Plot Summary
Disunity in Christ
Christena Cleveland
Disunity in Christ
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2013
Plot Summary
Disunity in Christ is a 2013 Christian non-fiction book by the American author and social psychologist Christena Cleveland. Subtitled Uncovering the Hidden Forces That Keep Us Apart, the book relies on the author's dual experience in sociology and theology to examine the many ways in which modern Christians have succumbed to factionalism and infighting.
Cleveland outlines a number of fault lines that have been dividing Christians both in recent history and over the past 2000 years. Christians are divided by age, demographic, politics, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and sometimes all five at once. This trend, the author admits, goes directly against Jesus' prayer that his followers "be one."
Although Cleveland acknowledges that these divisions have been in place for centuries, she uses modern sociological vocabulary to discuss these divisions. For example, there are two broad trends that are working to increase these divisions: group polarization and outgroup homogeneity. Group polarization is when members of an insulated group reinforce each other's beliefs and behaviors, preventing them from readily embracing alternate worldviews. Outgroup homogeneity is when members of these insulated groups come to believe that everyone who doesn't belong to their group is the same. This enables negative tendencies within the group that allows them to demonize everyone else whenever they demonize just one person.
Much of this behavior has nothing to do with living according to the teachings of Jesus. Rather, they are about reinforcing our own fragile egos by taking others down. This ego-stroking is perhaps most problematic in situations where so-called "power differentials" are in play. For example, Cleveland writes that high-status Christians will often look down on lower-status Christians without admitting the role privilege and power play in attaining status. It is easy for wealthy people to believe that their good fortune isn't the bounty of God but rather the result of their good work. Meanwhile, they consider others' bad fortune as the result of those individuals’ poor choices as opposed to elements that they cannot control.
Cleveland also discusses how comparatively small differences between groups of Christians can quickly magnify themselves and seem far more significant than they really are. There are a number of reasons this can happen, but the main one is that there is a sense of egotism at work which tells each individual person that his or her group is special or better than others. A lack of unity can also arise because of very simple choices in language. The theme she continually returns to is that these tendencies are deeply ingrained by years of social conditioning. It takes work to break these habits, to uncover our blind spots, and to identify fears that are so deeply internalized we may not even realize they are there.
One of the reasons the book is most effective is that Cleveland never comes across as judgmental. That's because at one time or another she has been the victim of all of the behaviors she criticizes. This lets readers "off the hook" while also keeping them open to ways they can change their behaviors and internalized thought processes.
In an interview with The Gospel Coalition, Cleveland discusses her biggest influence:
"The biggest influence on my thinking has been the Gospels. When I examine Jesus’ heart and actions, I see a consistent cross-cultural theme. It seems that everything Jesus did was cross-cultural: the Incarnation, his meaningful relationships with a diverse group of people, his ability to speak to people in a way that affirmed their specific culture, the Cross. By examining the Gospels, I’ve discovered that a significant part of following Jesus involves caring about people whose experiences, cultural backgrounds and problems are nothing like my own."
While Disunity in Christ is clearly targeted at Christians, the book's themes of group reconciliation are more valuable than ever to all readers at this incredibly divisive moment in history.
Cleveland outlines a number of fault lines that have been dividing Christians both in recent history and over the past 2000 years. Christians are divided by age, demographic, politics, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and sometimes all five at once. This trend, the author admits, goes directly against Jesus' prayer that his followers "be one."
Although Cleveland acknowledges that these divisions have been in place for centuries, she uses modern sociological vocabulary to discuss these divisions. For example, there are two broad trends that are working to increase these divisions: group polarization and outgroup homogeneity. Group polarization is when members of an insulated group reinforce each other's beliefs and behaviors, preventing them from readily embracing alternate worldviews. Outgroup homogeneity is when members of these insulated groups come to believe that everyone who doesn't belong to their group is the same. This enables negative tendencies within the group that allows them to demonize everyone else whenever they demonize just one person.
Much of this behavior has nothing to do with living according to the teachings of Jesus. Rather, they are about reinforcing our own fragile egos by taking others down. This ego-stroking is perhaps most problematic in situations where so-called "power differentials" are in play. For example, Cleveland writes that high-status Christians will often look down on lower-status Christians without admitting the role privilege and power play in attaining status. It is easy for wealthy people to believe that their good fortune isn't the bounty of God but rather the result of their good work. Meanwhile, they consider others' bad fortune as the result of those individuals’ poor choices as opposed to elements that they cannot control.
Cleveland also discusses how comparatively small differences between groups of Christians can quickly magnify themselves and seem far more significant than they really are. There are a number of reasons this can happen, but the main one is that there is a sense of egotism at work which tells each individual person that his or her group is special or better than others. A lack of unity can also arise because of very simple choices in language. The theme she continually returns to is that these tendencies are deeply ingrained by years of social conditioning. It takes work to break these habits, to uncover our blind spots, and to identify fears that are so deeply internalized we may not even realize they are there.
One of the reasons the book is most effective is that Cleveland never comes across as judgmental. That's because at one time or another she has been the victim of all of the behaviors she criticizes. This lets readers "off the hook" while also keeping them open to ways they can change their behaviors and internalized thought processes.
In an interview with The Gospel Coalition, Cleveland discusses her biggest influence:
"The biggest influence on my thinking has been the Gospels. When I examine Jesus’ heart and actions, I see a consistent cross-cultural theme. It seems that everything Jesus did was cross-cultural: the Incarnation, his meaningful relationships with a diverse group of people, his ability to speak to people in a way that affirmed their specific culture, the Cross. By examining the Gospels, I’ve discovered that a significant part of following Jesus involves caring about people whose experiences, cultural backgrounds and problems are nothing like my own."
While Disunity in Christ is clearly targeted at Christians, the book's themes of group reconciliation are more valuable than ever to all readers at this incredibly divisive moment in history.