{"product_id":"as-god-watches","title":"As God Watches: Belief Without Authority","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eAs God Watches \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSubtitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e Belief Without Authority\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSubject Classification: \u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n    \u003cspan\u003eReligion and Faith, Society and Culture, Sociology\u003c\/span\u003e\n    \u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBIC Classification: \u003c\/strong\u003eHR, JF \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBISAC Classification: \u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n    \u003cspan\u003eSOC039000, SOC026040, SOC026000\u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBinding:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Hardback, eBook\u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePlanned publication date:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Nov 2026\u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eISBN (Hardback):\u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e978-1-83711-880-9 \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eISBN (eBook):\u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e978-1-83711-881-6 \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \n  \n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ee-books available for libraries from \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/about.proquest.com\/products-services\/ebooks\/ebooks-main.html\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/about.proquest.com\/products-services\/ebooks\/ebooks-main.html\"\u003e\n    \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProquest\u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003c\/a\u003e\n  \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ebsco.com\/products\/ebooks\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.ebsco.com\/products\/ebooks\"\u003e\n    \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEBSCO\u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003c\/a\u003e \n  \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n  \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ewith non-institutional availability from \u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n    \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\"\u003eGooglePlay\u003c\/a\u003e\n  \u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFor larger orders, or orders where you require an invoice, contact us  \u003cspan id=\"cloak8074a48c555b85c31ec4347354a45e96\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n    \u003ca href=\"mailto:admin@ethicspress.com\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"mailto:admin@ethicspress.com\"\u003eadmin@ethicspress.com\u003c\/a\u003e\n  \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDescription\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n  \u003cspan\u003eThis book introduces the concept of Functional Fatality, a condition in which belief in the sacred persists while its authority to regulate behaviours, unify society, and ground moral order has structurally collapsed. Challenging Francis Fukuyama’s claim that Western liberal democracy represents the endpoint of ideological evolution, the book argues instead that American liberal capitalist democracy is vulnerable to decline due to internal moral, cultural, and economic contradictions. Drawing historical parallels to the collapse of past civilizations, it suggests that without a realignment with its sacred foundations, modern American society risks fragmentation, crisis, and eventual decay.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe book identifies a central paradox of modernity: although the United States remains one of the most religious societies in the world, God’s authority has been displaced from public life. This condition is not explained by secularization alone but emerges from a complex interaction of modern philosophy, pluralism, democratic governance, and market logic. The sacred has been transformed into a consumable good within a religious marketplace, where individuals select beliefs based on preference rather than obligation. As a result, belief survives while binding moral authority erodes.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe book concludes by outlining the social consequences of Functional Fatality, including moral relativism, declining social trust, political polarization, rising extremism, and nihilism. It establishes the theoretical foundation for the book’s broader argument: that modern societies have not abolished belief in God, but have rendered the sacred functionally irrelevant—an outcome with profound implications for moral order, civic stability, and the future of democratic civilization.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eBiography\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n    \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n    \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAuthor(s):\u003c\/span\u003e \n  \u003c\/strong\u003e\n  \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDr. Christopher Young was previously an associate professor at Rutgers University, USA. Dr. Michael Damion Tucker is a scholar at North Carolina Central University, USA.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n  \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReviews\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis title is currently being reviewed. Please check back for further updates in due course.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ethics Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56661455667586,"sku":null,"price":87.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0549\/8804\/6389\/files\/9781837118809_a77a2596-3d56-461d-a8b0-41331e4cb5ba.jpg?v=1781040225","url":"https:\/\/ethicspress.com\/products\/as-god-watches","provider":"Ethics Press","version":"1.0","type":"link"}