The concept of the "buffered self" signifies a shift in how we engage with church and pastors. Historically, we were open to challenge and guidance from pastors, but now we isolate ourselves like fortresses, curating our own souls. This change has flaws: vulnerability to evil, inadequate self-awareness, and isolation from community. The buffered self, appealing on the surface, can become a self-imposed lonely prison.

Augustine's self-reflective autobiography shows an early attraction to sin for its thrill. Today, we often view sin as external or psychologically driven. Augustine's solution: replace love of sin with love of God.