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It is true to say that modern people are excessively preoccupied with
their own personal meaning of life without sufficient attention to
general things.
It is therefore understandable, and probably the correct priority, for Christians to emphasize general duties, general principles, obedience and sacrifice to the needs of others - above personal development...
However, I expect that, like me for much of my
life, modern non-Christians are aware that even if everything about
Christianity were correct - all its general purposes and precepts - then
even all of that is not enough.
The fact that it is not enough, may lead them to
assume that:
1. Christians believe that it is enough. And
2.
That (therefore) Christianity actually wants its adherents to be
undifferentiated 'cookie cutter' clones (and sometimes Christians do
talk that way).
However, however - all people are different, things are set-up that way: personal development is part of the divine plan (and an extremely important part) - so cannot and should not be neglected, ignored or suppressed.
And indeed, real and specific personal development is only possible in a context of general purposes and precepts - so the modern notion of personal development in isolation from religion or any general system of objective beliefs and duties is sheer nonsense.
It’s interesting. Some people within Christianity seem to be in maintenance mode. Just trying to remain Christian in a world that wants you to be an apostate. There doesn’t seem to be much time or room for personal development if you’re one of these people.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. What this made me think of is that every sin is a virtue gone wrong. So if the modern world has made a wicked cult of navel-gazing and personal development, its likely that there are positive versions of the same thing that are being obscure.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely the case. One of the things I notice as a high-school teacher and a Sunday school teacher for the college kids is that Christian college ministries often pressure the young'ns to do things other than their studies. So Christians often do not make good grades or change to easier majors to avoid the conflict of interest between "ministry" and difficult work in philosophy, science, math, or vocational school.
ReplyDeleteChristians, because we have the true narrative about world history, have the impetus for self-improvement beyond any other group because we believe there is transcendent purpose behind any vocation that is not in direct service to sin.
I once remarked that when you are dating someone and get to see his or her bookshelf, it is a good sign if they have a self-improvement book or two, but a bad sign if their whole library consists of self-improvement books.
ReplyDelete