Adamism is a fashionable attitude in an individualistic and selfish world. It consists of believing that one is the first to discover, think, or say something that others are unaware of, and in despising everything that has been done before or that is not the product of one’s own thought.
It is not uncommon to encounter these people who act as if history, tradition, or the previous work of others did not exist, rejecting what they have not created or thought of as “old,” “useless,” or “wrong.”
There are Adamists in politics (everything before was corrupt, now with me everything will change), in culture and thought (only my idea is revolutionary, unique, original), in technology (mine is innovative, it never existed before).
Adamism often comes with some complements, such as ignorance and contempt for the past (until I came along, this didn’t work), messianism (now, with me, everything will be alright), and the hypercontrol of others (because they don’t do things like me, they make mistakes or they don’t know).
In religious communities, the “Adamism” movement is a huge challenge because of its consequences: impoverishment of discernment, weakening of charism, loss of grateful memory of those who previously lived that spirituality and charism…
The opposite of starting from scratch would be the explicit and conscious recognition of the charismatic wealth received. It is an exercise in humility and creative fidelity. When the past is ignored, nothing is learned from it; and when nothing is learned, there is a risk of repeating the same mistakes, even if expressed in contemporary language.
In the realm of spirituality and charisma, “Adamism” manifests itself when a person or group perceives themselves as the first to live authentically, as if everything before had been insufficient, superficial, or wrong. It often presents itself as a semblance of renewal, but it is actually a subtle form of spiritual pride.
The Holy Spirit acts in the Church, and no generation has a monopoly on fidelity. Saint Augustine expressed this in one of his sermons (10,1): “Pride turned angels into demons; humility makes men like angels.”
There is no spiritual reform without humility and memory, as Sacred Scripture reminds us. The people of Israel repeatedly fall into infidelity when they forget what God has done: “Remember all the way that the Lord your God has led you” (Deut 8:2).
Forgetting leads to a loss of identity, while memory strengthens fidelity. The spiritual heritage of the Augustinian Recollect Family includes the concrete lives of all those who, throughout history, have lived this charism as consecrated persons, as lay people (Secular Fraternity), as young people (ARY), or as mothers (Mothers of Saint Monica).
Each era has its own cultural, pastoral, and communal challenges. The charism adapts without losing its essence, with creativity, fidelity, and communion. Moving forward does not mean forgetting the path already traveled. Saint Augustine urged: “Walk on, man; do not stop” (Sermon 169,18). Disconnecting from lived tradition impoverishes and weakens the charism. Authentic renewal does not break with the past, but rather assimilates and updates it.
“There is nothing new under the sun,” says the book of Ecclesiastes (1:9). From the perspective of spiritual realism, what is new does not usually reside in charisma, or in value, or in the idea, but in its concrete embodiment in a specific time and culture.
History does not diminish the value of the present; on the contrary, it strengthens it. It allows us to understand that heritage is a living tradition and the responsibility is to continue that transmission with creative fidelity in our present, as Saint Augustine pointed out: “We are the times: as we are, so are the times” (Sermon 80,8).
The best antidote to adamism is a grateful memory and humility. Knowing and valuing the past is not nostalgia, but rather a condition for not repeating mistakes. The Augustinian Recollect Family does not need to start over, but to walk forward supported by experience and open to the signs of the times. Only in this way will it live its charism with depth, realism, and hope.
