Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West

Winner in the History & Biography category of The Gospel Coalition’s 2023 Book Awards

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, economical, 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.

• Relevant Cultural and Historical Analysis: Skillfully connects key ideas and events from the past to the present 
• Comprehensive: Examines important developments from 1776, including the American Revolution, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; James Watt’s steam engine; Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations; and Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason
• Informative: Covers key historical figures, including John Adams, Edmund Burke, and David Hume
• Biblical: Equips and encourages readers to share the gospel in a post-Christian world
• A Great Resource for Pastors, Scholars, and Readers of Carl Trueman’s The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self

368 pages.

Table of Contents