Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It

American organized religion is declining. According to Gallup data, only 1 percent of U.S. adults claimed no religious affiliation in 1955. By 2017, that percentage had grown to 20. The younger the adult, the likelier the lack of religious affiliation. For adults ages 30 to 39, the percentage is 28; for those ages 21 to 29, it’s 33. If you’re looking for evidence of secularization in America, this rise of the “nones” is Exhibit A. Yet David Zahl claims in his new book that “the marketplace in replacement religion is booming.” Those replacements don’t look or feel religious, however — at least not in the capital-R sense of the term, which Zahl describes as “robes and kneeling and the Man Upstairs.” They don’t necessarily look like “folkloric beliefs” or “occult belief systems” either: things like charms, telepathy, or astrology. Instead, replacement religions center around everyday concerns such as — to list the topics of the book’s chapters — busyness, romance, parenting, technology, work, leisure, food, and politics. Zahl calls each of these replacements “seculosity,” a portmanteau of “secular” and “religiosity.” Seculosity is a religious impulse “directed horizontally rather than vertically, at earthly rather than heavenly objects.” Why does Zahl consider these secular concerns religious? And why should we? Those are fair questions, good ones even, because they go straight to the heart of what our culture thinks religion is. We typically think of religion in capital-R terms: organized religion with its concerns for doctrine, ritual, community and institutions. Those are outward manifestations of an inward impulse, which Zahl calls “the justifying story of our life.” According to him, religion is “what we lean on to tell us we’re okay, that our lives matter.” It is “our preferred guilt-management system.” In other words, religion is what “we rely on not just for meaning or hope but enoughness.” This search for enoughness characterizes religious “nones” just as much as it does the traditionally religious. It is a universal longing. Take the everyday concern about busyness, for example. Ask people how they’re doing, and they’ll probably reply, “Busy.” I certainly would. Between work, marriage, parenting and life in general, it feels like every moment of every day is accounted for … and then some. I tell myself to rest, but the moment I start to do so, the nagging suspicion takes hold that a book needs read, an article needs written, a chore needs accomplished, my kids need helicoptered over, my wife needs date-nighted, the latest blockbuster movie needs watched, etc. (Notice that even our leisure activities, such as dating and movie watching, become to-do items.) These nagging suspicions arise from what Zahl calls “performancism.” He writes: “Performancism turns life into a competition to be won (#winning) or a problem to be solved, as opposed to, say, a series of moments to be experienced or an adventure to relish. Performancism invests daily tasks with existential significance and turns even menial activities into measures of enoughness.” And woe betide those who fail at these tasks, because “if you are not doing enough, or doing enough well, you are not enough.” Zahl doesn’t quote Blaise Pascal at this point, but there’s a lot of wisdom in the latter’s statement, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” (Now that I’ve quoted Pascal, I’m feeling guilty that I’m not checking off that to-do item either.) Performancism is “one of the hallmarks of all forms of seculosity,” their underlying assumption, affecting how we approach everyday life. It cripples seculosity’s practitioners with anxiety (Am I enough?), shame (Do they think I’m enough?), and guilt (Have I done enough?). “The common denominator [in all forms of seculosity] is the human heart, yours and mine,” Zahl explains. “Which is to say, the problem is sin.” In theological terms, you see, seculosity is just the latest example of a “religion of law.” It is a form of self-justification or works-righteousness. And like all such schemes, it is doomed to failure because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We are not enough. We have not done enough. We cannot do enough. The antidote to seculosity is a “religion of grace,” Zahl concludes. “Sin is not something you can be talked out of (‘stop controlling everything!’) or coached through with the right wisdom. It is something from which you need to be saved.” That salvation depends on the sacrificial love of Christ. He is enough, and only in Him can you be enough.

Seculosity is not a traditional "Christian" book, but one that makes the case that the religious impulse is well and alive in a secular age. Despite the rise of "nones" and declining attendance at weekly worship services, Zahl articulates how the religious impulse hasn't gone away, it's simply resurfacing across a number of cultural institutions. I was familiar with the writing of David Zahl over at the Mockingbird blog (mbird.com), and really appreciated how the book format allowed him to expand in ways that the blog format could not. Zahl describes his life as having one foot in the religious and secular worlds, a claim his biography justifies. He is equally comfortable riffing off of a New Yorker thinkpiece, an 70's rock lyric, an anecdote from his years in college ministry at UVA, and the latest research in social science as he is the Christian bible. The result is a book that turns its gaze outside and inside the church, but doesn't see a lot of difference. Readers of Seculosity will enjoy top notch cultural commentary from a religious perspective on the matters that matter the most, with a self effacing dryness that is never condescending and first in line at the confessional. Highly recommended for those who want to understand the times we live in from an author who approaches both the world and the church with honesty and sympathy.

I am one of those annoying people who like to share as I read. I find sentences or paragraphs that resonate with me and post them on social media as I go through a book. Long before I reached the end of the introduction I already knew (from the solid yellow highlights) that this was going to be one of those books where, following my regular pattern, I would be posting the entire book, give or take a stray word or two. David's down-to-earth way of putting into words what we all know to be true about religion (both big and little r), worship, enough-ness, self-justification, etc., but just hadn't been able to express, is so satisfying! I found myself gratefully and humbly exclaiming, "Yes!" on every page. My 5 star rating doesn't begin to say how highly I recommend this book! Sincerely, everyone needs to read it. I know I'm gushing here, embarrassingly, but I don't care. It's that good.

When he is talking about the seculosity of something, entertainment perhaps, he talks about a man who cheated in his attempts to be the highest scorer of a video game. The author inserts a footnote here saying that it made him "crack a smile" when he read that the man had been caught and stripped of his accolades. Schadenfreude, that is, taking pleasure in someone else's misfortune, does not befit a Christian. Rather, we might have compassion for the person who fell into the trap of of putting performance up on the altar, who got so lost in thinking that a high score would fill the empty place in him that only God can fill. Hate the sin and love the sinner, remember? Overall the book is okay; I would have liked less description of seculosity—that can be explained in a few paragraphs in every case—and more focus given to the spiritual antidotes, the way we drill down through this morass of consumeristic culture we live in, so that we can find and fight for what really matters. It's good to raise the topic; we just need to go deeper, I think.

