state of Christianity in 21st-century America in this upbeat and forceful analysis. Veith argues against what he sees as the vices that seek to destroy Christianity, namely the relentless use of technology, lingering effects of the sexual revolution, and especially identity politics. Veith blames the rationalism and constructivism of the postmodern age for what he sees as a contemporary carefree attitude toward morality. Within these shifting standards, Veith believes that technology and political pressures (as opposed to religion) erode objective or absolute truth, and meaning (if there is any) becomes a construct along with such things as gender identification and family as traditionally understood by the teachings of the church. For Veith, science and technology are overemphasized compared to moral development; but all is not lost, as Christianity continues to persist within a largely secular age. Veith credits this to the salvific nature of the Gospel message ("We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ") and argues that the story of Christ's death and resurrections remains a fundamental truth for all Christians, allowing believers to be saved due to Christ's sacrifice. While Veith ends by championing Christianity's ability to create societywide dialogue about social and cultural issues, his arguments for the relevancy of modern Christianity will likely only appeal to the already converted.