Age of Anxiety

I'm reading a book authored by theologian, Douglas John Hall. In the book, Hall attempts to recapture the symbol of stewardship for the sake of the church. By chapter three, Hall deems it necessary to interpret the signs of the times in order to think theologically about the role of steward. He confesses that interpreting the here and now is a risky undertaking for "Who can with accuracy say what is going on in the present? Hindsight is always easier." He goes on to say,

But the risk of discerning the signs of the times is not only a risk of the intellect. It is a risk of the self, of the spirit-body. For especially in times of great unrest and crisis, the whole inclination of the human heart is to "flee from the wrath to come." By all accounts but those of the most doctrinaire optimists, ours is such a time. The problematique of our world is so complex and overwhelming in its scope and ubiquity that it is somehow natural to eschew all contemplation of it. Perhaps the desire to escape from "reality" has never been so strong as it is in our present time.

Hall goes on to say that our escape takes many shapes and forms.

And perhaps the most escapist activity of all is religion. The forms of the Christian religion that are most popular today are those that offer the most effective techniques for escape from history. Whether they do this through 'spiritualistic' flights of fantasy or by the continuous reassurance that there are no real crises in the affairs of the world makes little difference.

Hall goes on to describe the military jets he hears as he writes and as he describes the "Age of Anxiety" in which he lives. In reading this I found myself agreeing for Hall was describing perfectly the here and now!

And then I remembered, Hall wrote this book in the late '70s and early '80s.

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