In the present troubles, the ideas of corporate identity and collective guilt have become crucial subjects of discussion. What should be the Christian position, based on scriptures? A summary statement, at the outset, would be that we are all social beings, bound together both synchronically and diachronically, such that we in fact suffer both good and evil consequences of the deeds of our ancestors. And, in various ways, we all share in collective sin and guilt.
From the Torah, consider Exodus 34:7b — “He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations”. Turning to the prophets, Isaiah regarded himself to be unclean because: “I live among a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:4). These texts confirm the principle of corporate sin and consequent collective guilt.
On the other hand, we are given the promise that there will be a new covenant where God’s people will be accountable only for individual sins. “In those days they will not say again, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31:29-30).
Then, in the writings, we see explicit identification of two categories of sin: “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins” (Psalm 10:12-13a). Note that the requests are different for the two categories: acquittal for the hidden faults, and prevention for presumptuous sin.
Then, in the gospel of the new covenant, Paul also speaks of two categories of sin: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). There is the corporate sin of the one man, Adam, and there are the sins of each and every individual since Adam.
Of the two kinds of sin, 1) non-presumptuous/hidden, and 2) presumptuous/willful, corporate sin would be a subset of the first category. This pertains to the sickness of unwilled sinfulness, which includes non-malicious prejudices and privileges. This collective guilt is between us and God, and He has forgiven us. We are all acquitted, covered by grace, by universal atonement. Roman patricians and soldiers who became Christians were not held accountable for the sins of their colleagues and ancestors. But sins of the second category, those that are individual and presumptive, require individual repentance. And for these we have accountability to the victims, to seek forgiveness and offer restitution (as with Zacchaeus).
What then are our social obligations regarding corporate sin? There are some things that can be done to partly ameliorate the evil consequences of such sins, and we are obliged to do what we can. But such deeds are to be acts of love, because we are forgiven, not deeds of penance to win forgiveness. Those who would demand repentance and penance for sins that are not willful, in order to win their forgiveness for what God has already forgiven, do not serve peace; they rather create and aggravate strife. Furthermore, we must realize that any attempts at peacemaking using the methods of this world have severely limited effectiveness. In the world, racism, tribalism, profiling and identity politics are to some extent forever incurable and inevitable. And attempts to eradicate such sins by coercion are ultimately counterproductive. Institutional systems and structures can sometimes facilitate or sometimes hinder people’s efforts to do either good or evil, but genuine and lasting transformation can arise only voluntarily, from the hearts of individuals. The only truly effective answer is in Christ, by the Spirit.
And what should be our corporate identity? Everyone who is of the world shares in both the corporate sins and sufferings of their ancestors, because their connections and heritage are according to the flesh. But Christians are new creatures, born from above, in the Spirit. Our corporate identity is not found in the flesh, but in Christ. Our brothers and sisters and ancestors are the spiritual brothers and sisters and ancestors we have in Christ, where there is no distinction of tribal or racial lineage (see Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:13-16). Our pedigree is not established by DNA, but by the one baptism.
What is the prognosis? The outlook for the world is quite pessimistic, as is well established in scripture. But we have the assured hope that in the kingdom of God all walls of division are torn down, and there shall be peace. And it is within the church, among those who are in Christ, that there is both the possibility and the obligation to put this peace into practice in the present age. “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).