Ralph Waldo Emerson was a transcendentalist meaning that he believed humans were inherently good, and that society and its institutions corrupted this purity. By nonconformity, Emerson meant to encourage others to rely only on themselves and to trust their instincts and embrace their own ideas. Romans 12:2 reads: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Before looking directly at this Bible verse, it is helpful to consider the underlying tenets of Christianity. Ultimately, the Bible states that man is not perfect and every person is born in sin. Conversely, the underlying tenet of transcendentalism states that every person is born pure and good, only being corrupted by society, and not corrupted by the sins of the world as it exists.
Now, to directly address how Emerson’s ideas of nonconformity conflict with Romans 12:2. Besides what I have already mentioned, this Bible verse is essentially calling humans to God to be transformed by His ways, not the world’s way, and not your own. Emerson believed that he could only rely on himself when God, as evidenced by this passage, calls people to rely on Him. Technically, transcendentalism was a philosophy born of this world, established by man, and exerted by such people as Emerson. By upholding this philosophy, Emerson is in direct conflict with the Bible verse which states to “not conform to the pattern of this world.”
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