Andrew Fellow’s discourse on narcissism (which can be downloaded here: http://labri.org/england/resources/Narcissism.pdf) follows quite a helpful outline:
1) The CAUSES of Narcissism
2) The CONSEQUENCES of Narcissism
3) The CURE for Narcissism
In the CAUSES of Narcissism, Andrew tells the story of Narcissism’s development in culture to today. Here’s a great little summary statement:
“Up until the Enlightenment religion had been the integration point for the self’s sense of
identity. When this was displaced it fell to Philosophy and Science to provide it. When
these could not give a positive sense of worth there was nowhere else to turn but to a
retreat into the self. Now the self had to service the self. This was the withdrawal from
the objective world into the Narcissistic state. When that which was outside could not
provide a healthy self-understanding we had to retreat inwards and try to build up our
own.”
It’s that ‘retreat inwards’ versus the meaning that God gives to humanity that I think we can see so much of today. And within the church we too battle this particularly with respect to identity and image.
Hopefully as i unpack Andrew’s lecture on Narcissism we all can learn something to take to church for the glory of our Lord.
