This year's Mere Anglicanism Conference in Charleston, South Carolina was happily free from the controversy of 2024's gathering. With 650 people in attendance, the theme this year was, "You Are Not Your Own: Gospel Identity in an Age of Expressive Individualism."
I must admit that I had never heard the term "expressive individualism" and was a little pessimistic as to whether or not I would get anything out of attending this year, but a couple of days in the Holy City with fellow believers was reason enough to go.
I was not disappointed as the weather was excellent, the speakers were excellent, and we enjoyed a wonderful Eucharist on Friday night at historic St. Philips Church.
We had a great bookstore set up by Westminster Bookstore where one could purchase books written by the speakers and others.
I shall summarize my observations about the presentations below.
1) Carl Trueman gave a thorough overview of the history and definition of expressive individualism along with the philosophical and social movements that led us to where we are now. He pointed out that in pre-enlightenment times if one was asked the question, "Who are you?" they would say, "My family is so and so, from the village of such and such, and I am a blacksmith." Identity was often based on what one did to provide for your family. Now if you ask a young person the same question, they do not have a solid answer. They are more likely to talk about their feelings than their purpose in life.
2) Al Mohler gave one of the more entertaining talks. He introduced himself as "Baptist by theology, Anglican by taste," a meme picked up by many subsequent speakers. He said that we should be like the tribe of Issachar,
...men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do-200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command (1 Chronicles 12:32)
That is to say that it is our duty to understand the times and to know what to do. He described the times as the age of "hyper modernity."
He said that he would not reiterate Carl Trueman's talk so traced the origins of expressive individualism to Immanuel Kant's radical break from pre-enlightenment thinking and a switch from a focus on the object to a focus on the subject, or the known to the knower which is exactly where expressive individualism takes us.
Moving on to Marx and others, Mohler made the comment, "Elites always understand oppression better the people who are being oppressed do".
He made the point that we teach our children well or they will be lost,
Dueteronomy 6:4-6 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[b] 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Being lost is the end result of expressive individualism.
3) Michael Nazir Ali went next which was much to his disadvantage as the previous speakers had covered so much.
4) Mary Eberstadt last spoke to us 11 years ago. Her subject this time was, "Life, liberty, and the human body: the wages of our defiance." She said that modern identity crisis was in large part due to the collapse of the family which could be traced to the sexual revolution and its battle cry. "I am my own!"
This led to what she called "subtractions" such as abortion (subtracting babies), the pill, divorce, single parenting, small families, all of which leads to fewer people in one's life to learn from and from whom to form an identity, a collapse of social knowledge, loneliness, drops in marriage, increase use of porn, and a decreased ability to love.
She sees hope in more research being reported on the results of the sexual revolution and increases in college conversions, homeschooling, and charter schools.
5) Justin Early gave a talk without notes about the importance of friendships.
Genesis2:18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
He said that you were "made for people," and "you cannot become yourself by yourself."
Expressive individualism leads to restless wandering,
"I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." - Cain in Genesis 4
Modern America is proof that Genesis was right, expressive individualism leads to death.
We need to have "covenant friendships" built on vulnerability and commitment like Jesus had with his disciples.
A good quote,
"Internet friends are snacks. Embodied friends are a meal."
On Saturday morning we had two more speakers. The Rev. Jeffery Miller gave the introductions with an amusing preface explaining why he missed Morning Prayer today,
" I was worshipping at St. Mattress and the Springs."
6) Stephen Pressley spoke on the early church and its relevance to today. The ancient world has come back to us with numerous religions to choose from, paganism, and the rise of the "nones."
He hearkened to Ireneus and the importance of catechesis, citizenship, virtuous leadership, and hope in order to engage with the world.
A football analogy was made: You have to first learn the basics, blocking and tackling before you go into the arena.
"We are heavenly citizens engaging in a public world."
"What the soul is to the body the Church is to the world." - the Epistle to Diognetus.
7) Vaughn Roberts started off with naming expressive individualism a "false gospel."
"A human being wrapped up in himself makes a very small package."
"Modern identities are insecure, and that is why they are defended so vigorously."
We have four gifts:
- A secure identity in Christ
- A glorious destiny
- An inclusive diversity
- A captivating purpose
- Proclaim a BIG Gospel
- Pray for progress
- Present a big challenge
Pewsterspouse and I had to leave before the final panel discussion in order to get home before a predicted ice storm.
We did.
All in all it was a great conference, but I shall have to start a diet after all of the fine meals we had in Charleston.
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