Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 1
Stephen Russell argues that the Reformation and the Enlightenment together pushed the West toward “hyper-individualistic” and even “materialistic” thinking; where do you see that mindset shaping your own instincts about church, salvation, and daily decision-making?
Another way to ask: Where do you notice “me-first” or money-focused thinking shaping how you view church, salvation, and everyday choices?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the speaker’s teaching, “hyper-individualistic” and “materialistic” instincts show up when we treat faith as mainly private, practical, and this-worldly—rather than as participation in a transcendent God and a committed community.
- Stephen says the Reformation and Enlightenment “have pushed us more towards becoming hyper-individualistic.”
- He warns the West has “become materialistic… [and] lost the transcendental,” even if people don’t admit it intellectually.
- He suspects many modern Christians “talk about God,” but may act from “a non-transcendental… materialistic mindset.”
- He argues history helps us see what we’ve “bought into… without recognizing it,” an “approach to life that doesn’t call for a real awareness of God.”
- Dean reinforces that Christianity is not just information: “we do believe Christ has come… he wants his kingdom to be established on this earth,” and urges, “let’s drink those waters.”