“It sounds like a Portlandia sketch, but is empirically true: the religious impulse is easier to rebrand than existing using,” David Zahl asserts in the introduction and then makes the case well in looking at how busyness, romance, parenting, and even food and leisure become the justifying story of our lives. The idea is this: we feel (know) that we are not enough and so we use these things that are necessary and even good in right proportion and seek “not just meaning or hope but enoughness” and then we find we can still fall short as we can never be enough. Along the way, he shows how we can take something good, like eating well and exercising but then build ladders and create scorecards and find ourselves not measuring up. Zahl’s argument is compelling and I hate to cut to the chase, but he does manage to point to a healthier way once he shows how the church becomes yet another obstacle in both its conservative (all about my salvation and personal holiness) and liberal (all about systemic issues and societal ills) emphases or guises. Spoiler: The answer comes in the grace-centered approach of recovery programs that start with failure and the certainty that “Everyone you meet is in some kind of pain, a swimmer in a riptide, sometimes of their own making.” Zahl is a good writer working through an important insight from a variety of perspectives and you will want to read the book rather than relying on this review. Better yet, read it with others and I bet the conversations about the ways we try to be enough will be funny as well as healing and helpful.

Why is nothing that we do ever 'enough,' either for ourselves, or for those in our lives? And why do we have to be so tired all the time? Seculosity makes the case that no matter the distraction or end-goal, life's expectations are crushing, and their elusiveness has everything to do with religion. Dave Zahl is a fully-cultured, full-hearted sociologist for these distracted times. The pages, while timeless, also fly, as Zahl's storytelling weaves seamlessly earnest and jocular.

We're all chasing after "enoughness." This book's thesis seems self-evident to me, but my experience writing on similar topics enables me to report the idea is controversial, and even viewed as bizarrely novel but some people. Zahl claims the religious impulse in not limited to an oddball minority; it's universal. Everybody is in the business of setting up idols and sacrificing to them. (Cue Bob Dylan: "ya gotta serve somebody.") Zahl doesn't state it quite so baldly, but the warning of the book is that if these idols are false, their worshipers will suffer. The cruel idols of this age are in the book's subtitle. They make demands of us and what we offer them is never enough. I've been listening to the Zahls and their podcasts for years, and yet I found this book full of fresh warnings that are like wake-up slaps to my face. It's because what the author describes, a slavish service to the Sisyphean pursuit of "enoughness", is so sneaky, so pernicious. It's a trap anyone can find themselves swan-diving into. That's why this generation (any generation) needs the warning of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book and was able to finish it in one evening. My favorite chapters were the ones on Romance and Work (although I liked them all!) David Zahl is a very clear communicator and his illustrations are accessible and interesting for anyone living in our current culture. What struck me most about this book is the tone of Grace and understanding that runs through it. It is apparent throughout the entire book that the author cares deeply about people. I also thought that the self disclosure in the book was appropriate and helps the reader to connect with the author.

One of the best books on the ills of 21st century America that I’ve read - an eloquent, readable, convicting diagnosis of what’s getting us down these days. David Zahl posits that, contrary to the evidence from church attendance polls, we Americans are just as religious as ever. Human nature fundamentally seeks a source of hope, purpose, and most of all enoughness,, and even as “big R” Religion has seemingly begun to fade, other contenders have stepped in to meet our need for “small r” religion, or “that which we rely on not just for meaning or hope but enoughness” (p. xiv). This "seculosity" - defined as "religiosity that's directed horizontally rather than vertically" (p. xxi) - is at work all over. Whether we turn to work, romance, politics, or parenting to validate our existence, we have all set before ourselves some sort of scorecard for life, hoping that if we can just check enough boxes, we'll have done enough to satisfy that existential longing. Zahl shines a light on a few of the ways seculosity pervades our culture - in busyness, romance, parenting, technology, work, leisure, food, politics, and "Jesusland" (since the church is far from immune from these impulses!). In each chapter, he highlights with good humor but pointed accuracy the ways in which these aspects of our lives - all good in themselves - have morphed into cults offering false promises of peace, perfection, and belonging. Possibly the true success of this book lies in the fact that it reads like a fresh, innovative take on society and why we’re miserable, but truly breaks no new ground. Behind the references to Harambe and Seinfeld, Zahl’s writing shimmers with echoes of Christian thinkers from Augustine to C.S. Lewis. He strips away conventional religious terminology and provides new vocabulary and a framework to help us see ourselves and the spiritual condition of our culture with fresh eyes. He lays bare the ways our 21st century obsessions are merely the newest iteration of the age-old human condition, and then points us back to the cross as the only way out of the hamster wheel of works righteousness. Highly recommend to anyone feeling burned out by life.

Zahl delivers a provocative and humorous perspective on the pantheon of secular religions to which we all (Christians and religious "nones" alike) sacrifice enormous amounts of social and emotional energy in order to find identity, community, and distraction. And yet, not one can provide any lasting peace. This is an important and accessible book which draws upon some of the seminal works of modern philosophy, psychology, and sociology (Alain de Botton, Jonathan Haidt, Charles Taylor, Daniel Kahneman, and many others) along with a deep well of theological and pastoral insight. Cannot recommend this book highly enough, and also Zahl and company's more regular writings/podcasts/publications over at mbird.com.

