Michael McDuffee — formerly professor of historical theology at Moody Bible Institute, now living in Germany — joins James Spencer and Ashish Varma for the seventh episode in the faith and politics series.

The conversation starts with an essay by Jürgen Habermas. Habermas, a lifelong child of the Enlightenment, found himself after 2001 asking whether reason alone could carry the weight of a public ethics, and began describing modern societies as post-secular. McDuffie uses that as a way into the collapse of secularization theory: the assumption that modernization would inevitably shrink religion turned out to describe Europe, not the world.

His sharper claim is that the secular was never a neutral condition but a strategy — a way of categorizing peoples and ideas that maintained a particular hegemony, and one whose vulnerability has opened room for voices it had kept out.

They apply this to America, which McDuffee argues was post-secular before the term existed. The last stretch takes on 1776 and 1619 together, arguing both frameworks share a blind spot, and ends on coveting, idolatry, and Francis of Assisi as a model for finding a voice.

Chapters:

00:00 Introductions

01:19 Habermas and an awareness of what is missing

06:21 Durkheim, France, and the durability of religion

08:38 Why secularization theory described Europe, not the world

11:43 Liberalism, neoliberalism, and the sovereign individual

17:47 Post-secular doesn't mean the secular is over

21:28 The secular as a deliberate strategy

25:00 From Hellenized being to deism to history to ideology

31:44 What post-secular opens up

37:31 Postmodernism gave voices the chops

45:50 A nation with the soul of a church

51:20 1776 and 1619 share a blind spot

57:17 Creation, not nature

1:00:27 Coveting, idolatry, and the inclusio of the Decalogue

Follow and subscribe

Subscribe to Thinking Christian: https://episodes.thinkingchristian.org 

Website: www.thinkingchristian.org 

Michael McDuffee &mdash; formerly professor of historical theology at Moody Bible Institute, now living in Germany &mdash; joins James Spencer and Ashish Varma for the seventh episode in the faith and politics series.
The conversation starts with an essay by J&uuml;rgen Habermas. Habermas, a lifelong child of the Enlightenment, found himself after 2001 asking whether reason alone could carry the weight of a public ethics, and began describing modern societies as post-secular. McDuffie uses that as a way into the collapse of secularization theory: the assumption that modernization would inevitably shrink religion turned out to describe Europe, not the world.
His sharper claim is that the secular was never a neutral condition but a strategy &mdash; a way of categorizing peoples and ideas that maintained a particular hegemony, and one whose vulnerability has opened room for voices it had kept out.
They apply this to America, which McDuffee argues was post-secular before the term existed. The last stretch takes on 1776 and 1619 together, arguing both frameworks share a blind spot, and ends on coveting, idolatry, and Francis of Assisi as a model for finding a voice.
Chapters:
00:00 Introductions
01:19 Habermas and an awareness of what is missing
06:21 Durkheim, France, and the durability of religion
08:38 Why secularization theory described Europe, not the world
11:43 Liberalism, neoliberalism, and the sovereign individual
17:47 Post-secular doesn't mean the secular is over
21:28 The secular as a deliberate strategy
25:00 From Hellenized being to deism to history to ideology
31:44 What post-secular opens up
37:31 Postmodernism gave voices the chops
45:50 A nation with the soul of a church
51:20 1776 and 1619 share a blind spot
57:17 Creation, not nature
1:00:27 Coveting, idolatry, and the inclusio of the Decalogue
Follow and subscribe
Subscribe to Thinking Christian: <a href="https://episodes.thinkingchristian.org">https://episodes.thinkingchristian.org</a>&nbsp;
Website: <a href="https://www.thinkingchristian.org">www.thinkingchristian.org</a>&nbsp;

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Find more from James at https://www.thinkingchristian.org/.

Christians shouldn&rsquo;t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://www.thinkingchristian.org/">https://www.thinkingchristian.org/</a>.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World

Christians shouldn&rsquo;t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://www.thinkingchristian.org/">https://www.thinkingchristian.org/</a>.

The Secular Was a Strategy | Faith & Politics #7

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/9fc78f27-a08f-45be-ac8d-b4b3014d0ee0/transcript