An identity crisis is a period of uncertainty or instability in a person’s life. They are not uncommon. In fact, they are a rite of passage – a part of growing up and growing older in any culture or context. An identity crisis is often experienced during personal upheaval – like a broken relationship, serious health problem, professional setback, or death of an influential person. When going through an identity crisis, we question who we are, why we are here, what really matters, and what choices we should make to move forward.

When a person has an identity crisis, the solution is often found in foundational truths and commitments. That’s why religious faith and healthy family relationships often provide solutions – and a safe haven to discover those solutions – to people struggling with identity issues. For Christians, our theological commitments establish our identity. We are “in Christ” – a phrase used more than 80 times in the New Testament – which describes our core identity. We are not “in a relationship” or “in debt” or “in a political movement” or “in America” (or any other country). We are in Christ, which becomes our defining identity.

Since we are in Christ, we can find solutions to so many of the issues which prompt what is labeled an identity crisis. We discover answers to questions about gender, sexuality, morality, and marriage. We also find solutions to questions about wealth, position, and status. We can get help with determining the importance of race, ethnicity, and culture. The Christian worldview addresses all these issues and helps us put them together cogently. But – and this is the key – all these other identity issues revolve around and are resolved by being “in Christ.”

This week at Gateway we are addressing issues related to identity culture. We are confronting the current cultural mandate to pursue expressive individualism to find and fulfill true identity. We are advocating for submissive inclusivity instead of expressive individualism. We promote being in Christ, not looking within yourself, for solutions to core identity issues.

Our annual Intersect Conference on Thursday, November 2, is about confronting identity culture with better solutions to the identity crises prevalent in our culture. Join us for a good day of learning together.


INTERSECT 2023 | IDENTITY CULTURE


Excerpt — Towards a Clearer Understanding of Jonathan Edwards’s Biblical Typology: A Case Study in the ‘Blank Bible’

Dr. Cameron Schweitzer provides new insights into Jonathan Edwards’s often mischaracterized typology.

Cameron Schweitzer
Director, San Francisco Campus | Associate Professor of Historical Theology
Dr. Schweitzer serves as the Director of Gateway Seminary’s San Francisco Campus and an Associate Professor of Historical Theology. His desire is to help Christians find all of their joy in all of the manifold excellencies of Jesus Christ.

Seeing the Unseen

CSBC Women’s Ministry Director Cathie Smith shares how the church can serve the marginalized in its community.

Cathie Smith
CSBC Women’s Ministry Director
Cathie Smith serves as the California Southern Baptist Convention Women’s Ministry Director. She has a passion for teaching God’s word, serving the marginalized, and reaching the unreached. 

Excerpt — The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller Volume 10: Apologetic Works

In Dr. Chris Chun’s newest publication, he provides commentary for The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller Volume 10: Apologetic Works.

Chris Chun
Professor of Church History | Director, Jonathan Edwards Center
Dr. Chris Chun is the professor of Church History and the director of Jonathan Edwards Center at Gateway Seminary. Chris’ doctoral research at St. Andrews University was focused on the eighteenth-century Edwardsean Baptists in Britain. He also has served as president of The Evangelical Theological Society (Far West Region).