63 pages • 2 hours read
Charles TaylorA Secular Age
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 4Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 4: “Narratives of Secularization”
Part 4, Chapter 12 Summary: “The Age of Mobilization”
Chapter 12 argues that elite pluralization eventually extended throughout society, altering religion’s role in social life. Conventional secularization theory typically explains the decline of religion through differentiation, where religious functions become secularized into separate spheres like education and healthcare. This theory oversimplifies the situation, as there have been periods, particularly in 19th-century France, England, and the US, where religious practice increased. The resurgence of religious movements, such as Evangelicalism in England and Catholic missions in France, aimed to counter the fractured metaphysical culture of the elites.
The United States differs from other Western societies due to its high levels of religious adherence despite modern secular trends. This challenges the notion that secularization inevitably leads to a decline in religious belief, arguing that the relationship between modernity and religion is more nuanced. An “unthought” ideology drove secularization—a set of unconscious assumptions that religion must decline because it is false or irrelevant in modern society.
The chapter introduces the concept of the Age of Mobilization, a period where the decline of traditional religious forms led not to a simple diminishment of belief but to the emergence of new forms of spiritual life and organization. This era marked the transition from hierarchical societies, deeply integrated with religion, to more mobilized societies where religion had to adapt to new social conditions. At this time, society shifted from the ancien régime, connected to an “enchanted world,” to a disenchanted, secular modern world. In the enchanted world, the sacred was clearly distinguished from the profane, allowing the divine to naturally permeate society, particularly through the king, who connected the sacred and political realms.
As modernity advanced, especially in Protestant contexts, disenchantment set in, and the cosmos was increasingly seen as governed by natural laws rather than filled with divine presence. Yet, even in this disenchanted world, God’s presence was acknowledged through the concept of Design, seen in the universe’s order and beauty. Politically, God’s presence shifted from being embodied in a sacred king to being manifested in a society that followed God’s moral design, exemplified by the Modern Moral Order, which grounds the political identity of modern societies. This order, influenced by thinkers like John Locke, emphasizes individual equality and inalienable rights.
The chapter discusses how the Modern Moral Order differs from past hierarchical orders, highlighting the disembedded nature of individuals in modern society. This new order called for societies structured around mutual benefit, where individuals respect each other’s rights and work for the common good. This marks a transition from sacred, hierarchical orders to the Age of Mobilization, where religious adherence became more voluntary, and new religious forms like denominations emerged. Unlike traditional churches or sects, these denominations functioned as affinity groups within a broader “church,” reflecting a move toward a more pluralistic and voluntary religious landscape.
Finally, the chapter examines how these changes impacted religious practice and political identity in different contexts, especially in the US and Britain. Protestant denominations played a key role in shaping national identity and civil religion in these countries. While the US provides a clear example of a neo-Durkheimian society where religion is central to political and civilizational identity, the transition in Catholic societies, particularly in France, was more complex and tumultuous.
Part 4, Chapter 13 Summary: “The Age of Authenticity”
Chapter 13 focuses on what he calls the “Age of Authenticity,” a cultural shift that has profoundly altered the conditions of belief in contemporary Western societies. Taylor argues that since the 1960s, Western civilization has undergone a cultural revolution, characterized by “expressive individualism.” This is a departure from earlier forms of individualism, introducing a widespread emphasis on personal authenticity and self-expression as the primary modes of living.
At this time, an emphasis on authenticity and expressive individualism permeated society, leading to significant changes in how people perceive their lives, their moral agency, and what they consider “the good.” While this shift is often seen negatively by critics as a turn toward egoism or hedonism, it reflects a deeper transformation in society’s understanding of the good, driven by a desire for a more authentic and self-expressive way of life.
One of the most visible manifestations of this shift is the consumer revolution, where post-war affluence allowed people to focus more on their private lives and personal spaces, emphasizing individual tastes and preferences. This led to a new youth culture, heavily influenced by consumerism and marked by a distinct sense of self-expression and autonomy. This culture fostered a new understanding of life centered around authenticity, where people are encouraged to live in ways that resonate with their true selves, free from the constraints of traditional norms imposed by society, religion, or previous generations.
Chapter 13 also discusses how this new culture of authenticity has impacted public discourse and social life. The rise of expressive individualism has led to trivializing key concepts in public life, such as choice, freedom, and rights, often reducing complex moral issues to simplistic slogans. This has contributed to a fragmented and polarized society, where shallow, slogan-driven debates replace deep deliberation.
The Age of Authenticity is not merely a descent into selfishness but a complex and ambiguous development that offers new possibilities for human flourishing, even as it brings new challenges. It is part of the ongoing struggle between this new individualism and the remnants of older, more community-oriented values. This creates tension within religious institutions trying to adapt to these changes. The chapter concludes by noting that while the Age of Authenticity presents difficulties, it also opens up new avenues for understanding and experiencing the sacred in modern life.
Part 4, Chapter 14 Summary: “Religion Today”
Chapter 14 discusses how the cultural changes of the 1960s have destabilized the traditional religious structures of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The tight interweaving of religion with national identity, family values, and patriotism, particularly evident in places like the United States during the post-war era, has been significantly weakened. Challenges like the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the sexual revolution exacerbated this breakdown, questioning the previously accepted norms.
The rise of individualized spirituality in the 1960s emerged from the broader cultural revolution taking place in society. Many people moved away from institutionalized religion, seeking a more personal and direct experience of the sacred instead. This shift concerns a focus on authenticity, personal spiritual quests, and a rejection of the authoritative structures of traditional religion. This new spiritual landscape is often more subjective, focusing on personal well-being, spiritual wholeness, and a holistic approach to health, sometimes integrating spirituality with alternative medicine.
This shift toward individual spirituality is not inherently trivial or shallow but reflects a deep and genuine search for meaning in a world where traditional religious forms no longer hold the same sway. While some forms of this new spirituality can be superficial, many others are part of a profound quest for spiritual depth that can lead to serious religious engagement.
The chapter also addresses the decline in traditional religious practice in Western societies and the rise of secularization, particularly in Europe. However, this secularization is not a simple decline in belief but rather a complex reconfiguration of religious life. Even as institutional religion loses its grip, many people still maintain a vicarious religion, where they retain a connection to religious traditions without active participation.
Chapter 14 concludes that while traditional Christendom is in retreat, this does not necessarily mean the end of religious life. Instead, new forms of spiritual practice and religious community emerge, shaped by the ethic of authenticity and the search for personal meaning in a pluralistic world. A diversity of spiritual practices marks this new landscape, including those that draw on traditional religious forms innovatively, and a growing openness to inter-religious dialogue and ecumenism.
Part 4 Analysis
The big-picture themes that emerge across these chapters revolve around the dynamic transformation from hierarchical, community-oriented religious structures to more individualized and pluralistic forms of spirituality and The Search for Meaning and Moral Order in a Secular Age.
An important contrast in this section is that in the ancien régime, religion was interwoven with hierarchical social structures and political authority, providing a unified framework for moral order and meaning. However, in the modern Age of Mobilization, these structures became more voluntary and decentralized, reflecting the rise of denominations and religious affinity groups. This marks a shift from a collective, communal experience of religion to a more individualistic and choice-driven form of spirituality. Through this analysis, Part 4 illustrates how communities form and how individuals find their place within them.
The Age of Authenticity represents an even more profound shift, where the emphasis moves from external authority to internal self-expression. Taylor’s point is that this is a fundamental transformation in what people consider “the good” and how they pursue it. The new ethos of authenticity encourages people to explore and create their paths to fulfillment, which resonates with contemporary values but also leads to fragmentation and instability. This challenges the foundations of communal life and introduces new tensions in how societies can sustain a shared moral order. A common religious framework no longer mediates The Search for Meaning and Moral Order in a secular age but becomes a more personal, often solitary quest. This redefines how individuals engage with one another and with broader societal norms.
The example of the United States as a neo-Durkheimian society further emphasizes that secularization is not a straightforward process of religious decline. The US maintains high levels of religious adherence even as secular trends advance, showing how religion can remain central to national and civil identity in new, pluralistic forms. Religion is not disappearing but transforming, adapting to new cultural and social conditions emphasizing personal choice, pluralism, and inclusivity. This transformation allows new forms of religious expression to coexist with more secular values, creating a complex landscape where religious and secular ideas must constantly negotiate their place in public life.
Part 4 also introduces the concept of vicarious religion to further demonstrate the complexity of modern secularism. Here, individuals maintain a cultural connection to religious traditions without regular participation, reflecting a nuanced engagement with spirituality that does not fit neatly into categories of belief or unbelief. This is a form of nostalgia, in which a connection once perceived to be meaningful remains part of an individual’s identity, even when the practice is not part of their current life. The phenomenon exemplifies the modern tension between maintaining traditional connections and embracing new forms of spirituality that prioritize personal fulfillment and exploration. In this way, modern spirituality reimagines how people relate to the sacred while aligning with contemporary values like authenticity and autonomy.
