Collective

A collective is a term used to describe what the Scripture speaks of when it says that mankind is created in God’s image as a “him,” in contrast to the individual dimension of human nature which is spoken of as “them,” that is, individuals who are created as male and female (Gen. 1:27). God, Himself a “Him” who is One and a “Them” who is Three, created mankind in His image with both an individual and collective nature. God has ordained individuals to be constituted as collectives by means of the covenant. Subculture exalts individuals over collectives and countercultural exalts collectives over individuals. Western cultures emphasize individual freedom while Eastern cultures emphasize the collective order. The covenant does not emphasize one over the other, but invites mankind to grow into maturity in the likeness of God who is as equally One as He is Three. The mystery of the Trinity is the basis of the Creedal confession of the Church, giving rise to social order that constitutes individuals into collectives, maximizing individual freedom without diminishing collective order and maximizing collective order without compromising individual freedom. Only within the Church can individuals and nations experience what it means to be a collective in a holistic way. Basileia’s Constitution seeks to express this holistic approach in ways that speak to the fears of Westerners suspicious of being dominated by collectives and of Easterners suspicious of individuals creating collective disorder in their pursuit of individual freedom.

Also see Covenant, “Governing Roles of Men and Women in Basileia,” and Jurisdiction.