In Defence of Individualism

A Protestant's Perspective

Hello dear friends! As you may have noticed, I took a little writing break so that I could focus on some other things in my life. I had previously promised to write an essay once a week, however, for the time being these will mostly be ‘ad-hoc’ when I have capacity. This is because I am finally on my way to finishing my Master’s degree after a long period of illness, while also setting up a new programme with WTC Theology. More details on this to follow in a few weeks. In the meantime, enjoy my latest ponderings on the good of individualism!

Individualism often gets a bad rap in Christian circles.

Pastors love to boldly declare it to be the root problem that has allowed selfishness and narcissism to flourish in our society. If only we got people to stop thinking about themselves, then all would be well!

This is problematic for a variety of reasons:

1. Selfishness and narcissism have flourished in non-individualistic societies for many millennia. It is not unique to individualistic cultures.

2. Individualism is a profoundly Christian concept and arguably stems from the Reformation. Protestants in particular, would do well to understand the role our tradition has played in promoting the concept of “self” over the centuries.

3. This rhetoric of “stop thinking about yourself” is commonly used by institutions to silence victims of abuse, and it needs to stop.