As discussed on recent episodes, when it comes to religion and worldview preferences, most people tend to follow their own internal feelings, intuitions, and experiences. But what are the larger social implications of this increasing emphasis on the subjective? According to Carl Trueman, in today’s culture of “expressive individualism,” the idea of conforming to anything external—anything outside the “self”—has come to be seen as “inauthentic.” As a result of this cultural shift, identity is now being formed by a person’s internal feelings and desires rather than by external considerations, including nature itself. Shane Rosenthal talks with Dr. Trueman about this and many other issues he addresses in his book, The Rise & Triumph of the Modern Self.
SHOW NOTES
Resources by Carl Trueman
The Rise & Triumph of the Modern Self & Strange New World (books)
Dylan Mulvany and the Real Clash of Civilizations (article - First Things)
In Our Chaotic Age, Some Atheists are Rethinking Secularism (article)
6 Ways Christians Can Respond to Our Strange New World (article - TGC)
The Genesis of Gender (podcast)
Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age (podcast)
Other Related Resources
The Mormonization of American Christianity, Shane Rosenthal (article)
The Story of Us, Shane Rosenthal (article)
What is Faith?, Shane Rosenthal (article)
Liberalism or Christianity?, J. Gresham Machen (article)
Is Faith a Feeling?, The Humble Skeptic, Episode 4
Religion on Trial, The Humble Skeptic, Episode 5
Faith & Experience, The Humble Skeptic, Episode 28
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Upcoming Events
• Can We Trust The Story of Jesus’ Birth? At this time of year, we’re invited to sing Christmas carols in honor of Jesus’ birth, but can we really trust the narratives we find in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke? How can we be sure these stories weren’t added much later or embellished in some way? Do these stories conflict with each other, or with known historical facts? Shane will be speaking on this topic at the next Friday Night Forum (7 pm on Dec. 1st, 2023 in St. Charles, MO • cpcopc.org).
• On Dec. 17th at Concord Church in St. Louis, Shane will discuss his conversion to Christianity from a secular Jewish background through a detailed study of messianic prophecy. This event is titled: What Child is This: How The Christmas Story Fulfills Ancient Prophecies (click here for more information).
• Shane will be speaking at The Cross & Resurrection conference in the Memphis area on March 29-31, 2024.
• The Humble Skeptic and ReThink315 will host a conference titled, Conversations That Matter, featuring Greg Koukl, Shane Rosenthal, and Jeremy Smith on April 5-6, 2024 at Concord Church in St. Louis.
• Greg Koukl, Shane Rosenthal & Jeremy Smith will be speaking on apologetics-related topics at The Fellowship of Wildwood on April 7, 2024.
• For more information, or to invite Shane Rosenthal to speak at your next event, use the following address: INFO at HUMBLESKEPTIC dot COM.
Identity in a Post-Christian Culture