Posted on 01/23/2008 2:06:25 PM PST by Mr. Silverback
Is it possible, or even worthwhile, for Christians to reach a consensus on impacting culture—from the performing arts, to music, to literature? Well, there are probably as many answers to that question as there are Christians. But theologian T. M. Moore, in his compelling new book Culture Matters, explains why it is so important that Christians reach a cultural consensus: “All culture,” he says, “is a gift from God. The challenge to us is in learning how to take what is good in contemporary culture, reclaim and retool it, and put it to work in a Christian framework for forming [a] new culture.”
Sadly, Moore goes on, “No consensus exists among the followers of Christ concerning how to approach and make use of the artifacts, institutions, and conventions of culture in a decidedly Christian manner, and this in spite of the fact that we are called to do all things unto the glory of God.”
As T. M. points out, this lack of consensus keeps the Church from effectively engaging and transforming culture.
T. M., who serves as dean of our Centurions program and is a long-time advisor to me, holds out hope that Christians can actually reach a cultural consensus. He suggests “some general principles around which” we can all agree. And he shows how Christians throughout history have transformed culture: from Augustine with his great book City of God, to the Celtic Christians with their artistic endeavors to the glory of God, to the twentieth-century poet Czeslaw Milosz.
The more recent examples T. M. provides are especially valuable. A Christian poet like Milosz shows how Christians can take an art form that many now consider obscure and irrelevant and infuse it with new meaning and life. This is exactly the kind of example we need to show us how culture can serve as “a powerful prophetic voice,” as T. M. puts it. At the same time, Milosz shows us what it means to be “an artist, and not a preacher”: a crucial lesson for any Christian artist to learn.
And Milosz—as well as other talented Christian poets, painters, musicians—shows us that we do not have to be mere second-class imitators of culture; we can be first-class and transform it.
How do we do this? Our task is two-fold. First, we must participate in culture at the same time that we are engaged in a biblically based critique of culture. For too long, Christians have ignored the arts and have, thus, failed to realize that culture and the arts can be conduits of God’s truth, grace, and beauty.
Second, as the body of Christ, we need to support those among us who exercise their God-given artistic gifts. When we join together “for creative engagement in culture matters,” T. M. argues, we can “create a greater sense of unity in the body of Christ,” as well as increase our impact on culture.
As T. M. writes, “If we can agree on some common objectives . . . then we can begin to consider, as individual believers and responsible communities, what the best steps [are] for each of us to take . . .” In that effort to transform culture—as opposed to being transformed by it—I can foresee this deeply insightful little book being an indispensable guide.
For information on how you can obtain a copy of T. M. Moore’s Culture Matters, visit our website, BreakPoint.org.
If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.
BreakPoint/Chuck Colson Ping!
If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.
Even if Christians reach it among themselves, the effects of the general culture will inevitably cause differences.
I would think that we should expect Christians and the rest of the world to come to different conclusions, since we are to be “in the world but not of it.”
“All culture,” he says, “is a gift from God. “
Whoa! I don’t think so. I can think of a lot of “culture” that is straight from the dark hot place....
Christians need to preach the Word faithfully and live it.
God’s Word is timeless, like morality, and it is not the problem of the Christian to make everyone like them....
People who think that Christianity, God’s plan for man, is irrelevant, can’t be helped. People still sin the same old way.
Let God do his work by his Word.
And another thing.....
“For too long, Christians have ignored the arts and have, thus, failed to realize that culture and the arts can be conduits of God’s truth, grace, and beauty.”
That is silly. There are multitudes of artists and artisans who are Christians and are excellent at their callings.
This whole concept of a “Christian” culture is a little odd.
The Nation was founded on Biblical principles through our legal documents and by the overwhelming preponderance of Christians in the population. As that composition changed over time, some Biblical concepts weakened and have now vanished from societal expression.
Christian culture is culture that exists around Christians. It is a good thing if Biblical morality can be legally implemented through legislative and Constitutional means, but Christians must pursue Christian life despite the culture they live in, with the focus to first be pleasing to God on a personal, and then family level, and if they are able to influence their society with Biblical righteousness, then good. It makes for a peaceable life for one and all.
Otherwise, this talk about Christians and art and so on is silly and not a real problem....
It is a good thing if Biblical morality can be legally implemented through legislative and Constitutional meansUm, "Biblical morality" cannot be implemented through Constitutional means, for the First Amendment forbids Establishment.