American organized religion is declining. According to Gallup data, only 1 percent of U.S. adults claimed no religious affiliation in 1955. By 2017, that percentage had grown to 20. The younger the adult, the likelier the lack of religious affiliation. For adults ages 30 to 39, the percentage is 28; for those ages 21 to 29, it’s 33. If you’re looking for evidence of secularization in America, this rise of the “nones” is Exhibit A. Yet David Zahl claims in his new book that “the marketplace in replacement religion is booming.” Those replacements don’t look or feel religious, however — at least not in the capital-R sense of the term, which Zahl describes as “robes and kneeling and the Man Upstairs.” They don’t necessarily look like “folkloric beliefs” or “occult belief systems” either: things like charms, telepathy, or astrology. Instead, replacement religions center around everyday concerns such as — to list the topics of the book’s chapters — busyness, romance, parenting, technology, work, leisure, food, and politics. Zahl calls each of these replacements “seculosity,” a portmanteau of “secular” and “religiosity.” Seculosity is a religious impulse “directed horizontally rather than vertically, at earthly rather than heavenly objects.” Why does Zahl consider these secular concerns religious? And why should we? Those are fair questions, good ones even, because they go straight to the heart of what our culture thinks religion is. We typically think of religion in capital-R terms: organized religion with its concerns for doctrine, ritual, community and institutions. Those are outward manifestations of an inward impulse, which Zahl calls “the justifying story of our life.” According to him, religion is “what we lean on to tell us we’re okay, that our lives matter.” It is “our preferred guilt-management system.” In other words, religion is what “we rely on not just for meaning or hope but enoughness.” This search for enoughness characterizes religious “nones” just as much as it does the traditionally religious. It is a universal longing. Take the everyday concern about busyness, for example. Ask people how they’re doing, and they’ll probably reply, “Busy.” I certainly would. Between work, marriage, parenting and life in general, it feels like every moment of every day is accounted for … and then some. I tell myself to rest, but the moment I start to do so, the nagging suspicion takes hold that a book needs read, an article needs written, a chore needs accomplished, my kids need helicoptered over, my wife needs date-nighted, the latest blockbuster movie needs watched, etc. (Notice that even our leisure activities, such as dating and movie watching, become to-do items.) These nagging suspicions arise from what Zahl calls “performancism.” He writes: “Performancism turns life into a competition to be won (#winning) or a problem to be solved, as opposed to, say, a series of moments to be experienced or an adventure to relish. Performancism invests daily tasks with existential significance and turns even menial activities into measures of enoughness.” And woe betide those who fail at these tasks, because “if you are not doing enough, or doing enough well, you are not enough.” Zahl doesn’t quote Blaise Pascal at this point, but there’s a lot of wisdom in the latter’s statement, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” (Now that I’ve quoted Pascal, I’m feeling guilty that I’m not checking off that to-do item either.) Performancism is “one of the hallmarks of all forms of seculosity,” their underlying assumption, affecting how we approach everyday life. It cripples seculosity’s practitioners with anxiety (Am I enough?), shame (Do they think I’m enough?), and guilt (Have I done enough?). “The common denominator [in all forms of seculosity] is the human heart, yours and mine,” Zahl explains. “Which is to say, the problem is sin.” In theological terms, you see, seculosity is just the latest example of a “religion of law.” It is a form of self-justification or works-righteousness. And like all such schemes, it is doomed to failure because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We are not enough. We have not done enough. We cannot do enough. The antidote to seculosity is a “religion of grace,” Zahl concludes. “Sin is not something you can be talked out of (‘stop controlling everything!’) or coached through with the right wisdom. It is something from which you need to be saved.” That salvation depends on the sacrificial love of Christ. He is enough, and only in Him can you be enough.

Seculosity is not a traditional "Christian" book, but one that makes the case that the religious impulse is well and alive in a secular age. Despite the rise of "nones" and declining attendance at weekly worship services, Zahl articulates how the religious impulse hasn't gone away, it's simply resurfacing across a number of cultural institutions. I was familiar with the writing of David Zahl over at the Mockingbird blog (mbird.com), and really appreciated how the book format allowed him to expand in ways that the blog format could not. Zahl describes his life as having one foot in the religious and secular worlds, a claim his biography justifies. He is equally comfortable riffing off of a New Yorker thinkpiece, an 70's rock lyric, an anecdote from his years in college ministry at UVA, and the latest research in social science as he is the Christian bible. The result is a book that turns its gaze outside and inside the church, but doesn't see a lot of difference. Readers of Seculosity will enjoy top notch cultural commentary from a religious perspective on the matters that matter the most, with a self effacing dryness that is never condescending and first in line at the confessional. Highly recommended for those who want to understand the times we live in from an author who approaches both the world and the church with honesty and sympathy.

I am one of those annoying people who like to share as I read. I find sentences or paragraphs that resonate with me and post them on social media as I go through a book. Long before I reached the end of the introduction I already knew (from the solid yellow highlights) that this was going to be one of those books where, following my regular pattern, I would be posting the entire book, give or take a stray word or two. David's down-to-earth way of putting into words what we all know to be true about religion (both big and little r), worship, enough-ness, self-justification, etc., but just hadn't been able to express, is so satisfying! I found myself gratefully and humbly exclaiming, "Yes!" on every page. My 5 star rating doesn't begin to say how highly I recommend this book! Sincerely, everyone needs to read it. I know I'm gushing here, embarrassingly, but I don't care. It's that good.

When he is talking about the seculosity of something, entertainment perhaps, he talks about a man who cheated in his attempts to be the highest scorer of a video game. The author inserts a footnote here saying that it made him "crack a smile" when he read that the man had been caught and stripped of his accolades. Schadenfreude, that is, taking pleasure in someone else's misfortune, does not befit a Christian. Rather, we might have compassion for the person who fell into the trap of of putting performance up on the altar, who got so lost in thinking that a high score would fill the empty place in him that only God can fill. Hate the sin and love the sinner, remember? Overall the book is okay; I would have liked less description of seculosity—that can be explained in a few paragraphs in every case—and more focus given to the spiritual antidotes, the way we drill down through this morass of consumeristic culture we live in, so that we can find and fight for what really matters. It's good to raise the topic; we just need to go deeper, I think.

“It sounds like a Portlandia sketch, but is empirically true: the religious impulse is easier to rebrand than existing using,” David Zahl asserts in the introduction and then makes the case well in looking at how busyness, romance, parenting, and even food and leisure become the justifying story of our lives. The idea is this: we feel (know) that we are not enough and so we use these things that are necessary and even good in right proportion and seek “not just meaning or hope but enoughness” and then we find we can still fall short as we can never be enough. Along the way, he shows how we can take something good, like eating well and exercising but then build ladders and create scorecards and find ourselves not measuring up. Zahl’s argument is compelling and I hate to cut to the chase, but he does manage to point to a healthier way once he shows how the church becomes yet another obstacle in both its conservative (all about my salvation and personal holiness) and liberal (all about systemic issues and societal ills) emphases or guises. Spoiler: The answer comes in the grace-centered approach of recovery programs that start with failure and the certainty that “Everyone you meet is in some kind of pain, a swimmer in a riptide, sometimes of their own making.” Zahl is a good writer working through an important insight from a variety of perspectives and you will want to read the book rather than relying on this review. Better yet, read it with others and I bet the conversations about the ways we try to be enough will be funny as well as healing and helpful.

