Another research topic for my subject, Research in Theology. This will be a series. It's a short paper about my interpretation of my identity from the perspective of Christian theology. The original title is Who Will I Be in 2030?
In this post, I explore the relationship between my present and future identity through the lens of Christian theology. I emphasized that true self-understanding and future planning are grounded in my relationship with God and the communal identity of the Church. In this article, I will just cover the introduction and the first part.
One preliminary consideration is appropriate before I shift to the actual research topic. This is just part of my academic pursuit. By blogging it, I am adding the incentive mechanism provided by a Web 3 platform like Hive. Such an opportunity never existed before. Except for receiving an academic grade for this paper, I will also receive a financial reward, no matter how small it is. How I wish my colleagues would soon follow this Web 3 path.
Now, it's time to shift to the research topic.
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Future planning does not adrift from one’s discerned identity. To ask, “Who will I be?” is first and foremost a question about “Who am I?"However, the task of self-examination neither begins nor ends with sitting at a desk and contemplating deeply; rather, it is a lifelong endeavor shaped by experience.
In psychology, this idea is connected to the concept of ‘future-self continuity,’ which reflects how we perceive and relate to our future selves." This suggests that the future and actual self are related and affected through authenticity, that is, knowing oneself truly. However, the Christian foundation of identity does not find its ultimacy in experience; instead, it is grounded in one’s relationship with God. It is under, not above nor equal, that experiences should be understood and interpreted in light of God’s revelation to be fully meaningful. Therefore, with these ideas in mind, this paper aims to speculate what my future will be through a substantial understanding of my identity by examining the traditional markers and the biblical-theological foundations of identity.
The first section aims to provide a background of self-identity where my future goals should ideally align. Moreover, this reflective research speculates who I might become based on the analysis provided in the first section. Subsequently, I scrutinize and compare whether the ideas of my present and future selves harmonize or clash. To achieve both, I approached this research with an objective assessment of the self to avoid self-misperceptions and blind spots by utilizing online personality tests and to appeal subjectively from experience to encourage reflection and authenticity.
Theological Foundations of Identity
Who am I? For my teachers at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, I am a student and a Christian. For my family, I am a son, a brother, a cousin, or a nephew. For my online gaming friends, I am their playmate. I am a Filipino citizen aged twenty-four, currently in my second year of college. I dislike reading books despite others assumptions, or perhaps you can say that I am just too impatient. I love cooking, gaming, volleyball, and chess. Yet despite all these descriptions, it does not seem to provide a conclusive answer as to who I am. That is because traditional identity markers like race, religion, skills, gender, culture, career, relationships, possessions, and personality are insufficient as a means of establishing a firm foundation of self-identity. Human identity is not a mere study of behavior, experience, and physical characteristics. It is because when one trusts these markers to define himself, he will be devastated when things go awry. Rosner even warns that the total reliance upon traditional markers for self-identification can lead to idolatry. Brian Rosner appealed to the scripture regarding this dilemma:
The Bible judges the traditional identity markers to be inadequate foundations upon which to build your identity and even warns about putting too much weight on them. To recall a couple of the more striking texts, according to Galatians 3:28, you are more than your race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, and gender, for in Christ Jesus “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Known by God: A Biblical Theology of Personal Identity, ed. Jonathan Lunde, 2017, p. 63).
That said, the question then begs to be asked, “How can one know himself truly deeming these markers insufficient?"You can read below John Calvin's reply to this very important question:
Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and ourselves. [Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeil, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, 2 vols., 1960, Book 1, Chapter 1, Section 1).
This means that understanding ourselves—our nature, purpose, and limits—begins with the knowledge of God. It seems such a dogmatic statement to presume that self-understanding can only be attained upon our relationship with God that is revealed to us in the Scriptures. It implies that those who deny and live without God can never be complete. However, logically speaking, if we are indeed creatures of God, then we cannot escape the reality that only the divine can provide the ultimate context for all aspects of life.
Now, what does the Scripture tell of my identity? We must begin at the creation account.
First, it tells me that I am a creature of God made in his image. And to act and live according to this image means to display His character of holiness, love, justice, and compassion. As such, this image is what makes man unique from other works of creation. Moreover, this idea of the self helps me visualize or perhaps deduce certain outcomes in the future that might contradict this image.
Second, it is also in this account that the same act of creating man defines us as God’s possessions. “Who am I?" is naturally the same question as “Whose Am I?" And to act as belonging to God means to treat one’s body as His temple. The body is not to be sold to the pleasures of this world-drunkenness, extravagance, and immorality.
Third, as a Christian, I believe that I am whom Christ calls to do His will. This calling, however, is not unique, for it is shared by those who believe in Him. There is a collective identity in whom the person of Christ unites. This same collective identity also shares the same destiny. The notion of a shared destiny is particularly portrayed in the New Testament. Paul wrote that believers are united in both the sufferings and the glory of Christ. Paul states:
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Romans 8:17).
This means that being "in Christ" is about sharing the same burden and acting according to his redemptive work, which includes a journey of suffering, sanctification, and ultimately, glorification.
Moreover, the New Testament presents the "body of Christ" metaphor to express the deep interconnectedness of believers. The church is portrayed as a body with many parts, each belonging to the whole. This metaphor speaks to the idea that individual identity is inseparable from the communal identity of the church. It suggests that the question, “Who will I be in 2030?" is not only to be assessed through my personal growth and spiritual development but must also be taken in connection with the body of Christ. Christian identity, then, is fundamentally communal: he is no longer one who seeks his own but lives wholly for his brethren. This perspective aligns with Paul's teaching to "look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:4).
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In the next post, I will explore traditional identity markers and who I might be in the future.
Concluding this piece, I am reminded of the popular gospel song Who Am I, and I would like to quote the first two stanzas:
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are
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