Vibe shifts. Religious renaissances. Meaning crises. Movie reboots. “Metamodernism.” You listening to Creed again. It's all connected. Cynicism is out, sincerity is back, and there's a new generation looking for hope in unexpected places. We're beginning to find ourselves moving from despair to meaning. As a burned-out culture begins to reject the emptiness of endless deconstruction, people are searching for guidance to rebuild meaning, identity, and community. And believe it or not, your life story and the narrative of our culture are all wrapped up together.

In Based on a True Story, cultural theologian and podcaster Paul Anleitner traces the societal shifts that brought us to this moment and points to the emerging longing in culture to find a better story that can solve our meaning crisis and save us, quite literally, from civilization going completely Mad Max on us all. Combining humor and cutting-edge insights from science, Christian theology, and philosophy with a keen cultural eye, Anleitner offers a roadmap for rebuilding our lives and culture around a true story. Based on a True Story is a book for skeptics, seekers, and Christian believers alike—a timely invitation to rediscover what it means to truly live.