I loved Strange New World, and it made me want to read more from Carl Trueman, including the longer version of this book.

I have heard so much about Truemann's work, but I was hesitant to make the commitment to his longer book. When I heard this abridged and accessible version was available, I quickly downloaded it. I really enjoyed Truemann's approach to explaining the way individualism, personal happiness and view of self has evolved throughout history and philosophy. It was clear, concise and made so much sense. I didn't necessarily agree or share all of Truemann's views on our culture and where we are, but I still appreciated this book!

I have not read The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, but I know that Strange New World is meant to be a condensed version of that book. I found Strange New World to be very approachable and thorough. If you have ever wondered how we got to a point in society where moral relativism is reigning supreme, Strange New World gives an interesting take looking back through the last 200 years of western history to show how some thought leaders have influenced our behavior and thought processes.

I will be completely honest in saying that I wanted to read this book out of morbid curiosity, but ultimately thought it would be full of overblown hysterics before I read it. Through reading it, I developed a lot of respect for Carl Trueman, who I wasn't hugely familiar with prior (I've read clips of one of his other books and was aware he had a podcast, but that was the extent of my knowledge). Trueman's writing is insightful and nuanced. Strange New World prompted me to think about what it means to truly be human and has pointed me towards exceptionally fruitful discussions.

Thank you to Crossway & NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my review!

A condensed and accessible version of Trueman’s earlier work “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self,” this book is remarkably helpful for laypeople to trace the current view of identity from the earliest thinkers to its current iteneration in modern society. The author begins the book by tracing the transition from the notion that sex is a behavior to the current itineration that sex is who we are through examining several philosophers and psychologists including Rousseau, Freud, Nietzsche, Reich, and Marx.

This book is a supurb guide for those who find themselves lost in this postmodern world and are wondering how we arrived at this destination. The author deftly outlines the current expressive identity narratives and proposes solutions to strengthen the church and the state in the face of the rise of identity groups. The solutions he proposes are clear, concise, and easily applied to churches, schools, and within the wider society. May we heed his warning and have our strongest identity be one that is found in the Lord, in the church, and in the community that we find there.

Helpful study questions at the end of each chapter make this an excellent recourse for classroom instruction, group study, or further individual introspection and exploration.

Many thanks to Crossway and Net Galley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Trueman provides an excellent, slimmed down version of his previous work. I highly recommend this work as an accessible introduction into the roots of our current assumptions about our ‘selves’ and identity.