Why is nothing that we do ever 'enough,' either for ourselves, or for those in our lives? And why do we have to be so tired all the time? Seculosity makes the case that no matter the distraction or end-goal, life's expectations are crushing, and their elusiveness has everything to do with religion. Dave Zahl is a fully-cultured, full-hearted sociologist for these distracted times. The pages, while timeless, also fly, as Zahl's storytelling weaves seamlessly earnest and jocular.

We're all chasing after "enoughness." This book's thesis seems self-evident to me, but my experience writing on similar topics enables me to report the idea is controversial, and even viewed as bizarrely novel but some people. Zahl claims the religious impulse in not limited to an oddball minority; it's universal. Everybody is in the business of setting up idols and sacrificing to them. (Cue Bob Dylan: "ya gotta serve somebody.") Zahl doesn't state it quite so baldly, but the warning of the book is that if these idols are false, their worshipers will suffer. The cruel idols of this age are in the book's subtitle. They make demands of us and what we offer them is never enough. I've been listening to the Zahls and their podcasts for years, and yet I found this book full of fresh warnings that are like wake-up slaps to my face. It's because what the author describes, a slavish service to the Sisyphean pursuit of "enoughness", is so sneaky, so pernicious. It's a trap anyone can find themselves swan-diving into. That's why this generation (any generation) needs the warning of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book and was able to finish it in one evening. My favorite chapters were the ones on Romance and Work (although I liked them all!) David Zahl is a very clear communicator and his illustrations are accessible and interesting for anyone living in our current culture. What struck me most about this book is the tone of Grace and understanding that runs through it. It is apparent throughout the entire book that the author cares deeply about people. I also thought that the self disclosure in the book was appropriate and helps the reader to connect with the author.

One of the best books on the ills of 21st century America that I’ve read - an eloquent, readable, convicting diagnosis of what’s getting us down these days. David Zahl posits that, contrary to the evidence from church attendance polls, we Americans are just as religious as ever. Human nature fundamentally seeks a source of hope, purpose, and most of all enoughness,, and even as “big R” Religion has seemingly begun to fade, other contenders have stepped in to meet our need for “small r” religion, or “that which we rely on not just for meaning or hope but enoughness” (p. xiv). This "seculosity" - defined as "religiosity that's directed horizontally rather than vertically" (p. xxi) - is at work all over. Whether we turn to work, romance, politics, or parenting to validate our existence, we have all set before ourselves some sort of scorecard for life, hoping that if we can just check enough boxes, we'll have done enough to satisfy that existential longing. Zahl shines a light on a few of the ways seculosity pervades our culture - in busyness, romance, parenting, technology, work, leisure, food, politics, and "Jesusland" (since the church is far from immune from these impulses!). In each chapter, he highlights with good humor but pointed accuracy the ways in which these aspects of our lives - all good in themselves - have morphed into cults offering false promises of peace, perfection, and belonging. Possibly the true success of this book lies in the fact that it reads like a fresh, innovative take on society and why we’re miserable, but truly breaks no new ground. Behind the references to Harambe and Seinfeld, Zahl’s writing shimmers with echoes of Christian thinkers from Augustine to C.S. Lewis. He strips away conventional religious terminology and provides new vocabulary and a framework to help us see ourselves and the spiritual condition of our culture with fresh eyes. He lays bare the ways our 21st century obsessions are merely the newest iteration of the age-old human condition, and then points us back to the cross as the only way out of the hamster wheel of works righteousness. Highly recommend to anyone feeling burned out by life.

Zahl delivers a provocative and humorous perspective on the pantheon of secular religions to which we all (Christians and religious "nones" alike) sacrifice enormous amounts of social and emotional energy in order to find identity, community, and distraction. And yet, not one can provide any lasting peace. This is an important and accessible book which draws upon some of the seminal works of modern philosophy, psychology, and sociology (Alain de Botton, Jonathan Haidt, Charles Taylor, Daniel Kahneman, and many others) along with a deep well of theological and pastoral insight. Cannot recommend this book highly enough, and also Zahl and company's more regular writings/podcasts/publications over at mbird.com.

Look: I love this book. It is a cogent, often whimsical argument for what matters most by holding up a mirror to expose my false gods. Zahl’s writing is pitch perfect, convicting yet also full of grace. I’m only giving this 4-stars because a perfect 5-star rating by every reviewer is its own kind of idol, right? I’m just pointing out the Amazon-osity. Andrew Taylor-Troutman Chapel Hill, NC

This is just great writing. And helpful. And comforting. David writes in a way that gets directly down into daily life as a way to get directly down into the heart of things - our hearts. It is a gentle but unflinching exposure of our hearts in the current day and how we try to establish our 'enoughness' in many irreligious areas that we make religious through our devotion and dedication and longings and expectations. In the end, though, all of these false areas of spiritual labor lead to false pride or despair. By exposing these he then leaves us raw and open again to exactly what we need - rescue from another - rescue that God sends through Christ crucified and risen. This is great reading for preachers in that it demonstrates the law working in specific ways in our specific lives leads to specific Gospel. there is nothing generic here. This is, in the same way, great devotional writing for all! Thank you David.

Zahl has written a deeply candid and pointed reflection of my life at least. His words regarding self-justification and enoughness have made me stop and think about my own life and what I'm doing with my time and energy. The book is witty and funny- so far I've enjoyed his anecdotes from music and culture- especially King of Kong. But more than anything, it is like he knows why we do what we do and knows how it feels to be so tired of doing it. I cannot put this book down but at the same time, am happy to read it slowly so I can really think about how true these words are.

Absolutely loved this book! Great for its trenchant analysis of why we’re all so tired all the time—non-stop worship at the temples of busyness, romance, parenting and on and and on... Delivered with wit that had me chuckling and a hit-close-to-home relevance that had me thinking Zahl did his research for the book by following me around the last couple of years. Double great for the consistent like a drum beat proclamation of God’s all-is-done-for-you grace. What a relief to relax into the arms of a savior who never tires of saying: You are enough!

