Being enough is a universal longing. Seculosity makes the case that
being religious is alive and well in modern society. While American
organized religion may be declining, the desire to fill the void with
everyday life pursuits is another form of worship. David Zahl
describes his life as having one foot in the religious and secular
worlds, a claim his biography justifies and states "the marketplace in
replacement religion is booming." At the heart of our society lies a
universal yearning not to be happy so much as to be enough. To fill
the emptiness left by religion, humans look to all sorts of activities
-- food, family, relationships, social media, elections, social
justice movements -- for identity, purpose, and meaning once provided
by organized religion. In our striving, we chase a sense of
enoughness. But it remains out of reach. Human effort and striving is
causing burn out, depression, and anxiety. Even our leisure
activities, such as dating and movie watching, become to-do list items
and once accomplished we’ll hope to feel contentment with ourselves.
Seculosity takes a thoughtful yet light-hearted tour of
"performancism" and its cousins. Performancism is "one of the
hallmarks of seculosity," affecting how we approach everyday life. It
cripples us with anxiety (Am I enough?), shame (Do they think I'm
enough?), and guilt (Have I done enough?). Performance-based living
while admirable will only leave us worn out because when is enough,
enough? Zahl challenges the conventional narrative of religious
decline claiming society has become religious about busyness and
accomplishments. Zahl unmasks the competing loyalties our lives
revolve around in a way that is approachable, personal, and accurate.
Eventually, Zahl brings readers to a fresh appreciation for grace --
the grace of God in all its countercultural wonder.
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How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781506449449
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Stylus Publishing LLC
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter