Muggeridge on the End of 'Christendom' and the Power of Words

In a review of Malcolm Muggeridge's 1978 Blaise Pascal Lectures, the renowned journalist's sharp critique of modern society and his deep admiration for the 17th-century philosopher are brought to light. Muggeridge, a convert to Christianity, argued that while true Christianity, rooted in the humble teachings of Jesus, continues to thrive, "Christendom"—the state-sponsored, power-driven version of the faith—has essentially come to an end. This distinction, drawn almost five decades ago, appears even more relevant today as the influence of state-backed religion wanes.

Pascal's Humility vs. Scholarly Arrogance

Muggeridge found a kindred spirit in Blaise Pascal, the brilliant French polymath. He admired Pascal for his profound humility, which Muggeridge saw as a stark contrast to the arrogance often found among modern intellectuals and scientists. Despite his genius, Pascal "put aside his pride to bow himself down at the altar rail with his fellow Christians," a practice Muggeridge held up as the "greatest of all virtues." He argued that Pascal's example debunks the modern notion that faith is for the credulous, asserting instead that our current age is "one of the most credulous ever," a point he humorously illustrates with the gullibility of consumers in the face of advertising.

The Sanctity and Pollution of Language

A central theme of the lectures, unsurprising for a lifelong journalist, was the power and corruption of words. Muggeridge expressed a deep-seated "mania about words," calling them his "only consistent and abiding passion." He lamented the "terrible destruction of words in our time," noting how terms like "love," "freedom," and "liberation" have been devalued and polluted. He gave a pointed example, stating that "liberalizing our abortion laws" simply means "facilitating more abortions," and "reforming our marriage laws" means "creating more facilities for breaking more and more marriages." For Muggeridge, the misuse of words is a profound undoing, far more serious than the loss of wealth or power.

The Fallacy of Human Ego and the "Death of God"

Muggeridge also connected with Pascal's warnings about the dangers of an inflated human ego. He criticized the Enlightenment's "romantic, arrogance-derived expectation" that man, through reason alone, could create an "earthly paradise." Instead, this hubris led to a "nightmare of wars, famine, and folly." He pointed to Nietzsche's declaration of the "death of God" as the ultimate expression of this arrogance, a path that led the philosopher to an insane asylum. In a poignant conclusion, Muggeridge quoted critic Leslie Fiedler, who suggested that by abolishing God and confusing "change with progress" and "self-indulgence with freedom," Western man has ironically decided to "abolish himself."