So presumably you mean "legislative" means. Other than the specific rules to be enforced, how is this different from the Islamists wishing to implement sharia?
-Eric
I would think that we should expect Christians and the rest of the world to come to different conclusions, since we are to be “in the world but not of it.”You're right, but that means no "consensus". The call for consensus, not the call for a Christian culture, is what's disturbing about this article.
There already is a strong, healthy, and viable Christian culture in this nation. It is not, however, the dominant culture....for there really isn't one.
There are Christians who wish to make the Christian culture the dominant one, by force of law if neccesary. I suspect Colson wishes this....I'm certain that Donald Wildmon and his ilk do.
-Eric
Aren’t we happy that our best legislation is Biblical morality!
That would have to do with not harming or seizing another person’s property or goods...
Exo 20:15 “You shall not steal.
Also, we are prevented from taking the life of another, with special circumstances held by the government for Capital punishment, and to make war......
Exo 20:13 “You shall not murder.
We are certainly held to a standard of honesty at all times, which makes for a good and safe society....
Exo 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Now, lets get to the point. Sharia compels people to be Muslim essentially, by keeping their bug-eyed laws...
It is impossible to compel a person to be a Christian, since it is God who saves, not we ourselves. It is God who converts a soul, not the man himself.
So it is nonsense to speak of a comparison between Islam and Christianity and Civil society....
Christianity has always flourished BEST where societies are uncivil.......people see the contrast clearly.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Marxists understand that one ( of several) ways to change the culture is to gain control of the compulsory government schools.
Another is to gain control of the arts.
Well? Aren’t education and the arts related? Hey! It takes education to produce art! If the child’s education is Marxist, secularist, agnostic, atheistic is it any surprise that this is the art that is later produced? I surely am not surprised.
Well?,,,Maybe Christian could learn something from the Marxists!!!
Since the Marxists and the forces of evil now control the government schools, the solution is NOT to reform the government schools! The solution is to SHUT DOWN the government schools and forever remove these government schools as a tool for evil.
USA Today has posted the following today on college endowments:
Harvard $34.5 Billion
Yale $22 Billion
Stanford $17.5 Billion
Princeton $15.8 Billion
U. of Texas $15.6 Billion
Why aren’t Christians forming private scholarship foundations so that every child in this nation could have a free private voucher to private Christian school? These foundations could provide the testing, inspection, standards, and certification needed to see that every child received an OUTSTANDING education grounded in the Gospel, free-market principles, and the Constitution.
In addition to seeing that every child had access to a free Christian education, Christians at the same time should be organizing a MASSIVE school tax revolt that would close forever every government indoctrination camp.
I bet there were plenty of Christians who together donated BILLIONS to atheistic, agnostic, Marxists, Secular Humanist colleges and universities that are dedicated to destroying the Judeo Christian culture upon all freedom rests. What on earth were (and are ) these Christians THINKING!!! Are they clueless!
As it is now 85% of Christian children who graduate from government schools, leave the faith. Far too many who do continue to claim to be Christian aren’t Christian at all. They believe in a “feel good” mishmash of new ageism. What type of culture are these kids going to produce as they enter adulthood? Answer: Junk that the Marxists and lovers of evil love!
What if Christians could instead turn out youth that were well grounded in their Christian faith? Obviously, as adults they would produce art that reflected their Christian worldview.
If Christian want to beat the forces of evil and turn around this culture then they should start seeing their own youth as their MOST IMPORTANT and URGENT mission field.
-Eric
I left it out for reasons that I indicated at the end of my post....namely that there is no point to try and compel RELIGIOUS observance regarding the God of the Bible because it is not a man initiated deal.
I cited Biblical morality regarding one’s fellow man.
Old Covenant ritual laws such as those described in Leviticus have been done away with in the New Covenant. They do not add to a person’s righteousness in God’s eyes, according to him, since a born-again Christian has the Righteousness of Christ IMPUTED to him, and we obey God out of love for him, since he has done such a wonderful thing for us, pardoned our sins and provided us with eternal life.
Do you see how you and I are not even talking about the same thing?
Civil societies that practice the earlier described examples of Biblical morality based on the Ten Commandments, are safe and have free enterprise and respect for private property...Freedom. Where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is Liberty.
The Christian life includes being a good citizen, but a good citizen of a society which benefits from Biblical morality is certainly not by necessity a Christian.....
That’s a mistake in thinking that muslims make regarding the US because they have one indissoluble connection between their social and religious lives.....
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