The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades our Humanity. In his latest work, Trueman offers a diagnosis for our culture along with an analysis of the ideas that have shaped it. What has happened, he argues, has less to do with disenchantment (the waning of belief with the advance of science and reason), and more to do with desecration (a willful rebellion against and destruction of the sacred). From the outset, he uses the work of Friedrich Nietzsche as a helpful lens. (To be clear, he employs Nietzsche’s views without endorsing them.) 

“What is man?” From the pen of David in Psalm 8, that question does not function as a question so much as a statement; rather than a biological or philosophical inquiry, David simply marvels at the wonderful ordering of God’s creation and rich honor bestowed upon him. Thousands of years since, in a world that has stripped itself of the divine and become ignorant of God’s ordering, the answer to David’s question is no longer a given.  

From IVF embryos carried by surrogate mothers to euthanasia via “death pods” to the fallout from the sexual revolution, many of the most pressing issues of the day push questions of anthropology to the fore. What is man? A commodity to purchase? An object to be used for one’s own sexual gratification? A hindrance to be disposed of? Despite the supposed god-like abilities granted us by technology, the soaring ambitions of the 21st century have not divinized, but desecrated man.  

In specific, he recalls Nietzsche’s “Parable of the Madman.” In it, a man bursts into the marketplace searching for God, then tells bystanders, “We have killed him.” He then warns onlookers of the ominous and catastrophic consequences of this act of deicide, predicting radical destabilization to come. Yet he came too early; the collapse had not yet come.  

Of course, Nietzsche was not speaking of the literal death of God, as in the crucifixion, but in a metaphysical sense: the Enlightenment movement had sought to destroy the sacred order without considering how their actions would also destroy the social order that sat atop it. With the “death of God” would inevitably come great upheaval, if not immediately, then eventually.  

Now, it seems, the hour has come. Chapters two and three reference the Madman, with the following chapters laying out the implications of an anthropology without God: sex without babies and babies without sex, being without life and life without a telos or purpose, the commodification of human life in reproductive technologies and the loss of life’s value in euthanasia and abortion. In sex, birth, and death, the anthropological crises are most clearly seen. Events once imbued with sacred significance (baptisms, weddings, funerals) have been stripped of meaning and function now to dehumanize our fellow man.  

Near the end, Trueman gives some guidance on how to navigate the current landscape. Since his intention is primarily diagnostic, the brevity of his remarks is understandable here. To resist desecration and dehumanization, he recommends consecration, a recovery of code, creed, and cult. Without oversimplification or overpromising, Trueman lays out a path to recover what was lost.  

Readers will likely find Trueman’s work to be worthwhile and thought-provoking. Diligently researched and keenly insightful, the book gives moral and intellectual clarity to the fraught and confusing ethical issues of the day. Readers will find themselves grasping much more firmly the logic behind modern attitudes toward sex, reproduction, and death.  

In particular, Trueman’s basic concept of desecration proves a welcome alternative to Max Weber’s concept of disenchantment. One of the key frameworks most often used in understanding the changes to the religious landscape over the past few centuries has been Weber’s work on disenchantment, that is, his account of how science and rationalism marginalized “enchanted” or supernatural explanations of the world.  

A hundred years on from Weber, disenchantment has run into a number of problems: rather than becoming less credulous of the supernatural, new, non-traditional religions are flourishing in the 21st century–even Weber’s own era saw heightened interest in spiritualism and occultism in the likes of Aleister Crowley, Helena Blavatsky, and Arthur Conan Doyle. What’s more, Christians may feel uneasy using Weber’s framework; while it’s been useful, and while Weber was ambivalent about the decline of belief in the supernatural, disenchantment can easily be conflated with a Whiggish view of history, where man slowly, inexorably emerges from the mists of superstition into the clarity of science and reason. By lumping all belief in the supernatural together (however outlandish some superstitions may be) and pitting them against scientific, rational, and, ultimately, true explanations of the cosmos, a Christian reader may find that, in using Weber’s framing, he has already conceded too much of the argument.  

More helpful in this regard is the idea of desecration. It provides not just an intellectual account of history, but also a spiritual one. Man hasn’t left behind metaphysical beliefs as much as sought to make himself into a god through technological advancements. The concept of desecration also explains the frequent blasphemies we see in art, movies, and pop songs: by destroying what is sacred, man clears the way to become a god himself. Finally, by identifying desecration as the core issue, the solution reveals itself; rather than hoping for a return to a vague sense of enchantment or seeking to wrest cultural control through a Nietzschean will to power, Trueman gives a more helpful and clear path forward: as readers seek consecration, they seek a spiritual solution to a problem spiritual in nature.  

In reviewing the book, a few light criticisms may be made: the book might have included more gospel promises to reassure readers throughout the current struggles, perhaps returning to Psalm 8 with a messianic interpretation (though again, since the book is intended to diagnose, this is understandable), the understanding of the “image of God” may require some discernment, and the Nietzschean lens can be a bit confining. For example, Trueman speaks of the exhilaration of desecration as a key motivator in acts of sacrilege. While this may ring true in the case of avant-garde artists or edgy pop stars, at other times, modern attitudes and behaviors often seem to be driven more by convenience or narcissism than willful rebellion or a hatred toward God. I found myself wondering why, so long as Trueman was leaning on Nietzsche, he didn’t use Nietzsche’s concept of “the last man,” a risk-averse, comfort-seeking person, content to give up aspirations or striving in exchange for comfort and safety. Modern man often resembles Homer’s sluggish, thoughtless lotus eaters more than a self-aware deicidal Übermensch.    

Overall, the book is well worthwhile for anyone seeking a more comprehensive understanding of the history and future of our various anthropological dilemmas. Trueman leans heavily into intellectual history, so if prospective readers don’t find sociology or philosophy particularly enticing, the book, though just over 200 pages, may prove denser than desired. Nevertheless, for those seeking some greater insight into who we are (and who we are becoming), the book is worth your time.