It’s Me, Hi, I’m the Problem it’s Me
At the heart of his book, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, Carl Trueman explores the effect expressive individualism has on modern society, especially in regards to the sexual revolution, and seeks to trace how its influence became ubiquitous.[1] His hope seems noble. He doesn’t seek to give answers to what he believes is an incredibly complex, just to illuminate the context from which he thinks our current culture arose and to be more informed as a result.
While Trueman seems to embellish a bit to make his points about a decline in morality (i.e. saying that Nixon was done in by his use of a swear-word)[2], his underlying premise that the philosophers, social movements, and technological advancements through history that gave rise to expressive individualism should be named is helpful. I appreciated that he recognizes how individuals may be effected by culture, which he shows in the reflection questions he chooses to ask the reader to consider at the end of each chapter. I felt Trueman was most compelling when he addressed the ways in which the church or he himself has been influenced by similar forces or by the modern culture he analyzes.[3]
And the church has been influenced. We’ve seen as much through the works of David Bebbington, Max Weber, and Jason Clark. Not only has the church been influenced, but there seems to be a symbiotic relationship of sorts between Western Christianity and culture. Neither seems untouched by the other and it feels as if you can’t really get a grasp of where one ends and the other begins.[4]
To that end, I wonder if it would also have been helpful for Trueman, and perhaps for Christians who are especially curious and/or concerned about the rise of sexuality as identity to consider what part we might have played. Could it be possible that at least some of the need to shape identity around sexuality comes from reactions in Christian spaces to non-orthodox expressions of sexuality? I think about how quickly ministry leaders are removed from their positions or how hastily members are chastised if people find out they are gay, and contrast that with how slowly and quietly ministry leaders are removed from their positions if they’re found to be abusing their power, caught in an affair, or various other indiscretions. Have we not implicitly signaled that sexuality trumps other character and identity traits that those individuals have displayed? If we’re concerned with people positively putting their identity in sexuality, shouldn’t we also stop negatively putting their identity in sexuality?
I want to emphasize the importance of Trueman’s call to humility. Even further so, a call for Christians to raise and align with humble leaders. Trueman marks Trump’s presidency as a turning point for when it “became routine to hear religious conservatives in general, and evangelical Christians in particular, decried as representing a threat to civil society.”[5] I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Trump uses extreme “all or nothing” rhetoric and has further normalized not taking fault or responsibility for one’s actions. I firmly believe we are only as effective as we are honest. And we can only be honest if we are humble enough to examine ourselves. To fully allow myself to be influenced by one of modern culture’s biggest icon’s, I’ll try to glean some(probably out of context) wisdom from Taylor Swift. As we seek to address the complex and convoluted “wicked problems”[6] of our time, take a moment and also acknowledge that at least partly, “it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”
[1] Carl Trueman, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution (Crossway, 2022), 24.
[2] Ibid, 29.
[3] Ibid, 128.
[4] Tom Holland, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, (New York: Basic Books, 2019), 15.
[5] Trueman, Strange New World, 130.
[6] Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”, released October 2022, on Midnights, Electric Lady, Rough Customer, Sound House, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1kbLwvqugk&ab_channel=TaylorSwiftVEV.
About the Author
Caleb Lu
9 responses to “It’s Me, Hi, I’m the Problem it’s Me”
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You hooked me at your title. Well done. I didn’t read “Strange New World” but I did read Trueman’s “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self” which I found fascinating. I agree, I wonder what it would’ve been like for Trueman to have looked at the underlying philosophies that have shaped Western culture, particularly in the Evangelical church. How did we get here when a vast majority of Evangelicals align politically with an immoral, narcissistic candidate like Trump? Thank you for your thoughts and invitation into introspection in how we are contributing to the problem.
Caleb, what an engaging post. I agree with David – great title! I love your question, “If we’re concerned with people positively putting their identity in sexuality, shouldn’t we also stop negatively putting their identity in sexuality?” I remember years ago in grad school I was engaged in a discussion about homosexuality with some fellow students. Part of the discussion was around families and the breaking up of families. I made the suggestion that if the sin of homosexuality is about the sexual act then what if a homosexual couple stayed together to not break up a family, but remained abstinent. I received the most visceral negative response. I can remember one of my professors saying that God will one day hold the church accountable for the way we have treated the homosexual community. I agree with you “that at least partly, ‘it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.'” I’m the problem. I am learning and growing and maybe I can be a part of the solution.
Caleb,
I love your title – it’s your best one yet.
I think, as Christians, we all are guilty to some degree of being part of the problem that we have today. Maybe some more than others. It’s most definitely a wicked problem.
Thank you, as always, for your humility and honesty.
Caleb, Wow, thank you for your thought-provoking post. This is a powerful quote: “If we’re concerned with people positively putting their identity in sexuality, shouldn’t we also stop negatively putting their identity in sexuality?” People are so much more than their sexual identity. I had a section highlighted in Mounk’s book that says that if we interpret much of life through the lens of sexual orientation, we miss out on the complexity of each other and of the world. (my summary) Mounk is talking about people caught in the identity trap, but it seems like, as you pointed out, this could apply to many more than just those caught in the id trap.
Thanks for your post, Caleb! See you tomorrow.
Caleb,
Count me as another that was hooked by your title!
I was also drawn by your question: “Have we not implicitly signaled that sexuality trumps other character and identity traits that those individuals have displayed?” This nailed my problem with the book and our current culture. We are all operating as if sexuality is our identity when we hold sexuality above all other character traits and skills. Perhaps in some strange and hypocritical way, right-wing evangelicals are demonstrating that they can separate sexuality and character traits in their support of Trump. In other words, they have become nuanced in their assessment of one’s character when it comes to politics. Perhaps, politics trumps all other identity traits. Perhaps it always has. Great post.
Caleb,
This right here is everything “To that end, I wonder if it would also have been helpful for Trueman, and perhaps for Christians who are especially curious and/or concerned about the rise of sexuality as identity to consider what part we might have played. Could it be possible that at least some of the need to shape identity around sexuality comes from reactions in Christian spaces to non-orthodox expressions of sexuality?” I think you nail it with this.
Caleb,
This question jumped out at me:
“Could it be possible that at least some of the need to shape identity around sexuality comes from reactions in Christian spaces to non-orthodox expressions of sexuality?”
I think we need to look at this! A good hard look!
The good questions keep coming!
“Have we not implicitly signaled that sexuality trumps other character and identity traits that those individuals have displayed?”
This nails it!
Great post!
Caleb,
I watched the music video by Taylor Swift. Wow, what a message.
Caleb, Kristy watched the video and then shared it to the girl group… I immediately came to read your post. I like me some Taylor Swift… (Yall don’t come at me!)
What a great post, and insightful analysis.