The Language of Blessing by Joseph Cavanaugh III

Author:Joseph Cavanaugh III
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RELIGION / Christian Life / Spiritual Growth, FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / General
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Published: 2013-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

DOING MY OWN THING: THE DOWNSIDE OF INDIVIDUALISM

Closely linked to the blind pursuit of high self-esteem is the quest for expressive individualism. From the spouses who leave their marriages and families because they’re unhappy or want to “find themselves” to the casual church hoppers who bounce from one congregation to the next, always seeking to find the church that meets all their needs, examples of the pursuit of a free and fulfilled self are all around us.

America has always seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the concept of individualism. Some see it as the primary source of many of our society’s ills. In contrast, others see it as the foundation of our personal freedoms. In truth, individualism has always been central to the American way of life; however, its definition has evolved through the centuries. When inappropriately expressed, it, too, can prevent the blessing from being received and lived out.

According to Robert N. Bellah et al., authors of Habits of the Heart, Western culture has embraced four traditions of individualism at various times. Two of the traditions, biblical and republican individualism, undergird our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. The other two, utilitarian and expressive individualism, emerged in the one hundred years following America’s founding. Individualism rightly promotes “belief in the inherent dignity and, indeed, sacredness of the human person,”30 but the four forms have some differences, as you’ll see below:

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