A Prayer Shaped Life - Morning: Pray Scripture

This book by A. Roger Ekirch delves into the history of nighttime in Western society from the 16th to the 18th centuries. It examines various aspects of nocturnal life, including sleep patterns, the use of moonlight and candlelight, nighttime activities such as reading, socializing, and crime, and the impact of artificial lighting on societal attitudes and behaviors. Ekirch draws on a wide range of sources, including diaries, correspondence, memoirs, court records, and illustrations to paint a detailed picture of the 'forgotten half of the human experience'. The book also discusses the concept of 'first and second sleep' and the demystification of darkness as lighting technologies advanced.

In 'A Secular Age', Charles Taylor explores the transformation of Western society from a pre-modern world where belief in God was inescapable to a modern secular age where believing in God is just one option among many. Taylor argues against the 'subtraction story' of secularization, which posits that religion has been removed from society. Instead, he describes a complex historical process involving the Reform movement in Christianity, the rise of disciplinary society, and the emergence of exclusive humanism. The book examines how these changes have affected the conditions of belief and unbelief, and how they have shaped modern social forms, moral orders, and spiritual experiences.