Remaking the World

Fascinating book. Some parts I loved, and some left me a bit confused. Which is probably inevitable in a book summarizing so much history that I was before unfamiliar with. Like many other reviewers have said, you go into this book thinking he's about to say “Things used to be better and now everyone is weird and secular and profit-hungry! Too bad!”, but, thankfully, what Andrew Wilson has written is far more true and far more hopeful than that.

Indeed our world is WEIRDER (the book's acronym) than it has been for most of history, but Wilson's conclusion reminds the Christian of our response:

“The doctrines, experiences, and practices that the church needs today are much the same as the ones she needed in the eighteenth century, and the tenth, and the second. We are responsible for obedience not outcomes, faithfulness not fruit; if we do not see the results we used to by praying, worshiping, reading Scripture, serving the poor, preaching the gospel, sharing the sacraments, and loving one another, we carry on those things regardless and walk by faith not by sight ... we wait, rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstances, and resolving not to be anxious about tomorrow, for we have no idea what tomorrow will bring.”