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Our Civilizational Moment: The Waning of the West and the War of the Worlds
Where do you find the great civilizations of the world?
In ruins, in museums, and in history books. Each one in its time rose, flourished, and then declined and fell. Is the West facing its own civilizational moment today?
A civilizational moment is a critical transition phase in the rise, course, and decline of a civilization when a civilization loses its decisive connection with the dynamic that inspired it. Such a moment must then issue in one of three broad a renewal of the dynamic that inspired the civilization in the first place, a successful replacement of the original dynamic by another, or the decline of the civilization. In sum, the issue for a civilization in a civilizational moment is its vision of ultimate Is the civilization in living touch with the ideas, ideals, and inspiration that created it in the first place and that it needs to continue to flourish? Or, with its roots severed, is it destined to decline and die?
Guinness’s analysis is wide-ranging and hard-hitting, but he ends with hope. This book is for all who care about the state of the world, who strive for a human-friendly future, and who are ready to make a stand for what matters.
In ruins, in museums, and in history books. Each one in its time rose, flourished, and then declined and fell. Is the West facing its own civilizational moment today?
A civilizational moment is a critical transition phase in the rise, course, and decline of a civilization when a civilization loses its decisive connection with the dynamic that inspired it. Such a moment must then issue in one of three broad a renewal of the dynamic that inspired the civilization in the first place, a successful replacement of the original dynamic by another, or the decline of the civilization. In sum, the issue for a civilization in a civilizational moment is its vision of ultimate Is the civilization in living touch with the ideas, ideals, and inspiration that created it in the first place and that it needs to continue to flourish? Or, with its roots severed, is it destined to decline and die?
Guinness’s analysis is wide-ranging and hard-hitting, but he ends with hope. This book is for all who care about the state of the world, who strive for a human-friendly future, and who are ready to make a stand for what matters.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2024
About the author
Os Guinness
91 books366 followersOs Guinness (D.Phil., Oxford) is the author or editor of more than twenty-five books, including The American Hour, Time for Truth and The Case for Civility. A frequent speaker and prominent social critic, he was the founder of the Trinity Forum and has been a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and a guest scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies. He lives near Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 4, 2026
Thought provoking, accurate, timely...and depressing - not because of the writing, but because of the subject
December 11, 2024
Some helpful insights, but it felt more like somewhat random musings on our current cultural climate rather than a sustained argument for anything in particular.
October 1, 2025
The Threat from Within
Os Guinness is at his best as a sentinel of the state of Western civilization in “Our Civilizational Moment”, arguing convincingly that we are at a critical transitional juncture in history where the values and mores derived from our Judeo-Christian heritage are threatened by four waves of ideological danger. Radical Marxism and its dialectic of the oppressor vs the oppressed has morphed from an economic into a cultural ideology (still with grave economic implications, of course). The sexual revolution has reached a culmination where neither gender nor morals have any basis in reality, now completely upending once enduring traditional truths. Radical Islamism, which Guinness shows as having roots in alliances with Hitler, threatens both Jews and a foundational element of Western civilization. And finally, he denounces the hypocritical self-interest and duplicity of the West’s own elite class for failing to use their positions of influence to preserve and protect the very traditions and institutions that have benefited them so extraordinarily. The Left has advanced patiently in a Long March through the institutions that is now reaching culmination. Our traditions and strength in the West are threatened from within. While Guinness sees the weaknesses of the Obama-Biden era as key to accelerating the critical situation, he is no apologist for Trump policies, and takes his stand with the founders who based their vision on the truth of Judeo-Christian teaching and tradition. “Our Civilizational Moment” is an outstanding and thought provoking analysis of our crucial predicament that is developing at an accelerating rate.
Os Guinness is at his best as a sentinel of the state of Western civilization in “Our Civilizational Moment”, arguing convincingly that we are at a critical transitional juncture in history where the values and mores derived from our Judeo-Christian heritage are threatened by four waves of ideological danger. Radical Marxism and its dialectic of the oppressor vs the oppressed has morphed from an economic into a cultural ideology (still with grave economic implications, of course). The sexual revolution has reached a culmination where neither gender nor morals have any basis in reality, now completely upending once enduring traditional truths. Radical Islamism, which Guinness shows as having roots in alliances with Hitler, threatens both Jews and a foundational element of Western civilization. And finally, he denounces the hypocritical self-interest and duplicity of the West’s own elite class for failing to use their positions of influence to preserve and protect the very traditions and institutions that have benefited them so extraordinarily. The Left has advanced patiently in a Long March through the institutions that is now reaching culmination. Our traditions and strength in the West are threatened from within. While Guinness sees the weaknesses of the Obama-Biden era as key to accelerating the critical situation, he is no apologist for Trump policies, and takes his stand with the founders who based their vision on the truth of Judeo-Christian teaching and tradition. “Our Civilizational Moment” is an outstanding and thought provoking analysis of our crucial predicament that is developing at an accelerating rate.
July 2, 2026
Our Civilizational Moment by Os Guinness examines the possible fate of the Western world. There are three internal forces that are ripping the Western world apart; they are Marxism, the "rainbow" identity of sexual liberation, Islamism and Western Elites which Guinness calls the "Golden" force. Marxism is one of the older ideas which has influenced "critical race theory" and its followers want to end capitalism and democracy. The rainbow identity of sexual liberation argues that people can love whomever they want and that the old "patriarchy" family of wife, Husband and children is an outdated institution. This is a radical view of individualism that jettisons the Biblical view of society. Islamism or the black flag is covered next. Guinness examines Islamic extremism as it impacts Isreal. He does not cover Islamic immigration impacting Europe and this is a major issue. For the first time in 500 years Islam is an existential threat to the existence of Europe and Guinness does not cover this critical development. The "golden" force are Western elites such as the World Economic Form which argues that you will own nothing and be happy. The "global" elites are behind stakeholder capitalism where companies' allegiance is not to the stockholders but to "woke" leaders which support affirmative action, reduced carbon footprints and promote "social justice" causes within companies. The "golden" flag wants to reduce our carbon footprint so instead of eating meat we will be served bugs. The book does not really cover many of the issues that I have raised but its still very informative.
July 5, 2026
Great and inspiring thought-provoking book
Mr. Guinness has reached back to the past and into the present to cause the reader to think about the future. However not to just think about it but to decide what needs to be done and do it. I wish I would have had this book series back when I was working on my BA and MA in American History. They would have beneficial in countering the "liberal " wokeness of the classroom. Read it with an open mind and studiously to get the most from it then pass it on to another. Then the two of you can discuss it and draw others into this way of thinking.
Mr. Guinness has reached back to the past and into the present to cause the reader to think about the future. However not to just think about it but to decide what needs to be done and do it. I wish I would have had this book series back when I was working on my BA and MA in American History. They would have beneficial in countering the "liberal " wokeness of the classroom. Read it with an open mind and studiously to get the most from it then pass it on to another. Then the two of you can discuss it and draw others into this way of thinking.
February 21, 2025
Os understands the moment we live in and how to solve it. His recent speech at ARC is worth watching in full as a summary of this book. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1hI2...
May 20, 2026
After finishing the book I don't yet know what its' point is. It seems like some political / historical toughts, without any serious depth, bundled together in a book. It basically revolves around the question: can the West make it?
December 28, 2025
really corny
January 14, 2026
Excellent book, which I need to read again. The book provides a critical assessment of our "Moment" and guidelines for us to consider.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews