How 7 Transformational Events in 1776 Paved the Way for Today’s
Post-Christian West: With dizzying social transformations in everything
from gender to social justice, it may seem like there’s never been a
more tumultuous period in history. But a single year in the late 18th
century saw a number of influential transformations—or even
revolutions—that changed the social trajectory of the Western world. By
understanding how those events influenced today’s cultural landscape,
Christians can more effectively bear witness to God’s truth in a
post-Christian age. In Remaking the World, Andrew Wilson highlights 7
major developments from the year 1776—globalization, the Enlightenment,
the Industrial Revolution, the Great Enrichment, the American
Revolution, the rise of post-Christianity, and the dawn of
Romanticism—and explains their relevance to social changes happening
today. Carefully examining key documents and historical figures, Wilson
demonstrates how a monumental number of political, philosophical,
economic, and industrial changes in the year of America’s founding
shaped the modern West into a “WEIRDER” society: Western, Educated,
Industrialized, Rich, Democratic, Ex-Christian, and Romantic. This
thoroughly researched yet accessible book offers a unique historical
perspective on modern views of family, government, religion, and
morality—giving Christians the historical lens they need to understand
today’s post-Christian trends and respond accordingly.