Homiletics (6): Preaching between individualism and consumerism

Tailoring one’s preaching to the specific thinking and needs of the respective congregation … Already the early Apostles did this. To this end, the preacher must understand the world of the listeners. Let us first take a look at the Western world. 

The Western world has several explanations of reality, which provide various meanings by which people interpret and live in society. A commonly used term is the German Zeitgeist, meaning something like “spirit of the age”. This refers to the defining spirit, mood, or general outlook of a particular period in history. 

Modernism and postmodernism

Modernism was the dominant cultural environment for the West from about 1750 to the 1960’s. A child of the so-called Enlightenment, it advocated the belief in universal human reason. It was believed that reason alone leads to truth and progress. As a result, many people became increasingly suspicious of the truth and validity of inherited traditions (for example, church teachings). What was favoured was the freedom and autonomy of the individual to reason for himself. 

From the 1960’s there was a reaction to modernism, a movement called postmodernism. It questions the idea of rational mastery and progress. It claims there is no such thing as objective truth. Any truth claims are a means of power and domination. There are various truths, and each truth should be considered as equally valid. In other words, truth is subjective. Diversity and pluralism are things that need to be celebrated. 

The result today: most Western societies are a fluid mixture of modernism and postmodernism. Age-old certainties, as well as religious, moral, and cultural foundations have been eroded, leaving many people disorientated and rootless.

Freedom and individualism

The biggest dogma of our time is the notion of individual freedom. Not that it is a bad thing in and of itself, but the modern sense of freedom is something often exercised without any divine accountability or commitment. God and any meaningful commitments are moved out of the picture. It is about my rights, my choice, my opinion, and my self-expression. It is the age of the selfie, and gathering feedback in the form of likes and followers.

This notion of freedom resulted in hyper-individualism. My freedom is exercised entirely independently of others. Other people limit my freedom. I can choose whatever I want and whomever I want to be (self-creation), and there is no need for long-term commitments, personal or otherwise. 

Happiness and consumerism

Freedom also resulted in consumerism, which is related to free-market globalisation, as well as the explosion of science and technology. Every day there are more and more choices. What is important is not so much making the right choice but simply having the right to choose. 

The problem with the above is that it is a pursuit of happiness that will never be satisfied, but which rather enslaves us to narcissism, loneliness, depression, materialism, and debt. 

The notions of freedom and consumerism also extend to the realm of faith, or the modern concept of spirituality. It is a private and personal affair, changeable, and constructed from whatever elements that I like, and is exercised outside established traditions and on my own terms. 

The problem: Any so-called spiritual engagement is often no different to purchasing a fashion accessory. Whatever I choose reflects my personality. It is not about recognising or encountering divine truth or making a life-long commitment or a fundamental change.

Science and technology

One of the big ideas of modernism is the idea of progress. It is certainly true that science and technology have improved things in life in many ways. But the underlying consumerist culture has resulted in growing economic inequality, as well as the exploitation of the earth’s resources and growing ecological challenges. In addition, it resulted in various addictions and distractions like materialism, social media, and entertainment.

Mankind is slowly but surely gaining mastery over the world. The claim is that advancement in medicine and technology is alleviating human suffering and poverty; also, that science and technology improve connectivity, the spread of information, create wealth, and will solve all problems and lead us to utopia. 

The message of the gospel

As mentioned in the previous article, ministers are encouraged to understand the world of meaning of their listeners and how the gospel can address this. The bride of Christ must be equipped through knowledge and preaching of the gospel to critically examine the worldviews of our time. 

The cornerstones of preaching are: there is one God who is Creator and Lord over all. God is the source of creation and redemption, and of blessing and salvation. All truth, purpose, and meaning are God-given, and not our own to invent or fashion for ourselves. Human beings have little control over the world or their destiny, and all are called upon to trust in God and His promises. True freedom is to be freed from sin, having fellowship with Christ and His church, and serving one another through love (Galatians 5: 13). 

Photo: Emanuel – stock.adobe.com

About the author

Markus Cromhout (born 1972) is a theologian at the New Apostolic Church Southern Africa. He is active in his congregation as an Evangelist. He studied at the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria and obtained his doctorate in New Testament Studies. In addition to scientific publications, he also writes popular science. He conducted seminars on the subject of “Homiletics” and provides weekly background videos.