Identity Politics and the Search for Atonement

Identity politics is a pressing issue with three interconnected concerns: identity politics, bipolarity, and substituteism. The immediate threat is identity politics, which has emerged rapidly and is rooted in the search for atonement and the desire to externalize fault and stain. This movement is not a continuation of Marxism but rather a postmodern, rapid transformation of institutions. It combines theological and postmodern elements, making it a Christian heresy with a theological component of guilt and stain. The left embraces this search for atonement through purity and scapegoating, creating a moral economy to deal with transgression. However, this approach leads to an endless cycle of scapegoating without real redemption. The right is also grappling with the issue, with some factions advocating for a return to pre-modern integralism or adopting postmodern Nietzscheism. These divisions within the conservative movement pose challenges to effectively address the problems of identity politics and offer a coherent alternative. A deeper understanding of the problem of debt, sin, and redemption rooted in Christian theology may provide a way forward.