If the modern West is both statistically and culturally no longer Christian, who will save us now? What remains? Are we still searching for meaning in an age of unbelief?

To help explore the psyche of the post-Christian West, the Ramsay Centre is pleased to present our sixth Ramsay Lecture for 2023, Professor John Carroll on Who Will Save Us Now? Searching for Meaning in an Age of Unbelief.

According to Professor Carroll, people in the Western tradition are, by their nature, saviour seeking and this ‘saviour syndrome’ impels people to find someone, or some equivalent, to show the way to a better life, and counter the quintessentially modern ordeal of unbelief. 

Drawing on examples from literature, history and popular culture, Professor Carroll argues that people in the West are constantly investing those around them with exemplary or transcendent qualities, with some seeking a form of enchantment to bring grace into their lives. Although in the modern West the figure of Christ may appear to be obsolete for many (though of course far from it for many others), the archetype of Christ the Saviour continues to resonate and a yearning for a saviour continues to manifest itself.

Please join us for this thought-provoking lecture with Professor John Carroll.