Interesting post. It seems that people today, both in and out of the church, see collective action/democracy as a way of achieving individuality and interacting with destiny.
I've been thinking a lot about Simone Weil's quote, “Only human beings have an eternal destiny. Human collectivities have not got one.” Elsewhere she says, “Idolatry is the name of the error which attributes a sacred character to the collectivity; and it is the commonest of crimes, at all times, at all places.”
I know Weil wasn't a Christian in the orthodox sense, but I think she's correct here. The church is a collective, but has an eternal destiny, right? But, mystically, the church is also an individual: the bride of Christ.
I think to the extent the church participates in the idolatry of democracy, it is a mere collective. To the extent it consists of those who abide in Christ and Christ abided in them, it is achieving its destiny.
Somehow this all seems relevant to what you're talking about here, but I'm not sure.
I think point 4 brings up some interesting questions in light of modern pop psychology, the self-help movement, and expressive individualism. I just wanted to quickly share my brief experience with Bowen's Family System Theory and boundaries. I was a bit uncomfortable with the terms of "boundaries" and "individuation" because it felt selfish or too "me-centered". However, I later learned that Bowen's concept of individuation was always with the goal of remaining connected to ones family of origin. Paradoxically, you learn how to individuate in order to stay emotionally connected with others, rather than withdrawing from a relationship system or cutting off. If your purpose is to repair relationships, mature, and grow, I think these concepts can be "we-centered".
Interesting post. It seems that people today, both in and out of the church, see collective action/democracy as a way of achieving individuality and interacting with destiny.
I've been thinking a lot about Simone Weil's quote, “Only human beings have an eternal destiny. Human collectivities have not got one.” Elsewhere she says, “Idolatry is the name of the error which attributes a sacred character to the collectivity; and it is the commonest of crimes, at all times, at all places.”
I know Weil wasn't a Christian in the orthodox sense, but I think she's correct here. The church is a collective, but has an eternal destiny, right? But, mystically, the church is also an individual: the bride of Christ.
I think to the extent the church participates in the idolatry of democracy, it is a mere collective. To the extent it consists of those who abide in Christ and Christ abided in them, it is achieving its destiny.
Somehow this all seems relevant to what you're talking about here, but I'm not sure.
I think point 4 brings up some interesting questions in light of modern pop psychology, the self-help movement, and expressive individualism. I just wanted to quickly share my brief experience with Bowen's Family System Theory and boundaries. I was a bit uncomfortable with the terms of "boundaries" and "individuation" because it felt selfish or too "me-centered". However, I later learned that Bowen's concept of individuation was always with the goal of remaining connected to ones family of origin. Paradoxically, you learn how to individuate in order to stay emotionally connected with others, rather than withdrawing from a relationship system or cutting off. If your purpose is to repair relationships, mature, and grow, I think these concepts can be "we-centered".