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Mikey Lynch on Excuse me, but what's ‘mission’? (04/12/2008).
Nigel Statham on The second commandment (03/12/2008).
Dave Woolcott on Evaluating truth (03/12/2008).
sandy Grant on The second commandment (03/12/2008).
Sandy Grant on Evaluating truth (03/12/2008).
Ben Hudson on Job and prayer (03/12/2008).
Dave Woolcott on Evaluating truth (03/12/2008).
Sandy Grant on Evaluating truth (03/12/2008).
Brad Hansen on Getting rid of the killer but (03/12/2008).
Paul Grimmond on Getting rid of the killer but (03/12/2008).
Recent posts
Excuse me, but what’s ‘mission’? by Peter Sholl (1 comment). As a new missionary visiting a church recently, this was a question asked by one keen enquirer. He explained that he … more
The second commandment by Lionel Windsor (2 comments). Church as we know it can sometimes be a bit weird and jarring. A few weeks ago at church, we heard … more
Getting rid of the killer but by Paul Grimmond (8 comments). I admit it, the title is a serious temptation: I feel an overwhelming desire to make bad jokes about posteriors (perhaps … more
What are we doing anyway? by Tony Payne (11 comments). One of the pitfalls most non-profit organizations fall into at one stage or another is endless discussion about vision and mission … more
Factotum #2 by Paul Grimmond (2 comments). Here is the next one in our line of Saturday blasts from the past. If you're new to us, let me … more
You must read this book by Gordon Cheng (0 comments). I am struggling to find reasons to avoid reading a few things, including a small pile next to the bed, and … more
Evaluating truth by Paul Grimmond (17 comments). I spent two days last week at a writing conference. It was a great couple of days, and I learned … more
Christian ministry and normal Christians by Tony Payne (19 comments). I count it one of the privileges of my life to have grown up in a time and a place when … more
An interview with Jean Williams by Sandy Grant (7 comments). Today we interview Jean Williams. Jean, how did you come to Christ? It's not an exciting story, but in … more
Guilt-edged pages? by Nicole Starling (5 comments). While ploughing my way through The Shack1 recently (and it was a matter of ploughing my … more
Paul Grimmond
Paul is one of the Staff Editors at Matthias Media. He is married to Cathy and has three fantastic kids. He loves student ministry, reading, writing music and playing the saxophone, and is looking forward to meeting Jesus face to face.
Sola Panellists
- Paul Grimmond (convenor)
- Andrew Barry
- Peter Bolt
- Gordon Cheng
- Sandy Grant
- Ben Pfahlert
- Gavin Perkins
- Tony Payne
- Archie Poulos
- Nicole Starling
- Mark Thompson
- Jean Williams
- Lionel Windsor
Some other sites
we like (Why these?)
- Matthias Media
- The Briefing
- 9Marks
- Albert Mohler
- Anglican Church League
- Between Two Worlds
- challies
- David Ould
- EQUIP book club
- From the Dean
- Girl Talk
- Gordon Cheng's Blog
- Jean Williams's blog
- Lionel Windsor
- Monergism
- Moore College
- MTS
- Nicole Starling's blog
- Pyromaniacs
- The Gospel Coalition
- The Proclamation Trust
- The Simeon Trust
- The Ugley Vicar
Individualism and its most powerful contemporary ally, consumersim, are not the disease but they are a symptom and a constant temptation. We do our people well to point out their false promises of fulfilment and significance.
David,
Yes indeed. One of the more challenging aspects of Jonathan’s approach was to argue that the real solution to individualism was not simply an individualistic repentance, but repentance into a church—into the obedience and relationship and discipline that goes with committing yourself to a congregation.
This of course is one of the tunes that the 9Marks guys play often, but they do so for a good reason. In their context, and increasingly in ours here in Aus, church is seen as an optional extra for the Christian; something you consume and make use of (like any other useful service industry), but which is not essential, and might possibly be replaced or rendered redundant by other service providers who fill the same needs!
They aren’t ‘communitarians’ (in the sense that Jonathan critiques) but perhaps I could cheekily call them ‘high churchman’ (in the good sense of what phrase once meant in Anglicanism—having a very high view of the church and its role).
TP
No, this doesn’t resonate with me at all.
I reflect on the character of Jesus’ ministry (and Paul to a large extent also) being entirely relational and focussed in community living. His constant meal sharing, telling of stories to friends and groups, healing ministry, gathering of disciples, wisdom teaching and so on speaks strongly to me of the primacy of our relationships being an agent of ‘the kingdom of God’. On balance in the synoptics, I think there is far less material on personal santification issues than how the ‘kingdom of God’ is realised through our relational context.
Much of the authentic Pauline writings are less doctrinal creeds about personal sanctification, but more encouragement and exhortation about how to live in Christian community. Take the Corinthians as an example - he passionately exhorts them to overcome their differences.... chapter after chapter.
I’m not convinced the historical Jesus or Paul would support your conclusions about individual first, community second. I suspect that for them, certainly in the context of 1stC Palestine, the dualistic separation of individual from community is meaningless. This separation is a later western cultural development that was concurrently reflected in personalised/individualised theology and articles of faith.
Cheers.
Hi Stephen
Did you read Jonathan’s article? He’s not saying ‘individual first, community second’, and I hope that my brief extracts didn’t convey that impression.
He affirms that our lack of community and relationship is a problem (and its many unhelpful side-effects and byproducts). But he argues (and I think rightly) that the nasty secret of Enlightenment-driven, modernist individualism is sin—the declaration of individual autonomy from God. This is the root cause of our problems, and our modern lack of community, relationship and love is the consequence.
So he’s saying that the solution is not to address the symptom but the disease. And the repentance he’s talking about is not atomised and individualistic; it’s deeply tied up with church.
One of the reasons I like the article, in fact, was that he manages to keep the ‘individual’ and the ‘communal’ tied closely together, giving each their proper and due place (because as you say, you can’t really separate them in the end). His critique of the ‘communitarians’ is that by focusing too much on the symptom, and not thinking it through with sufficient theological rigour, they end up unhelpfully re-casting key biblical doctrines (like sin, Christ and salvation).
Hope that helps and clarifies.
TP
Hi Tony,
Yes, there is common ground on what we are both saying: that the atomisation of western secular society is occurring and is rooted in the cult of the individual, which springs forth from our broken humanity. We might use different language, but I think we agree on this.
A significant difference remains however, and perhaps I was a somewhat opaque in my previous post...apologies (I tend to write short, generalised posts rather than long detailed ones you have probably noticed) Setting ourselves right with God is enacted through our community living where the ‘Kingdom of God’ can break through and transform peoples lives. Individualism has no power to do this. I believe this is the model that Jesus sets before us. Re-reading the Last Supper story with this lense is most instructive.
Mediated salvation through the Church is something entirely different.
Reading 1Cor15 recently has also clarified this in my mind about Paul’s position on how ‘salvation’ is enacted, ie through community.
Cheers.
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