Jeremy L. Berg

This is an oldie but goodie out of the Daily Illumination treasure chest from a couple years ago. Why an old post? Because Jesus says that “Every teacher who has been well trained in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old” (Matt 13:52).  Plus, I’m feeling a bit lazy…  Enjoy!

Yesterday I had the chance to sit down and interview two high school students who are both self-declared atheists. They are both very inquisitive, mature thinkers for their age. I have enjoyed several conversations and interactions in the past with these two young men, and appreciate the honest and respectful way they carry themselves. While most high school students are primarily consumed with more immediate, personal concerns like food, video games, homework, sports, hanging with friends, music and other individualistic concerns (micro-issues), these two guys are already thinking “globally” — having many thoughtful opinions on political, economical, cultural, religious and philosophical matters (macro-issues). So, I was thrilled and grateful for some wonderful conversations.

One of the students I interviewed, when asked about his own “belief system”, said he currently supports the underlying philosophy of neo-Tribalism. (I told you these were not ordinary teenagers!) According to Wikapedia, “Neo-Tribalism is the ideology that human beings have evolved to live in a tribal, as opposed to a modern, society, and thus cannot achieve genuine happiness until some semblance of tribal lifestyles has been re-created or re-embraced.” As he described some of the foundational ideals underlying this tribal lifestyle, I began to immediately compare and contrast them with some of the teachings of the Hebrew tradition we find in the Bible.

As I see it, Neo-Tribalism, an economic philosophy being fueled by the growing momentum of postmodernity, is another strong critique of the abuses of Modernity. Human civilization has become a giant, impersonal economically driven machine whose bottom line is progress. In the name of progress, economic growth, technological advancement, etc. we have seen the gradual collapse and deprivation of the basic human needs for community, relationship and a shared community story to give our existence ultimate meaning.

I agree with the diagnosis of the problem. I agree with the postmodern critique of some of the unintended damage the Modern Age has brought to the global community. I agree that we have a major lack of intimate community in many developed nations. I believe we have exploited the environment and wreaked havoc on the ecosystem. I believe we have falsely placed our hopes in the humanistic philosophy of modern progress, only to find now that we have created a monster that is feeds unceasingly on human resources, yet only producing impersonal, material products — leaving our innate, human longings unmet and unfulfilled.

Yet, while I can agree with my friend on WHAT’S WRONG and some of WHAT’S NEEDED to make things right, we eventually disagree on some fundamental points. (My friend might be surprised how much the Hebrew tradition has to say on such things; that is unfortunately due to the church’s long history of ignoring these larger issues and focusing solely on the modern obsession with individual salvation — which is paramount but not the whole story.)  

Next time I will offer some biblical reflections on and interaction with this intriguing, humanistic social philosophy.  Stay tuned!