David Zahl's "Seculosity" is a concise and damning critique of modern culture, packed to the brim with psychological insight and gut-wrenching observations. The crux of "Seculosity" is that our "confidence in religious narratives we've inherited has collapsed" and, as a result, we've rebranded our religious impulses in an effort to acquire "enoughness.". Zahl explores various secular religions - like career, busyness, technology, politics, food, parenting, and romance - and how each one speaks to a deeper human desire to feel loved, accepted, and worthy. Regardless of your religious beliefs, at least one of the chapters in "Seculosity" will leave you gutted. While Zahl does end "Seculosity" with the claim that the Gospel revealed through the message of Jesus in Christianity is the antidote for our modern cultural malaise, he's not above critiquing the Church for overpromising what it can deliver and showing how performancism can just as easily be found in the pews as it can in a SoulCycle class. Though it's short (less than 200 pages), there's a lot packed into "Seculosity," and I feel as if it'd be best read within the context of a weekly book club setting.

This book is truly a delight, by turns poignant, thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny. Drawing on sources from NPR, to Seinfeld to Martin Luther, David Zahl addresses the myriad things that we turn to find our identity, self-worth and reassurance; trying to fill Pascal's God-shaped void. He is by turns scholarly, colloquial and confessional, sparing none of our foibles, including his own, all without recrimination or yet another self-help program. I enjoyed the author's recent op-ed in the Washington Post, and am so happy to have his book-length treatment.

I'm sure this book is a wonderful resource and a great conversation starter for the right person, but it wasn't what I was looking for. I purchased it because my church's book club chose it for December, but I just couldn't get on board with it. Most of the subjects discussed (parenting, working, etc.) don't apply to me anymore, as my children are grown and I'm disabled and so I don't interact with these groups of people anymore. We're trying to find ways to reach and interact with people who have chosen other areas of their life to focus on other than the traditional church, but I just couldn't connect with what the author was saying. I understand it, but there isn't any action steps to apply to reach these different groups. Now, I will admit, I dropped out of the last half of the book, so maybe there is a chapter in the back of the book that's more of a call to action, but if you can't relate enough to get to the end of the book and you lose interest, well, it's just my humble opinion, after all.

“There is no such thing as not worshipping,” David Foster Wallace said in his 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address. “Everyone worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” And what do we want from the object of our worship, according to master storyteller David Zahl? Enoughness. Today, we make religions out of busyness, parenting, work, play, eating, politics, even our religions—all because we want control. Zahl could have written on several other topics; once aware of seculosity, one sees it everywhere. The problem is sin. The answer is grace.

I loved this book. Dave wrestles with his heat, my heart, our hearts & the need to be enough. We all search for enoughness, and in our secular age, this means we search for it in what we do, thinking what we do makes up who we are. Our search for enoughness wrangles it’s way through our work, our romance, our parenting, our technology use, our busyness and over-committedness, our leisure pursuits, our food, our politics and even our faith. In every pursuit, we are hoping to be enough. We leave our search anxious, depressed, numb or despairing, and yet here is where our Savior saves us, amidst the riptide of being swept away into being enough. Jesus by his life and death and resurrection swims on by and saves us from having to be enough. Dave intersects this narrative with great personal stories, articles, short stories, movies, tv shows and other sticky things that will give you eyes to see all the way being enough makes everything religious, everything an attempt to find the transcendent in the immanent frame. Read this book!

This book has changed the way I view the world and my place in it. As a Christian I have been hearing a lot of how we are less religious, but to listen to Zahl is to see how we have replaced traditional religion with other forms of small "r" religions - our career, food, politics, etc. He is able to flesh out why I feel like I don't measure up - why I feel like I am not enough. As a listener to Zahl's podcast - Mockingcast - and a reader of his magazine - Mockingbird - I knew that he would fill his book with a large dose of God's grace and forgiveness. If you want to lessen the burden of others, give them this book. As someone who has a lot of "how-to" books on the shelf, it is great to have a book that reduces my to-do list, not add to it.

I'm reticent to consider that I'm incapable of controlling and orchestrating the overall direction and flow of my life, but with each page turned, David Zahl, makes the compelling argument that I'm in desperate need of rescue from a riptide that is so strong that it is beyond my capacity to survive. Is it any wonder that hope is disappearing from our world. You must read it all the way to the end...page 192. Do not cheat and jump there now.

The author has very little historical perspective. Back in the late 1840s, my great-grandfather inveighed against the evils of procrastination in his diary. The 19th century Horatio Alger ethos most certainly identified occupational success as being the center of an individual's worth. If people didn't have the technology of FitBits and smartphones in the past (these seem to upset him particularly), they had other things. Savonarola presided over bonfires of the vanities. Get a grip.

Seeking satisfaction , fulfillment or “enoughness” in anything is a religion. A religion that will place you on treadmill that will never stops. Like C.S. Lewis described Wormwoods work in The Screwtape Letters “We are empty and would be filled but The Enemy is full and spills over.” Find your joy, peace , and enoughness in the cistern that would leak. Christ Alone.

This book was such a joy to read! Zahl is a brilliant author and a humble guide in helping us think deeply about the world we live in. It was an excellent mix of humor and conviction that led me straight to Jesus. As a pastor and preacher, I highly encourage any Christian who desires to help others see Jesus in all of life to read this book.

I loved this book. I’ll be re-reading it and buying a copy for the ‘little library’ down the street so some other struggling soul can find the relief and hope that I did through reading it. The books flows like a conversation while discussing complex ideas and sometimes painful dynamics. I appreciated the author’s personal thoughts in the footnotes; you get the sense that he is not preaching from a hilltop , but is right down in the trenches with all of us.

A fantastic book that treats a touchy subject with compassion & the most humane sensibility. The author has observed the most pressing elements of modern life with intelligence, humor, and honesty. Highly recommended, no matter what your religion

This author's discussion relates to something I have long felt but was unable to articulate: that we have made religions out of lots of things, and perhaps that's a problem. Thanks for making this well written and organized volume available.

I sat a New Year’s resolution to read at least 20 books this year. Towards that goal, I was reading Secularistiy, and I had a moment while reading where I realized what I really wanted to do was take a nap, not to improve performance in the future, I just got the urge to do something as unproductive as possible. So, that's what I did. I fished the book a few days later, not because I had to, but because I felt it be an intrinsically valuable experience.

