Chance or the Dance: A Critique of Modern Secularism

Chance or the Dance: A Critique of Modern Secularism
by Thomas Howard

Chance or the Dance: A Critique of Modern Secularism
List Price: $11.95
Our Price: $6.89
You Save: $5.06 (42%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.06 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


(Click here)
Buy this book at online book store in your country
Canada | UK | Germany | France

Book Summary Information

Author: Thomas Howard
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1989-03
ISBN: 0898702291
Number of pages: 150
Publisher: Ignatius Press

Book Reviews of Chance or the Dance: A Critique of Modern Secularism

Book Review: Shall We Dance?
Summary: 5 Stars

It is one thing to look upon the rotting corpse that is secularism today and critique its weaknesses. It is entirely another to take to pen when the victory of secularism over faith seemed almost complete and to announce to the world that the emperor had no clothes. Such was the case when Thomas Howard published his critique of secularism Chance or the Dance? in 1969. A lot has happened since then but the amazing thing in reading the book now is that it could have been written yesterday. In fact, if one does not notice the original publication date, you would probably think it was a recent writing. The reason is simple - Howard focuses on eternal truths and as such their veracity does not change with the winds of popular fashion.

Howard's views the weakness of the secular vision as hinging on the limitations it places upon what subject matter may be cosidered to contribute to our knwledge of the world. Secularism, with its restriction to the natural and its overconfidence in the impartiality of the scientific process, has not eliminated faith but exchanged God for an idol of our own choosing. The author, as an English professor, has a far different and more classical view of knowledge than that supplied by the "conventional wisdom" and explores this in a series of essays that return to a more varied fabric than that advocated by modernity.

For Howard, the dismissal of all strata of proposed knowledge beyond empirical data grossly misunderstands both natural and supernatural. By accepting only "facts" we have eliminated the search for purpose in the universe and reduced "the dance" (the interwoven fabric of existence) to "chance" (the purposeless interaction of matter). In relegating the mythical, poetic, and philosophical (in the classical sense) to the realm of the subjective, we have not only stripped the creation of its wonder but have muffled the call of God's image within each of us.

Even our most intimate moments have been impoverished by the fruit of modernity. Sexuality is meant to be a beautiful gift of the Creator and to be used in accordance with His purpose. But without purpose, it is something either to be relegated to a necessary bow to our barbaric past (as in Victorianism) or it is to be used for our own self-gratification (as promoted in the "sexual revolution"). Either view is a distortion of God's purpose for man and woman and each shows modernism's twin fascinations with the purely intellectual and the purely savage.

The views expressed in Chance or the Dance? are remarkably Catholic (in the general sense) and demonstrate the direction Howard was moving even at this phase of his Christian life. In a sense, the book has proven to be prophetic in that the things that may have seemed an overreaction at the time have over the decaded been shown to be on the mark. This is a memorable work that should be read by all serious Christians.

Summary of Chance or the Dance: A Critique of Modern Secularism

Contrasting the Christian and secular worldviews, Howard refreshes our minds with the illuminated view of Christianity as it imbued the world in times past?showing that we cannot live meaningful lives without this Christian understanding of things. An inspiring apology for Christianity, and a stirring critique of secularism.

Inspirational Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Top 20 Books: Christian Culture vs. Secularism & Agnosticism
Between Heaven and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death wtih John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley ImageBetween Heaven and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death wtih John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley
by Peter Kreeft
InterVarsity Press; Published: 1982-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.50
Price in other shops: $13.00
The Abolition of Man ImageThe Abolition of Man
by C. S. Lewis
HarperOne; Published: 2001-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.53
Price in other shops: $11.95
C.S. Lewis for the Third Millennium : Six Essays on the Abolition of Man ImageC.S. Lewis for the Third Millennium : Six Essays on the Abolition of Man
by Peter Kreeft
Ignatius Press; Published: 1994-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.95
Price in other shops: $14.95
Against the Night: Living in the New Dark Ages ImageAgainst the Night: Living in the New Dark Ages
by Charles Colson, Ellen Santilli Vaughn
Vine Books; Published: 1999-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.98
Price in other shops: $10.99
The End of the Modern World ImageThe End of the Modern World
by Roman Guardini
Intercollegiate Studies Institute; Published: 2001-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.62
Price in other shops: $14.95
Transformation in Christ: On the Christian Attitude ImageTransformation in Christ: On the Christian Attitude
by Dietrich Von Hildebrand
Ignatius Press; Published: 2001-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.98
Price in other shops: $21.95
A Refutation of Moral Relativism: Interviews With an Absolutist ImageA Refutation of Moral Relativism: Interviews With an Absolutist
by Peter Kreeft
Ignatius Press; Published: 1999-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.71
Price in other shops: $14.95
Back to Virtue: Traditional Moral Wisdom for Modern Moral Confusion ImageBack to Virtue: Traditional Moral Wisdom for Modern Moral Confusion
by Peter Kreeft
Ignatius Press; Published: 1992-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.66
Price in other shops: $14.95
Ecumenical Jihad: Ecumenism and the Culture War ImageEcumenical Jihad: Ecumenism and the Culture War
by Peter Kreeft
Ignatius Press; Published: 1996-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.99
Degenerate Moderns: Modernity As Rationalized Sexual Misbehavior ImageDegenerate Moderns: Modernity As Rationalized Sexual Misbehavior
by E. Michael Jones
Ignatius Press; Published: 1993-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $43.90
Similar Books and other products
What's So Great About Christianity ImageWhat's So Great About Christianity
by Dinesh D'Souza
Regnery Publishing; Published: 2007-10-16; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $17.53
Price in other shops: $27.95
Christ the Tiger ImageChrist the Tiger
by Thomas Howard
Wipf & Stock Publishers; Published: 2005-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.09
Price in other shops: $18.00
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism ImageThe Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
by Timothy Keller
Dutton Adult; Published: 2008-02-14; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.82
Price in other shops: $24.95
Jesus of Nazareth ImageJesus of Nazareth
by Pope Benedict XVI
Ignatius Press; Published: 2008-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.40
Price in other shops: $14.95
Splendor in the Ordinary: Your Home as a Holy Place ImageSplendor in the Ordinary: Your Home as a Holy Place
by Thomas Howard
Sophia Institute Press; Published: 2000-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.29
Price in other shops: $12.95
Dove Descending: A Journey into T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets (Sapientia Classics) ImageDove Descending: A Journey into T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets (Sapientia Classics)
by Thomas Howard
Ignatius Press; Published: 2006-02-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.12
Price in other shops: $14.95
Evangelical Is Not Enough: Worship of God in Liturgy and Sacrament ImageEvangelical Is Not Enough: Worship of God in Liturgy and Sacrament
by Thomas Howard
Ignatius Press; Published: 1988-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.26
Price in other shops: $12.95
Lead, Kindly Light: My Journey To Rome ImageLead, Kindly Light: My Journey To Rome
by Thomas Howard
Ignatius Press; Published: 2004-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.18
Price in other shops: $9.95
On Being Catholic ImageOn Being Catholic
by Thomas Howard
Ignatius Press; Published: 1997-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.72
Price in other shops: $14.95
The Night Is Far Spent ImageThe Night Is Far Spent
by Thomas Howard
Ignatius Press; Published: 2007-02-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.22
Price in other shops: $16.95
Book store. Illustrated catalog of books on different categories