In every era and in every part of the world, the enemy tests the defenses of the Christian church at specific points of doctrine and practice. Today, in the West at least, the focal point of attack is the biblical doctrine of humanity. Abortion, euthanasia, transhumanism, transgenderism, rampant pornography, LGBTQ+ ideology, racism, feminism—all of these and more raise questions about what it means to be human. The topic is at the forefront of almost every major public discussion today.
In 2020, Carl R. Trueman, professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College, addressed the philosophical background to our contemporary anthropological chaos in his book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. That book remains one of the most important Christian books published in the first quarter of this century. He followed it up with an abridged version in his 2022 book Strange New World. I will say again what I said when these books were first published: Every Christian leader who wants to understand what is going on in the world today needs to read The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, and every Christian layman needs to read at least Strange New World, if not the longer book too.
Trueman has now written another book that is at least as important, if not more, for every Christian leader and layman to read, digest, and apply. The phrase is a cliché and certainly much overused, but The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades Our Humanity is “a must read” if ever there was one. By that, I mean, if you are reading this review, you need to purchase two copies of this book, read one, and give the second to your pastor. Your pastor needs to read it and encourage his elders and parishioners to read it. Every headmaster and teacher at every classical Christian school needs to read this. Christian political leaders need to read it. This is one of those handful of books that comes along every once in a long while that is a generational book. This is the Christianity and Liberalism of this generation but specifically focused on the subject of what it means to be human and how to respond to a dehumanizing culture.
The thesis of Trueman’s book is that “desecration is key to understanding the dynamic of modern culture and the anthropological confusion that it embodies.” By rejecting God and attempting to exalt autonomous man, our culture has ironically reduced man to a mere object and has desecrated him. Some have argued that the solution is a “re-enchantment” of the world. Trueman argues that this does not go far enough. The solution to the desecration of man is not merely re-enchantment, but re-consecration, and that requires a return to Christian truth and Christian practice within the context of the Christian church.
Chapter 1 sets the stage by looking at the state of our current culture. Anthropology is the central issue. Trueman notes that the question “What is man?” shapes our moral life and especially the way we think about and treat others. The question is also important because all of us ask whether our lives have any significance. Our culture rejects the Christian idea that the question of man’s significance is directly tied to the question of God. If, as Christianity teaches, human beings are created in the image of God, the two questions are inseparable. According to the Christian view of man, human beings are created, embodied persons with obligations, limits, and goals. If God does not exist, we must become our own creators, and this inevitably leads to our desecration and destruction. The anti-theistic culture of desecration treats humans as nothing special, just another kind of animal. It treats humans as things or objects to be used.
In chapters 2 and 3, Trueman recounts the story of Nietzsche’s madman who claimed that the modern world had “killed” God but was not yet admitting the implications or living according to them. The implications of the death of God have now arrived, and this has rapidly transformed how people think about themselves and how they live. Traditional morality, grounded as it was in the Christian doctrine of God and of man, has been tossed aside. Man has invented technologies that have helped us overcome human limitations, and expressive individualism has taught us to look inside to our feelings in order to find our true self. This has resulted in a new moral landscape. The goal of the individual in the modern culture is to be transgressive; to destroy all of the old moral barriers and everything that helped uphold them, institutions such as the church and the family.
In chapters 4, 5, and 6, Trueman looks at the impact of the cultural change in three specific areas: sexual morality and behavior, reproductive technologies, and attitudes toward death. The sexual revolution, he argues, has reduced people—especially women—to objects that exist solely for the use of others. Certain reproductive technologies have reduced children to nothing more than commodities, to things that are to be bought and sold. With regard to death, the culture of desecration has rapidly embraced assisted suicide and euthanasia. In every way imaginable, the contemporary culture desecrates and dehumanizes us.
In the final chapter, Trueman argues that the only right response to the desecration of man is his re-consecration. He argues that Christianity must reshape our thinking and that this involves what he refers to as “creed, cult, and code.” Creed refers to the true beliefs of Christianity. Cult refers to the church’s worship. Code refers to Christian moral habits and practices. The place where all three are properly connected and where human beings are consecrated is within the church. The only real options, Trueman argues, are the consecrated Christian or Nietzsche’s atheistic madman.
I suppose this wouldn’t be a proper review if I didn’t have some curmudgeonly criticism to offer. The book uses endnotes, but I think footnotes would have enhanced the reader’s experience, since I find it more helpful to see sources and references as I read. I imagine that was a publisher decision, however, so I won’t dwell on it.
Trueman is an astute observer of the modern culture and, as a trained historian, he has an excellent grasp of how we got into the mess we find ourselves in today. He is also an outstanding communicator. This is not a difficult book to read, and at a little over two hundred pages, it is not terribly long. It is important, however. Christians know that something is wrong, but we’re often so distracted by our everyday responsibilities and by numerous trivialities that we don’t understand why something is wrong nor what to do about it—other than ranting online.
Trueman’s book is not, and does not claim to be, the only source Christians need in order to understand and deal with what is happening around us. It is not a cure-all for what ails us. I would suggest, however, that it is a very helpful place to start. It is imperative that we regain our bearings with the Lord Jesus Christ and His revealed Word as our touchstone, better understand the views and tactics of the enemy, acquire the spiritual weapons needed to fight this spiritual war, and trust the Lord. The Desecration of Man is an invaluable help to us in each of these areas.