Epilogue

Abstract

The previous chapters have made the point that Christianity, with its emphasis on inner belief and faith instead of laws, has been the environmental driver of the evolution of individualism. Paradoxically however, despite our increasing secularism, the modern question has become, has individualism evolved too far? There is, however, no longer any one single grand narrative that describes our culture, or our people. More than ever, there is not one reality but many different, often conflicting realities. Individuals can stay cocooned within their own personal worldview, watching news that fits their biases and beliefs, and belonging to social groups online that conform to their own values and lifestyles. Social fragmentation, enabled by social media and online networking, is increasingly causing individuals to become separate islands. We have come full circle, the individualism engendered by the Christian worldview has gone to an extreme and produced the opposite: anxiety, loneliness, and alienation. The discussion in this chapter suggests hyper-individualism demands that truth claims can be anything one wants and are evolving into identity politics devoid of the values inherent in the Christian worldview.