Remaking the World [HC]

How 1776 Created the 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, economic, 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.

History & Biography Winner 2023 (The Gospel Coalition)