Simply put, for the first time in my life of never feeling like I was enough, I felt like this book gave me permission to just let God love me.

This book spoke volumes but was not voluminous. Each chapter was to the point and yet there was enough there to find something else on a re-read. I particularly appreciated the fact that the author address the seculosity of Jesusland - that is works based Christianity on both ends of the spectrum.

David Zahn preaches the Gospel of freedom in our contemporary moment as well as much I’ve read in quite some time. If you’re looking for fresh expression of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith, look no further.

Having witnessed during my lifetime the concerning decline in weekly church attendance, much less church involvement, this book really resonated with me. David Zahl is a gifted writer - I literally had a hard time putting Seculosity down until I had finished reading it cover to cover. The book makes a great resource for group study. I agree with Zahl's premise that we as a society have allowed many areas of secular life to pervade and replace positions of importance in our lives that belong to Jesus our Lord and Savior and him alone. It's a convicting and thought provoking read. Highly recommend it.

Very enjoyable read, except, of course, for the parts where Zahl's masterful critique of "seculousity" hits home with enough gentle force to make you lean back and say, "Yea, me too." And yet, the good news, which he weaves into each chapter and spells out more fully in the final chapters, is that God's Grace is enough and makes us "enough." Seekers, skeptics, and seasoned "Jesus-landers" alike would benefit from this work so get your copy today!

David Zahl captures the anxiety all of us face as we pursue "enoughness" in its various forms. The author is insightful, humorous, and relatable. I recommend this book to anyone looking to understand modern obsessions, such as parenting and technology, just a bit better.

Everything arrived on time and as advertised. A good book. The premise was well thought out and presented. You do see this transfer of religious zeal away from God and put on to sports, politics even hobbies.

Interesting, relevant, and funny. Zahl has a great voice to communicate this topic. Looking forward to Seculosity 2

This might just be one of the most important books written in the last 30 years. The problems addressed by Zahl in our quest for “enoughness” are not new problems, but they are accelerating at an alarming rate it seems. This book is a must read for Christians and non-Christians alike in understanding how we got to the situation we’re in, and a very worthwhile solution for what to do about it.

Had higher hopes for this book. Overall it's a good read with a good premise. Would have liked a bit more research and references. Each chapter could easily be a book in itself, so I get the author's brevity, but the topics were a bit too glossed over for my liking. Nevertheless, I still agree with his point on many of these areas. Would still recommend.

I highly recommend this book. It met me right where I needed it to at this point in my life. Grace and love are easily forgotten in our fast paced world of social media comparisons and pressures. There are so many good points in this book, ultimately pointing the reader to the One that never falters and never requires a score card.

Thought-provoking examination of our society - just a timely and approachable read in general. I especially appreciate the tangible examples that make you either nod your head, cringe, or smile. All in all, I found it to be oddly liberating - particularly when it comes to parenting. Going with the flow is so hard to do with young children and yet, those are the best times when I see miracles in action. 10/10 recommend.

This was my favorite book of 2019. I read it after attending the Mbird Tyler Conference, and I have since read it again with a small group of people on my church staff. It is so relevant and so thought-provoking, and it is difficult to read it and not feel exposed. It's a much needed addition to any library. Go buy it, and read it, and then read it again.

David Zahl has been my favorite preacher of the Gospel for a number of years now. His ability to cut to the heart of our modern/timeless problem and its singular solution with an unflagging pastoral flair is unique. His new book, “Seculosity”, is captivating, familiar yet fresh, funny, and life-giving. Thank you, David! You’re a Rockstar!

For those burdened by the perils of modernity... Seculosity is the an unparalleled achievement. Smart analysis, easy to read, loads of illustrations; this is culture criticism at its best.

After reading the introduction I really couldn't tell whether the author was a Christian or not. I really thought this book was about avoiding the pitfall of placing other things in the center of our lives. The introduction seems to be slamming Religion and "self-righteous" Christians. I won't be reading anymore and I am really sorry that I wasted $10 on this!

David writes in a very comfortable way and recounts stories of today that are very familiar. His insights put these current trends into a meaningful perspective. I will share this book with others in hope they too will find comfort and insights in this book.

Some of the most helpful conversations I've ever had involve the realization that I don't always live how I say I want to live. David Zahl shows why we do ridiculous things all the time, usually starting with confessions from his own life. Gold.

This book does a great job of showing our modern priorities. Do we care more about work, being busy, or even parenting than having a healthy relationship with God? These are today’s idols. What is deceiving is how things that have a positive intent such as parenting can become corrupted. It felt like a journal on my daily struggles!

Stellar writing. I will return to this book over and over to remind myself of these truths, of all the ways I try to find my worth and value apart from my Creator. Thank you DZ for sharing your wisdom in such a relatable, brilliant and poignant way.

Seculosity is both compelling and entertaining, great overall read. Despite discussing 'heavy' subject matter, this is a book you may even enjoy reading on the beach because of Zahl's laugh-out-loud wit and captivating storyteller narrative.

Perhaps the most thought provoking book I've ever read. It will change the way you view society, yourself, and life in general.

David Zahl is one of the most astute thinkers on the state of our cultural moment and the “religious” impulses that drive it. Read this book to acquire new eyes with which to see all that is going on around you and most importantly within you.

This book let’s you into the secret of the world— That really we are all constantly searching for enoughness in every part of our lives in all the wrong ways. For all who are tired, depressed, and anxious (which according to the stats is essentially all of us), this book is for you! Take and read.

This is one of those books I read and then bought two more to give away when we have people over and I start talking about it. Dave’s insight and wit are unmatched. I’ll read anything he writes.

Great book!

I chose this rating because Zahl is sincerely trying to explore Truth and not claiming he has a lock on it.

The book gave a good picture of how society is regressing although the gadgets and technology keep us more informed and updated than ever.

Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. It will help you see more clearly the peculiarities of our time.

helps you to think of our world today

Thought provoking and entertaining.

Immensely incisive while being lighthearted to the core. David gives us an insanely helpful lens through which we can see and understand how we all are drowning in a sea of secular religions. BUT!! Only in light of that revelation are we able to really look beyond ourselves and our own abilities to self justify

Thoughtful and accessible meditation on the cultural priorities that plague the church, culture, and church-culture all the same. Would absolutely recommend.

