Some contemporary theology has been enamored with the heady idea of an imagined freedom that functions without any law or norm or rule of obligation. The technical name for this idea is antinomianism. This yen for freedoms other than Christ's freedom has compounded the problems in pastoral theology. Pastoral practice has at times been exceedingly ready to be guided by this antinomian tendency in theology that implies: if God loves you no matter what, then your own moral responses to God's absolute acceptance make little or no difference; God is going to love you anyway, so assert your individual interest, express yourself, do as you please, and above all do not repress any impulses. It is on the basis of this normless, egocentric relativism that much well-intended liberal pastoral practice has accommodated to naturalism, narcissism, and individualism. It has therefore steered consistently away from any notion of admonition, hoping to avoid 'guilt trips.' But ironically, guilt is more likely to be INCREASED by the lack of timely, caring admonition. For if there is no compassionate admonition, we tend to hide our guilt in ways that make it worse. .Thomas C. Oden
About This Quote
The above quote is taken from the book “The New Monasticism” by Thomas Keating. He writes that we need to be constantly reminded of our sin, and we should always be willing to acknowledge our faults and faults. We should be open to correction and instruction and should never turn a blind eye when we see something wrong. This is why we need a strong mentor to guide us and lead us in the right direction. If we do not have a mentor or someone who can give us advice, we may become lost and try to find our way on our own, which can lead to trouble.
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