I have recently been stating that something is missing in Western theology. Our cultural perspectives have become individualistic, shallow and narcissistic. I believe that this stems from our theology. What I have been trying to state in a very struggling manner can be put this way:
"Christocentric Reformed ecclesiology tends to focus on the salvation of an individual rather than on the demonstration of the kingdom of God; thus it can lead to individualism of faith and individualism in the local church." (This contributes to individualism within the culture. My addition to this quote.)
"All three persons of the Trinity are involved in the emergence and life of the Christian community. The Father sends the Son to redeem a people for himself, the Son dies on the cross to effect this redemption and the Spirit is given by the Father through the Son to the redeemed community, the church."
"A trinitarian ecclesiology is far more effective in understanding the nature and function of the church and its ministry: it not only allows the church to overcome underlying hierarchical thinking with regard to gender and various offices, but it also enables the mission of the church to be viewed and practiced in the broader perspective of proclamation and the demonstration of God's sovereigh authority all over the world. A trinitarian ecclesiology, however, need not weaken the Christological center of its ecclesiology. It does not lead to a denial of Christ's death on the cross as the only way to salvation, because the meaning of the cross is even mor fully explicated within a trinitarian framework."
(Quotes taken from The Missional Church In Context, The Possibility of Transforming GAPCK into a Missional Church, Joon Ho Lee, Craig VanGelder, Editor, 2007, William B. Eerdmans Publishing, Pp. 180-181.)
This is the perspective of a Korean Missiologist and Theologian. This is why we need to get out of our Western theological slant that leans toward individualism.
The larger question is how much has Western theology contributed to the downfall of community and given us a slant toward the narcissism we now face? Can the Church be a catalyst for a renewed vision for community?
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