Separation and Identity

Abstract

The tight Brethren have become so differentiated from other social systems that they have lumped all these together into a single huge Other: ‘the world’, in Brethren parlance. The world, according to the Brethren, has infiltrated the churches, with the result that they now constitute ‘sects’. These reflect Man’s sinful pride in thinking that the simple model of the New Testament church can be improved upon. The world has even, allege the Brethren, seduced some of the Open Brethren away from Assembly Truth. The consequence of this extreme differentiation is a siege mentality of fear of defilement, with the only reassurance being the experience of ‘persecution’. The simple world view of Us, the true remnant, versus the Other leads directly to a simple social identity which is inadequate to deal with the complexities of modern life. The only solution is to separate from it and avoid it.