A Secular Age

A Secular Age by Charles Taylor, published in 2007, explores the transformation of Western society from a predominantly religious culture to one where belief in God is one option among many. Taylor, a Canadian philosopher known for his work on the intersection of philosophy, religion, and modernity, leverages his expertise to trace the historical and cultural shifts that led to the rise of secularism in the West. As a notable work in the genre of intellectual history and philosophy of religion, A Secular Age examines how secular ideas have increasingly shaped public spaces, personal beliefs, and societal norms. This text charts a decline in religious belief while considering the conditions that allow for a pluralistic approach to faith, belief, and meaning in the modern age, setting the stage for a detailed exploration of themes such as The Impact of Secularization on Society, The Changing Nature of Belief, and The Search for Meaning and Moral Order.

This guide refers to The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2007 edition.

Summary

In A Secular Age, Charles Taylor considers the transformation from a time when belief in God was nearly universal to an era where belief is one option among many. Taylor’s central concern is understanding how Western societies transitioned from a world where belief in God was the default to one where faith is contested and seen as just one of several viable choices in a pluralistic landscape.

Taylor sets the stage by explaining the origins and expansion of his work, rooted in his 1999 Gifford Lectures. He critiques the common narrative of secularization, which often simplistically attributes the decline of religion to the rise of science and rationality. Instead, he argues for a more nuanced understanding, presenting secularization in a series of interconnected essays illuminating the complex transformation of belief in the modern West.

Taylor begins by examining the “Bulwarks of Belief,” or the structures that once made belief in God seem self-evident, such as the enchanted world filled with spirits and a cosmos reflecting divine order. He argues that the Reformation and the rise of a “disciplinary society,” which emphasized self-control and rationality, played crucial roles in disembedding individuals from these traditional frameworks. This shift led to the “Great Disembedding,” where people moved from communal, embedded religious practices to a more individualized faith, setting the stage for a new social imaginary focused on individual rights and mutual benefit.

This section explores the rise of Deism and the shift toward an “impersonal order,” where God’s role in the world was minimized to that of a distant architect. This view laid the groundwork for exclusive humanism—a worldview that seeks human flourishing without reference to the divine. Taylor critiques the simplistic narrative that reason alone drove the decline of belief, highlighting the role of broader cultural shifts that redefined human self-understanding and moral order.

The next section discusses the “Nova Effect,” which describes the explosion of moral and spiritual options that emerged from the 19th century onward. He traces the evolution of belief and unbelief across three phases: the initial establishment of exclusive humanism, the diversification of worldviews challenging both traditional religion and humanism, and the spread of a fragmented culture of authenticity that prioritizes personal fulfillment and self-expression. This diversity of choices reflects the modern condition, where belief is no longer taken for granted but is actively negotiated by individuals.

Taylor critiques the dominant secularization theory, which suggests an inevitable decline of religion due to modern differentiation. He argues that the process is more complex, marked by the Age of Mobilization, where religion adapted to new social conditions, and the Age of Authenticity, characterized by expressive individualism and a focus on personal authenticity. These shifts have led to the rise of individualized spirituality and the decline of traditional religious structures, particularly in the face of cultural revolutions since the 1960s.

The next section explores the concept of the “immanent frame,” the worldview that sees life as existing within a self-sufficient natural order, allowing for but not necessitating transcendence. It discusses how this frame fosters belief and unbelief, with modern individuals caught in cross-pressures between these poles. Believers and non-believers face various dilemmas as they navigate modernity’s moral landscape, where secular humanism contests traditional sources of meaning and other alternative spiritualities.

The text concludes by situating his narrative alongside other historical accounts, acknowledging the complementary nature of different stories about the rise of secularity. The final section emphasizes the need to understand both the intellectual shifts and the lived experiences that have contributed to the contemporary secular condition, arguing for a more nuanced appreciation of the complex interplay between belief and unbelief in modern Western societies.