Insightful with humor!

No one is more on point with modern culture than Dave Zahl. Great read.

DZ captures so much about our culture today and how we're trying to replace what only Jesus can give us. 10/10 would recommend.

Good read!

A fantastic survey of our current non-religious but actually quite religious cultural climate. Dave is great!

If you’re tired of all these Christian books for 3rd graders-this book is for you! Very interesting and funny observations

Damn. Read this book. Everything we do is motivated by the fear of not being enough.

Great read for anyone trying to be enough for everyone else...

The book is for a church class.

My book has a major misprint and is missing a lot of pages. It jumps from page 39 to 57.

When I see a book with 26 out of 26 five-star reviews, my first thought is that the author has lot of friends. I'm a little distrustful of that level of enthusiasm. Full Disclosure: I'm a totally random reader. I have no connection to the author at all. I saw the book mentioned on FB, thought it sounded interesting, and ambled over to Amazon and bought it. My five-star review comes straight from the heart. Seculosity is simply the most accurate description of our modern culture I've ever read. It's poignant, funny, frightening, personally relevant, intellectually satisfying, and simply entertaining. Highly recommended for anyone struggling to be "enough," which is pretty much all of us.

Absolutely phenomenal. Zahl has such profound insight into our lives and culture, and his observations are penetrating, fresh, and convicting. At the same time, the book is a real joy to read, full of wit and deeply relatable. From parenting, to romance, to exercise, to busyness, to everything in between, it feels like Zahl understands our various quirks and compulsions so well, but throughout the book, he speaks as someone who shares those experiences rather than standing outside of them or looking on them from afar. That's probably another way of saying that the look this book takes at different areas of our lives is both unflinchingly honest and unflaggingly compassionate. This will be one to cling to and come back to again and again. As a sidenote, Zahl's commentary on religion is a rare beast--his posture toward it is earnest but never naive, sincere but never righteous. Seculosity will be the new first book I recommend to anyone interested in thinking more about religion.

Downloaded the kindle edition first thing this morning and can't put it down. The author isn't just nailing his diagnosis as to the current state of our society--it's as if he is speaking directly to me! It's like holding up a mirror to help me see a multitude of things regarding the way I'm living my life that I've been able to intuit, but putting words to the situation had escaped me to this point. Here at last are the words to describe it.

This is the best book I've read in years. I've lived in Asia for 15 years, and upon returning to America last year, my wife and I realized that we needed to do culture study in order to fit back in to 2018 American life. This book does an excellent job of describing where we (I'll include myself) are at foundationally. As someone who studies and functions in different cultures, I appreciate cutting back the layers of culture and getting to the heart of why things function. This book cuts through a lot of observable society and nails down the roots of all the strange fruit we are seeing today. Not only does this book do a good job of describing society at large and the underlying causes of culture- but the book describes me. It is easy to point the finger at self-righteous America, but what about my own self-justifying heart? The author writes in a style that is inclusive, and I found it very easy to see the core of my own insecurities through the different chapters on areas of life that reveal our (my) drive for self-righteousness. To top it all off, the author is hilarious. Read this book.

If you are tired of the usual fare of books about church decline which project data about dropping church attendance with doom and gloom only to offer solutions in the form of vague hopes and jargony schemes here's an antidote. Seculosity is a fair, funny, honest, and insightful look at the way religion has not been erased but "rebranded" into the puritanical zeal we chase into our offices, our families, our relationships, our phones, our spare time, and even our dinner plates. It is written in a tone that is informed and yet conversational, and never critical without being immediately pastoral. Despite the way the writing zings with one liners the ideas behind them do not get lost. Unlike other books of the genre the closing section on "What to do" is some of the most insightful and compelling writing in the book. When the dust settles from the storm of seculosity around and within us Zahl stands wounded and tired like the rest of us pointing to the one whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. If your congregation is looking for ways to engage its neighbors, if you want fresh ways to speak about the gospel, or if you just need to discover the spiritual/secular treadmills that are grinding you and your loved ones down grab this book. Highly recommended for church book study groups of all ages

