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mayafwood's review against another edition
5.0
Please read this book.
I could not have predicted that I’d feel loved through a survey of 21st century culture and our declining involvement in Religion (and increasing religious devotion to religion). This work looks under and from within instead of judging from above, which is spiritually refreshing for the reader. I am just like everyone else, trying desperately and failing to do enough and reach who I ought to be. Zahl gives his reader freedom to see themselves in each chapter and to say, “I admit that I am powerless over my life—my life has become unmanageable.” What grace there is to be found on the other side of that.
I could not have predicted that I’d feel loved through a survey of 21st century culture and our declining involvement in Religion (and increasing religious devotion to religion). This work looks under and from within instead of judging from above, which is spiritually refreshing for the reader. I am just like everyone else, trying desperately and failing to do enough and reach who I ought to be. Zahl gives his reader freedom to see themselves in each chapter and to say, “I admit that I am powerless over my life—my life has become unmanageable.” What grace there is to be found on the other side of that.
jencafardi's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book that does an excellent job of capturing the essence of Americanism today. Discusses the seculosity of busyness, romance, parenting, technology, work, leisure, fandom, food, politics and Jesusland. Looking for enoughness outside of Christ is useless and anxiety-provoking. He had some striking observations and thoughts, and I’ll think of this one for a while! A great book to discuss......
A favorite book of the year!
A favorite book of the year!
persistent_reader's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I’ve read this year! I’d add a picture of all the sticky tabs marking pages if I could figure out how to do it. The chapters on the Seculosity of busyness, parenting, eating, politics, and Jesusland are worth the price of the book. I wish I had read the busyness and parenting chapters decades ago.
The antidote to Seculosity? Grace - which needs to be recovered in Christianity.
The antidote to Seculosity? Grace - which needs to be recovered in Christianity.
mkpeterson's review against another edition
4.0
very interesting!! will change the way that i view the pursuit of all that is not unabated, true, unfiltered gospel. caused as much internal as external reflection
jbmorgan86's review against another edition
3.0
3.75/5
So, I'm the first reviewer to give Seculosity less than 4 stars. It's just a bit short of that for me.
The premise behind Seculosity is a good one: so many of the things that are identified as "secular" (work, family, technology, food, fitness, politics, romance, etc.) are actually treated by people in a "religious" fashion (hence the term "Seculosity").
Essentially, what Zahl is arguing for is that all of these things become a form of idolatry, a religion of "law." Christ, however, offers grace.
The major fault in this book for me is the cheeseball humor. The whole thing is riddled with "Dad jokes." The tone is intentionally light so that the book will appeal to larger audiences. However, I would really like to see a more academic treatment of these same ideas that delves a little deeper.
So, I'm the first reviewer to give Seculosity less than 4 stars. It's just a bit short of that for me.
The premise behind Seculosity is a good one: so many of the things that are identified as "secular" (work, family, technology, food, fitness, politics, romance, etc.) are actually treated by people in a "religious" fashion (hence the term "Seculosity").
Essentially, what Zahl is arguing for is that all of these things become a form of idolatry, a religion of "law." Christ, however, offers grace.
The major fault in this book for me is the cheeseball humor. The whole thing is riddled with "Dad jokes." The tone is intentionally light so that the book will appeal to larger audiences. However, I would really like to see a more academic treatment of these same ideas that delves a little deeper.
randis724's review against another edition
3.0
I am actually rating this book 3.5 stars. The premise of this book is that as Americans have left organized religion, they have look to every day activities for identity, purpose and meaning. Examples include: parenting, romance, politics, technology, food, and more. This has led to anxiety, strained relationships, and performancism.
Some of the analysis in the book was familiar and contained nothing groundbreaking, while other parts of the book gave me a totally new way of looking at things and several aha moments. If you enjoy reading analysis of our current culture, then you may enjoy this book.
Some of the analysis in the book was familiar and contained nothing groundbreaking, while other parts of the book gave me a totally new way of looking at things and several aha moments. If you enjoy reading analysis of our current culture, then you may enjoy this book.
ben_smitty's review against another edition
3.0
Seculosity is an assessment of the cultural competition surrounding American culture primarily, especially as these forces have been exacerbated by social media. Zahl's book is not an exegesis of these rival liturgies, however. It's more of a general explanation for those who live their lives without realizing that hustle culture is fundamentally changing them into anxious pricks.
I think it's fair for me to claim that Seculosity is essentially You Are What You Love with a Lutheran twist. Zahl seems to suggest that accepting the Gospel will ultimately prove countercultural enough for the believer to set him free from proving his worth via cultural capitalism. This fits in neatly with Luther's view of law vs. grace (intentionally), here defined as fighting to feel "enough" vs. accepting that Jesus has already made you "enough" by His blood. So stop trying so hard.
And though Zahl's prose is fun to read, his ideas are fairly late to the game. The book feels similar to others in the "liturgical revival in evangelicalism" category which picked up in the 2010s. My personal disagreement with Zahl is similar to my own disagreements with Luther; maybe the solution isn't submission but negation, not just acceptance but asceticism. Though then I'd be accused of pushing "law" onto people again.
I think it's fair for me to claim that Seculosity is essentially You Are What You Love with a Lutheran twist. Zahl seems to suggest that accepting the Gospel will ultimately prove countercultural enough for the believer to set him free from proving his worth via cultural capitalism. This fits in neatly with Luther's view of law vs. grace (intentionally), here defined as fighting to feel "enough" vs. accepting that Jesus has already made you "enough" by His blood. So stop trying so hard.
And though Zahl's prose is fun to read, his ideas are fairly late to the game. The book feels similar to others in the "liturgical revival in evangelicalism" category which picked up in the 2010s. My personal disagreement with Zahl is similar to my own disagreements with Luther; maybe the solution isn't submission but negation, not just acceptance but asceticism. Though then I'd be accused of pushing "law" onto people again.
jtisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible Book- Must read- Just do it. Period.
From ME
From ME
awildernessofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Insightful yet concise look into the many areas we as humans in the west take on as our “religion” in place of true gospel hope.