Social alienation is a person’s feeling of disconnection from a group – whether friends, family, or wider society – with which the individual has an affiliation. Such alienation has been described as “a condition in social relationships reflected by (1) a low degree of integration or common values and (2) a high degree of distance or isolation (3a) between individuals, or (3b) between an individual and a group of people in a community or work environment”.
Social alienation
I am reading the papers that were presented at the 1975 St David’s Meeting on the solitary life. A must-read for anyone interested, especially in the Anglican context.
A modern world, and maybe even a modern church, mistakes being “alone” for being “alienated”. The recluse is alienated from society – feels no connection with the world – the solitary is alone with God. According to the desert Christians, the solitary has a profound “solidarity” with all human beings. I feel alienated in most social contexts!
Alienation is “abstraction over the individual”. A role is something I do, vocation is something I am. A role (abstraction) works from the outside in, a vocation works from the inside out.
Where I am in all that I have absolutely no idea!
this solitary life 