Seculosity

Outline

Seculosity (2019) examines how people in increasingly secular societies continue to pursue religious forms of identity, meaning, and salvation through everyday activities. David Zahl argues that careers, parenting, technology, food, politics, romance, and leisure can become substitute religions that constantly demand achievement and personal perfection. The book explores the anxiety created by the feeling of never being successful, attractive, productive, or virtuous enough, and presents acceptance, compassion, and grace as alternatives to endless self-justification.

• People in secular societies still look for identity, meaning, and salvation, and they often find them in ordinary daily activities.
• Careers, parenting, technology, food, politics, romance, and leisure can turn into substitute religions that demand constant achievement.
• The feeling of never being successful, attractive, productive, or virtuous enough is a major source of modern anxiety.
• Acceptance, compassion, and grace offer an alternative to the endless effort of justifying yourself.
• Rest and freedom from constant self-optimisation can give a healthier sense of meaning.

David Zahl is an American author, speaker, and founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, an organisation that explores faith, culture, and the role of grace in everyday life. He also serves as editor in chief of the Mockingbird website and has written extensively about anxiety, achievement, identity, and modern society’s search for meaning. His work combines Christian theology, cultural analysis, personal stories, and humour.