What Happens When a Culture Kills God? Reviewing Trueman's The Desecration of Man

In this episode of Theologically Driven, we review Carl Trueman's latest book, The Desecration of Man. Following The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self and Strange New World, Trueman argues that the West's rejection of God has led to the desecration of humanity itself, since humans bear God's image. We discuss his case that our culture's problem is not disenchantment but desecration, how technology has handed us godlike power over life and death (IVF, surrogacy, genetic screening, assisted suicide), why Protestants need a more robust anthropology, and where we think the book falls short on the gospel. Theologically Driven is a podcast of Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. Learn more at dbts.edu. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:46 Where this book fits in Trueman's trilogy 2:44 The book's argument and structure 4:55 Can you build a moral society without God? 7:25 Two questions: who is God, and what is man? 8:12 Are Protestants behind on anthropology? 10:45 Natural law, purpose, and teleology 13:31 A caution: Trueman on Islam and Judaism 16:09 Disenchantment vs. desecration 21:50 The peasant farmer and the undefined modern life 25:31 Technology: cause or symptom? 28:41 Birth control and the sexual revolution 31:57 Smartphones and disembodied relationships 36:37 The hour of the madman: dystopia now 40:59 Godlike power over life: IVF and surrogacy 43:04 Genetic screening and Down syndrome 47:08 Assisted suicide and the illusion of control 49:39 How we hide from death 53:22 The way forward: consecration 55:36 Where the book falls short 1:01:22 Hospitality and embodied church life 1:03:07 Closing thoughts