I began reading Taylor's magisterial book a few weeks ago (see here) and our staff at the Center is now beginning to read and talk about the book together. In preparation for that I gave everyone a short article reviewing Taylor's views on secularization that concludes with an interview with Taylor. I love the genre of interview as a way into the thoughts of major intellectuals. It is fun to see them speaking, as it were, off the cuff, and to get the brief answer rather than the long footnoted answer. To get it for yourself, click here: Download 05Lombo.pdf.
As a Lutheran I'm particularly interested in the way the whole leveling effect of the Reformation had in paving the way for the transition to a society that, on the one hand, breaks Christendom and frees faith from a kind of official role governing society (Christendom, Taylor says, is the period in the west from Constantine through the 18th century and he thinks it "was kind of the wrong road." Which he quickly qualifies by saying "That is, of course, an absurdly oversimple way of putting it . . ." See why I love interviews? The NOT absurdly oversimple way of putting it takes 900 pages, and we need that version, too, but I love the "kind of the wrong road" answer, too), and on the other hand, makes of faith an individual experience and in the process erodes the traditional communal sense of Christian faith--the Pauline idea of the body of Christ, and being made one with the body also had to do with the will--not my individual 'taste' orienting my will but giving over my will to 'Christ who lives in me' (Galatians 2:19-20)
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