Does the Gospel Require Self-Sacrifice? Paul and the Reconfiguration of the Self

Barclay, John M.G.

Abstract

Some modern Christian notions of ‘self-sacrifice’ and ‘cruciformity’ abstract an ethic of self-negation from its larger theological and teleological frame. A distinctively modern and Western trajectory has shaped an ‘exclusive altruism’ where the interests of the self and of the other stand in a competitive relationship. Although Paul's letter to the Philippians has often been cited as a prime example of such an ethic, closer scrutiny reveals a larger narrative frame, for both Christ and believers, that is oriented towards fullness, not kenosis. Within a community of solidarity and reciprocal asymmetry in Christ, each person's work in looking to the concerns of others is balanced and framed by a communal concern to safeguard the interests of each person in the interests of conjoint benefit. Pauline resources thus enable us to replace the modern polarity with an alternative: the proper opposite to being selfish is not to be ‘selfless’ but to be ‘self-with’.

Citation

Barclay, J. M. (2023). Does the Gospel Require Self-Sacrifice? Paul and the Reconfiguration of the Self. Studies in Christian Ethics, 36(1), 3-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/09539468221132095

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 26, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Oct 13, 2022
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Deposit Date: Dec 21, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 28, 2023
• Journal: Studies in Christian Ethics
• Print ISSN: 0953-9468
• Electronic ISSN: 1745-5235
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 3-19
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09539468221132095