Critical Expressive Individualism

Culture has changed. In America, we think very differently as a society than we did 50+ years ago.  The popular way of thinking today combines Critical Theory and Expressive Individualism.  I am going to call it, “Critical Expressive Individualism” or CEI.  Critical Theory views the world in terms of oppressive social structures that support the reigning oppressors and allow for continued oppression of various people groups.  Expressive Individualism allows individuals to identify themselves in ways that express their inner “authentic self”.  We will take a look at Critical Expressive Individualism and compare it to Christianity by asking a few basic but big questions. (Note there is a spectrum of beliefs so this will be a broad overview of CEI and Christianity, and may not match individual beliefs.)

Where did we come from?

The Christian Faith believes that God created the world.  He created human beings in his own image.  We are valuable to God.  We were made to be in a relationship with him.  CEI believes that humankind evolved by random chance.  There was no intentional design. Humans just exist.

Who has the authority?

In the Christian Faith, God, the Creator, has the authority.  Out of love, he has set up good and healthy moral laws for us to live by.  We are to trust in him and live the good life by obeying his commands.  The CEI worldview has each and every one acting as their own authority.  They look inside themselves at their feelings and desires and decide who they are (usually sexually) and how they will behave.  They are then free to express their individual authentic selves.

What is our problem?

Just about everyone agrees that there is a problem with life.  Things are not as we expect them to be.  We seek a utopia where the problem is fixed.  The Christian Faith sees the problem existing in each one of us.  We are broken, selfish and self-centered.  We disobey the good and healthy standards that God has for us and in doing so we hurt ourselves and others.  CEI sees humankind as naturally good and the problem is that there are these societal structures that allow oppression to occur and restrict the expressive freedom of each individual.

What is the solution?

CEI believes that each person has total authority and the right to express themselves as they see fit.  Even though there is technically no right or wrong, CEI attempts to influence society in order to dismantle oppressive societal structures and bring about positive change. This is a reason for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officers in companies and organizations.  They are there to move people to help dismantle oppressive structures and to promote those considered to be oppressed.  They believe that the people of this world will solve the problem once they have been trained to think correctly.

Christians realize there is no human solution because everyone is corrupt and broken.  We are self-centered and selfish.  Because of our broken nature, everything we try will be corrupted.  Fortunately, God sent Jesus into the world to provide the solution.  He went to the cross to pay for the price we could not pay. By trusting in Jesus we are changed.  With the Holy Spirit, we can be enabled to overcome our broken nature.  The Holy Spirit transforms the inner self and works to change us from the inside out.  Christians, out of gratitude for what Jesus did, also work for the good of society and oppose oppression and wrong behaviors.

How will things end for us?

With CEI they believe they can create utopia on earth by training and guiding people. So through proper laws, training, destroying of oppressive structures, and the lifting up of the oppressed peoples, they believe utopia can come.  Christians believe that God will at the right time end this world and make everything right for all those who believe in him. Then our brokenness will be fixed, and we will be restored to a harmonious loving relationship with God and each other. 

These different ways to view the world have caused conflict in America.  Because of the different worldviews, very different solutions end up being promoted, causing conflict and misunderstanding.