A Doxological Response to the Problem of Disenchantment

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, much attention has been paid to the problem of disenchantment, perhaps most notably in the extensive work of Charles Taylor. This article examines the disenchantment narrative as formulated by Max Weber and appropriated by Charles Taylor, and augment this with the perspective offered by Jason Josephson-Storm and other interlocutors, to generate a reading suitable for theological use. It suggests ways in which the human person and society might be affected by disenchantment. Finally, it explores means by which prayer might be used as a resource for dealing with the causes and symptoms of disenchantment, following the example of Andrew Prevot’s careful exploration of prayer as a source of Christian thought. Prevot’s concept of doxological theology (‘thinking prayer’) is particularly useful for resisting what he identifies as three crises of modernity: secularity, the fate of Western metaphysics, and socioeconomic and identity-based violence. This describes the imperative for studies in this area: insofar as the process of disenchantment contributes to the systematic violence and dehumanisation inherent in modernity, it is vital to explore the mechanics of that process and possible tools to combat it.