Contemplating Culture: A Missionary Walk Through A Secular Age

14. The Glorification of Reason

Contemplating Culture: A Missionary Walk Through A Secular Age

Show Notes

In this episode we delve further into Chapter 2 (The of Disciplinary Society) by looking at the rise of reason. As the writings of Justus Lipsius find their way into the right hands at the right time, a program for Christian neo-Stoicism emerges. Can reason and hard work really bring about perfect human living? If reason is a gift from God, is it enough that we use this gift well? What is the role of worship in all of this?

Reflection:

How am I being called to grow in intimacy with God with my whole being, as opposed to following Him only by assent of will?

References:

Pages of A Secular Age, Charles Taylor: (112-125, 129-136) Website: https://sites.google.com/view/contemplatingculture

More from Contemplating Culture: A Missionary Walk Through A Secular Age

Aug 25, 2026

In this episode we look at the changing shape of religion post WWII, taking the American case as an example. Here we see the interlocking and reinforcing interplay of family/church/state start to unravel in favour of the seeker, who has no set beginning, end, or path. We note that whilst this search is often seeking fullness in terms of humanism (for the good of the human person), this doesn't always have to be at odds with a genuine faith in the transcendent.

Jul 21, 2026

In our milestone 50th episode we set about delivering a summary of the nature, rules, and people that can be found in the Age of Authenticity's marketplace of faith. Listen through for a special memento to celebrate the milestone with us!

Jul 7, 2026

What impact did the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s have on how people understood and interacted with the sacred? What has the response of the faith been to this dramatic shift in the western world? Together we explore these questions, and look ultimately to the teaching of Pope St John Paul II as a treasure trove the Age of Authenticity in understanding the beauty of the sexual ethic of the Catholic Church.

Jun 10, 2026

Like every other age, the Age of Authenticity has its own set of ethics and goals. In this episode Kat opens up what it is like being a formator in a religious community and a spiritual director in the midst of this age, particularly when elements of the age seem at odds with the nature of religious life or Christian discipleship.

May 26, 2026

With the rise of migration from rural areas into cities, people were displaced from community and there was a felt lack which provided the perfect ground for the emergence of the Age of Mobilisation. Many societal structures and efforts of evangelisation were based around the needs and nature of this Age. In this episode we explore what some of the elements of the Age of Mobilisation were, and the enduring impacts of it into Western society today. References: -Pages of A Secular Age, Charles Taylor (pp 437-472)

See all episodes →