"Woke" Is Not The New Reformation

Three despatches from the real revolution

It’s become common in recent years to talk about “wokeness” as a new Reformation: a wave of religious sensibility eager to sweep away the old order in pursuit of a new vision of the good. But the biggest realisation I’ve had this year is that this is exactly backwards. The cluster of moral assertions that travels under the heading of “wokeness” is not a new Reformation, but its opponent.

“Wokeness” is, in fact, all that remains of a moral, material, and spiritual worldview that was once revolutionary but has grown calcified, decadent, and increasingly unfit for purpose. And in response, a new Reformation really is coming: one that will sweep away the socially destructive and alienating anti-theology of “wokeness”, with the clarifying light of both scientific and also spiritual truth. I have more to say about this than will fit in one post, as my claim here is the culmination of a train of thought several years long. But for now, I’ll share an overview of three books, all published in 2024, that crystallised this certainty for me - and hace convinced me that many others, far more erudite than I, have also seen the vibe shift that’s coming.