It does not need to be repeated (but here I go) that our country is incredibly divided. It seems like there are few, if any, ways in which we are unified as a nation. At a broad level, we stand at odds on a variety of issues, not least of which includes politics. Of course, it is not a sin to disagree. If anything, we need to learn how disagree better. Yet, with so many disagreements we find ourselves grouped with others on various topics.
We live in a culture of surprising tensions. On the one hand, we’re inclined to “follow our hearts” and develop our own way of life. Some seek to express themselves as distinctive persons, opting for an expressive individualism. On the other hand, we often subscribe ourselves to various groups, whether political, cultural, or otherwise. Some find their identity tied much closer to the dynamics of a larger group, casting off their personal uniqueness.[1]
Many are caught in the tug-o-war between the two—at times wanting to be “their own person” while simultaneously committing themselves to the uniformity of another group. Thus we’re forced to reconcile with some questions: Which one is right? Should I focus on the individual or the group? As a Christian, should I find my identity more in my own distinctives and uniqueness, or should I seek to be uniform?
Defining Categories
We generally cannot avoid labels. No matter how unhelpful we find them, certain terms us. I would consider myself an evangelical (like Carl Henry, E. J. Carnell, and Harold Ockenga), conservative (like Russell Kirk, Roger Scruton, and Robert George), and Free Will Baptist—to name a few of my own labels. But clearly, we feel a need to clarify exactly what we mean. What kind of evangelical? What kind of conservative? What kind of Christian? When looking at a spectrum of human identity, one could conceptually put individualism on one end and collectivism on the other. It is important, as we set out here, to define these terms.
I’ve written elsewhere about diagnosing the various manifestations of individualism in our current culture. Individualism, broadly understood, is “the life outlook in which people have their own values and preferences, and those determine what is right for them.”[2] Particularly, it is “a postmodern autonomy approach, according to which people determine what they think is right (for them) by considering their own values and preferences in the absence of any objective or binding standards.”[3] This certainly seems like the de facto mode for many in our culture today. Whether it is or not, it is certainly encouraged by various mediums, not least of which movies, television and music.
Second is collectivism, which “does not really see individuals but only the groups, or collectives, that constitute what matters about their identity.”[4] In collectivism “people are sometimes understood so dominantly in terms of some social category or structure that their individual significance is in danger of being lost.”[5] Put another way, those who are in this category will often lose their individual distinctives in favor of uniformity to a larger group. Think of any label we use to define people and chances are you can come up with an example of what this could look like. Like I stated earlier, labels are unavoidable. But those who embrace collectivism may embrace the descriptions while being willing to jettison their personal uniqueness.
A Biblical Answer
To put it plainly, Scripture challenges both of these notions. When one may be tempted to sway towards an emphasis on the individual, Scripture calls us to remember that we are “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32) and consistently of “one accord” (Acts 1:14; 2:1, 46; 4:24; 5:12; 7:57; 8:6; 18:12; 19:29). When thinking that we can do our own thing, we’re reminded that Christ died not only for us but also for the church as a whole (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25).
Joseph Hellerman writes in his helpful book, When the Church Was a Family, that, considering the influence of radical individualism in our culture, we should recapture what it means for the church to be part of a larger community. While I have reservations about Hellerman’s conclusions, no one can deny that a healthier dose of our Christian community would benefit us all. As Hellerman writes, “For the early Christians the church was a family. . . . the church represented the primary focus of group loyalty and solidarity for a Christian in the first century.”[6]
Yet, when we might seek to define ourselves primarily by a group, Scripture reminds us about a diversity in unity. As Amy Hall states, “Each individual Christian is part of a larger body. We are part of the body of Christ. But we are not just part of the body.”[7] Of course, the right way of correcting collectivism is not to move towards individualism. Instead, we are reminded that one of the beauties of the Christian church is the dynamic diversity on display. At the end of time, when neither sin nor its effect exists, there will still be people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9). Yet, even today, Paul reminds us that we are different members of the same body (Rom. 12:4; 1 Cor. 12:12–27). We don’t all do the same job, and we’re not all gifted in the same way. Instead, God has supernaturally gifted us with not only different personalities and backgrounds but also with different spiritual gifts. And we use all of these gifts for the betterment of the church.
The profound truth of the Bible is that whenever we find ourselves leaning one way or another with our identity, the Word of God offers a corrective. If we begin to find too much confidence in ourselves, God reminds us that we are part of something greater than ourselves. And yet, when we might begin to become too uniform, He reminds us that He masterfully and uniquely created each of us. But we should take these principles still one step further. Scripture not only offers us a balance but also helps us realize that this balance is found only within a Christian context. That is, any radical uniformity to a group outside of the Church is misplaced. And any radical individualism that places one as the sole arbiter of truth is a sure path to destruction. Thus, we find both our greater community and beautiful uniqueness only within the context of Christian practice.
Conclusion
As John Kilner notes, “The problem today is that many people have a life outlook that is incapable of supporting their conviction that people matter.”[8] People desperately want to find their identity and worth—and they are willing to do just about anything to find it. Thus people will often turn inwards, trying to find some objective self outside of the One who created them. In doing so, their “self” is in flux, often a construction of the society they are in, and easily manipulated. Conversely, people are just as easily tempted to find their hope and aspirations in groups outside of the Church. They put confidence in their group’s values and goals, instead of in the One who knows the human heart the best.
As believers, we find a profound balance in a society full of tension. In doing so, we can offer rest to those who feel the identity “tug-o-war.” We can also offer a path of wisdom to those around us. When others are tempted toward either side, we can offer a third way that balances both but places the emphasis on the God of truth. My conviction is that Christianity can simultaneously say “be part of this community of faith, something greater than yourself” and“you are unique, supernaturally gifted, and crafted for a purpose by your Creator.”
[1]This analysis has significant overlap with H. Richard Niebuhr’s typology of values. See C. David Grant, God the Center of Value: Value Theory in the Theology of H. Richard Niebuhr (Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1984).
[2]John F. Kilner, “Why This Book Matters,” in Why People Matter, ed. John F. Kilner (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2017), 12.
[3]Russell DiSilvestro, “My Life Is Not My Own: Individualism and Human Significance,” in Why People Matter, ed. John F. Kilner (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2017), 66.
[4]Kilner, 12.
[5]Amy Laura Hall, “His Eye Is on the Sparrow: Collectivism and Human Significance,” in Why People Matter, ed. John F. Kilner (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2017), 40.
[6]Joseph H. Hellerman, When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus’ Vision for Authentic Christian Community (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2009), 51.
[7]Hall, 39.
[8]Kilner, 11.
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