Moore: What does this new-fangled word “seculosity” mean? Zahl: Seculosity refers to religious devotion or energy directed at earthly rather than heavenly targets. It’s shorthand for the way that everyday activities like parenting or voting or dating or eating start to function religiously, as arbiters not only of community or meaning but enoughness and even salvation. I wanted a word that didn’t ascribe ‘belief’ per se yet captured the often oppressive piety at work in ostensibly “secular” environments. I also wanted a vocabulary other than that of idolatry, since most of what I talk about in the book has to do with self-justification rather than ‘worship.’ Moore: You thoughtfully address the ubiquity of social media. Would you describe how social media reflects seculosity? Zahl: Probably the most compelling aspect of social media has to do with the ease with which it allows us to form and maintain identity. We get to assert to the world who we'd like to be, or who we think we should be. I’m not sure we’ve ever had such an effective tool, in religious terms, to establish one’s righteousness or justify one’s existence, according to whatever standard we deem important. Christians have always talked about the difference between who we are on Sunday and who we are the rest of the week, and how keeping up appearances distances you from both God and your neighbor, to say nothing of yourself. Today everyone deals with that dynamic, times 1000, no matter what they check on the census form. But you could even go further. Social media is so intoxicating because it allows us to chase after our ‘enoughness’ (approval, etc) while distracting us from that which we would rather not feel, usually some sense of not-enoughness, or what we religious folks might call, the condemnation of the law. If Paul were writing to the Galatians today, I have no doubt he’d point to the dynamics that make social media such an anxious arena. Moore: Baylor professor, Alan Jacobs, believes it would be wise if ministers regularly warned their congregations about the perils of technology such as smart phones and the Internet? Do you share his conviction, and if so, what should ministers say to their congregations? Zahl: I love Jacob’s How to Think and heartily co-sign that book’s reservations about social media, especially how it allows us to vilify those with whom we disagree—and that applies to how Christians view those outside the church just as much as the other way around. Of course, social media can be a tremendously helpful avenue for publicizing events and staying in touch with friends. I hear all the time from people who’ve discovered Mockingbird through social media and as a result, feel that their faith in God has been renewed. Clearly technology is no longer an escape from ‘real life’ but an increasingly large part of it. That said, I worry about the overwhelming, always-on pace of life afforded by smart technology, the way it frays our attention and allows us to reduce other people to demographics. The church is becoming one of the only places where we gather—physically!--with those we don’t already know, and with whom we may not share any affinity. It’s a place, ideally at least, where we are bonded together by our shared need for God, rather than any shared attribute or strength. That’s a fairly radical proposition and will only become more so. I don’t think we’ve even begun to appreciate the spiritual and mental health cost of the Internet—pastors would be wise to broach that discussion with all in their care. Moore: You have a terrific sense of humor that is on display throughout this book. How can humor persuade folks to see things they might otherwise miss? Zahl: Ha! I’m flattered—and will tell my kids you said so. But I do think humor is super important when it comes to communication. Not forced jokiness that attracts attention to itself, but the kind of laughter that flows from a punctured self-importance (which sounds kind of self-important to say, but hopefully you know what I mean). Humor commiserates with others whose foibles are equally pronounced and relieves the pressure of life. I know that I personally gravitate to writers and speakers and preachers who can laugh at themselves—partly because humor lowers defenses and allows a person to feel that they’re not alone. Furthermore, I think laughter, to the extent that it’s involuntary and bypasses our pretensions, can return us to truth. Moore: I found your chapter on politics one of the most helpful. You well know that we are living in a divisive political climate that tragically even separates Christians. I know major Christian leaders who can’t speak to one another because of their differences over Trump. What can be done to improve this pathetic situation the church finds itself in? Zahl: Gosh, that’s a tough one. First thing I’d say would be to tell folks to read Jonathan Haidt’s The Righteous Mind, which I paraphrase in that chapter. It won’t solve things full stop, but it will give you some understanding and patience for those on the opposite of whatever divide you’re on, beyond the usual “they’re either crazy or evil” line. There are competing visions of righteousness at play and people are guided by instinct more than reason, ourselves included. Such a renewed focus on motivation would not only resonate with the Sermon on the Mount (and Christ’s emphasis on intention), it would unlock compassion. Secondly, I’d say that it’s important for us all to admit that anger and indignation feels good, to acknowledge that to be a sinner living among other sinners means that we have to hold even our fondest certainties with suspicion. That doesn’t mean we don’t harbor strong convictions and work for the good, the true, and the beautiful, just that all of us are, in one sense, on the wrong side of the divide between good and evil. For its own part, I think the church would benefit from talking just as much about death (which puts politics in perspective and puts us all in the same boat) as it does about life (which usually doesn’t). Moore: What are a few things you hope your readers will take from your book? Zahl: First and foremost, I hope the book makes a decent case for the grace of God as it relates to the stresses and demands of everyday life, under which we are all, to some extent, suffering. I hope it points to something that’s of genuine comfort, which is always how I’ve experienced capital-R Religion. But other than that, I hope readers feel recognized in its pages—feeling “understood” is pretty darn close to feeling “loved”—but recognized with sympathy rather than (more) accusation. As I try to make clear throughout, I’m exploring these targets of seculosity from within, as a co-religionist rather than someone outside or above. I suppose I also hope that the book reconfigures in a helpful way our anxiety about the diminishing relevance and plausibility of Christianity in the context of rising numbers of nones, etc. We don’t have to find these trends so threatening (or foreign). Put another way, religion is not as ‘weird’ as I think Christians sometimes fear it is. Who knows, maybe the book will serve as something of a bridge, drawing religious and non-religious people closer together by showing how they are working with similar impulses, and are subject to similar emotional and behavioral patterns.

This is a great book - it’s more (much more) in the spirit of confession than accusation. A moral majoritarian might make this topic a strident, graceless call to repentance...by those other people. By examining his own inclination toward these “seculosities,” Zahl invites the reader to do the same. He makes two cases very convincingly (with good humor and while exerting a very light touch): 1, that those who are not traditionally religious have merely shifted their religious impulses in other directions, and 2, that those who are traditionally religious are as susceptible as anyone to doing the same. Highly recommend.

I couldn’t put this book down. The content is rich and relevant and quite witty. I laughed out loud and in the next paragraph almost cried. David’s insight into how we have made everyday idols into religion is both convicting and sobering. I can’t recommend this book enough. jgh

Compelling, humorous, and well written, Zahl gives a name and shape to the deeply religious nature of modern Americans — and how we’re prone to worshiping almost anything these days (work, the gym, parenting, healthy eating, etc.). "Seculosity" is a clear-headed reminder of how we energetically transform almost anything into a religion and yet still find ourselves empty and exhausted at the end of the day. Highly recommended!

Excellent exploration of how the culture tries to convince us that the things we can buy or do will make us “enough.” This is theology for beginners and theology for people who are far enough along to know that they will always be beginners.

“We may be sleeping in on Sundays in greater numbers, but we’ve never been more pious.”

Oh, you don't think you're religious? Have I got a book for you! An excellent treatment of our modern propensity to devote ourlselves to things, thinking they can save us, when the one who truly saves has been right there with us to whole time. Like a glass of lemonade on a hot day (cliché, I know) this book is refreshing and hopeful. Buy two, because you'll surely give one away.

This book is amazing and forced me to think. I realized how much of our culture is about righteous and why we will never be satisfied. The temptation is to read this and feel like a failure, the opposite of what Zahl is trying to say. The realization that I fall into all of these pitfalls was a moment of grace...I am not as screwed up as I think I am.

“For freedom Christ has set you free.” Zahl beautifully and humorously reveals our slavery to justifying ourselves. No corner of our world or hearts escapes this impulse. I have found his insights invaluable to caring for others and sharing the balm of grace so needed by all. If you want to understand yourself and have empathy for others, you need to read this book.

Zahl is one of my favorite Christian writers and thinkers of our time. But even if you aren’t a Christian, this book is still a must-read. Seculosity is easily digestible, thought-provoking, and well-written. It will transform the way you think about so many aspects of your life, and where you look for your sense of worth/satisfaction/sense of enoughness.

Seculosity offered a stark, honest, and hopeful assessment of society, what our hearts are drown towards, and how the gospel transforms all of this. Highly recommend it to everyone. 12/10.