slides from class lectures on the relationship between God and culture.

1. God
& Culture

2. Does God
have a
“culture?”

3. Features of
Culture
Culture has a
social dimension-
it binds people
together.

4. Features of
Culture
Culture also
divides-it
distinguishes us
from one
another.

5. Features of
Culture
Culture places
constraints on
behavior.

6. God &
Culture
God is a creator
of culture.

7. God &
Culture
God established
the parameters
for the first
culture.

8. Genesis 1:26
Then God said, ―Let us make man in our
image, in our likeness, and let them rule over
the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over
the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the
creatures that move along the ground.‖

9. What is
“dominion
” and what
implication
s does it
have for
culture?

10. hd:r:
To rule over

11. hd:r:
What is the connection
between “ruling” and the
divine image?

12. Psalm8:6-8
You made him ruler over the works of your
hands; you put everything under his feet: all
flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the
birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that
swim the paths of the seas.

13. lv'm;
This is the kind of “dominion”
that Christ exercises.

14. Hebrews 2:7-8
In putting everything under him, God left
nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present
we do not see everything subject to him.

15. Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, ―Be fruitful
and increase in number; fill the earth and
subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the
birds of the air and over every living creature
that moves on the ground.’

16. What does
the
command to
be “fruitful”
imply?

17. God had more
in view than
increasing the
population.

18. It is a
command to
establish
human culture.

19. It creates the
potential for
the reflection
of God in
human
culture.

20. God set the
boundaries
of behavior
and enforced
them.

21. Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, ―You
are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but
you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will
surely die.‖

22. Genesis 3:23-24
So the LORD God banished him from the
Garden of Eden to work the ground from which
he had been taken. After he drove the man
out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of
Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing
back and forth to guard the way to the tree of
life.

23. God &
Culture
God set
boundaries for
the culture of
worship.

24. Genesis 4:3-5
In the course of time Cain brought some of the
fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But
Abel brought fat portions from some of the
firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with
favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and
his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain
was very angry, and his face was downcast.

25. The Cultural Agenda of the
Law of Moses
God revealed the priestly codes to
Moses in 1445 B.C. at
Sinai, immediately after the
construction of the tabernacle. The
purpose of these was to provide
professional guidance for the priests
and a detailed liturgy for the new house
of God. J. Barton Payne, The Theology of the Older Testament, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1962), 326.

26. God &
Culture
In the Law of
Moses, God also
legislated nearly
every aspect of
human society.

27. The Cultural Agenda of the
Law of Moses
The Deuteronomic codes, on the other
hand, were revealed on the plains of
Moab almost forty years later, just
before Israel entered Canaan, early in
1406 B.C….The purpose of the
Deuteronomic codes was to guide the
nation as a whole in its settlement in
Canaan. They were popular instead of
professional, as were the priestly codes.
J. Barton Payne, The Theology of the Older Testament, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1962), 326.

28. Is the Law
of Moses
God’s
“ideal”
culture?

29. 1 Timothy 1:9-11
We also know that law is made not for the
righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the
ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious;
for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for
murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave
traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever
else is contrary to the sound doctrine that
conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed
God, which he entrusted to me.

30. Colossians2:16-17
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what
you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious
festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath
day. These are a shadow of the things that were
to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

31. Hebrews 10:1
The law is only a shadow of the good things that
are coming—not the realities themselves. For
this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices
repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect
those who draw near to worship.

32. Is there
such a
thing as
“Gospel
Culture?”

33. Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor
free, male nor female, for you are all one in
Christ Jesus.

34. Colossians3:11
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or
free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

35. Paul emphasizes
inclusiveness –in Christ
there are no barbarians and
no outsiders.

36. What are
the features
of “Gospel
Culture?”

37. Colossians3:12-13
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and
dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience. Bear with each other and forgive
whatever grievances you may have against one
another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

38. Colossians3:12-15
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and
dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear
with each other and forgive whatever grievances
you may have against one another. Forgive as the
Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put
on love, which binds them all together in perfect
unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
since as members of one body you were called to
peace. And be thankful.

39. Is patience a
moral virtue?

40. Does it look
the same in
every culture?

41. God &
Culture
God’s Spirit is a
catalyst of
culture.

42. Exodus 31:6
Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of
Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also
I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make
everything I have commanded you:

43. Exodus 35:30-31, 34-35
Then Moses said to the Israelites, ―See, the LORD
has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the
tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit
of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all
kinds of crafts—And he has given both him and
Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the
ability to teach others…He has filled them with skill
to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers,
embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and
fine linen, and weavers—all of them master
craftsmen and designers.‖

44. Culture as a Reflection of
God’s Image
The work of the Holy Spirit is not
confined to the elect, and does not
begin with their regeneration; but it
touches every creature, animate and
inanimate and begins its operations in
the elect at the very moment of their
origin.Abraham Kuyper, The Work of the Holy Spirit, (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1900), 38.

45. God &
Culture
God is a creator
of culture but
not a learner of
culture.

46. Culture as a Reflection of
God’s Image
Culture is, first of all, the name for our
relentless human effort to take the
world as it’s given to us and make
something else. This is the original
insight of the writer of Genesis when
he says that human beings were made
in God’s image: just like the original
Creator, we are creators. Andy Crouch, Culture Making: Recovering
Our Creative Calling, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2008), 23.

47. How does
our
creative
activity
differ from
God’s?

48. God &
Culture
We live within a
context of
already existing
culture.

49. God began with nothing.

50. We work with materials
that have been provided
as a result of God’s
creative activity.

51. Culture From Culture
Because culture is cumulative-because
every cultural good builds on and
incorporates elements of culture that
have come before-cultural creativity
never starts from scratch. Culture is
what we make of the world-we start
not with a blank slate but with all the
richly encultured world that previous
generations handed to us . Andy Crouch, Culture Making:
Recovering Our Creative Calling, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2008), 73.

52. We work within pre-existing cultural
structures as those who have already
been shaped by culture.

53. How does
sin affect
culture?

54. The first cultural
artifacts
mentioned in the
Bible were
designed to deal
with the
consequences of
sin.

55. Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and
they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig
leaves together and made coverings for
themselves.

56. Genesis 3:21
The LORD God made garments of skin for
Adam and his wife and clothed them.

57. Some structures of
cultures are meant
to address the
consequences of
sin.

58. Romans 13:1, 4
Everyone must submit himself to the governing
authorities, for there is no authority except that
which God has established. The authorities that
exist have been established by God. For he is
God’s servant to do you good. But if you do
wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword
for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of
wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

59. Some cultural structures were modified
as a result of sin.

60. Matthew 19:8
Jesus replied, ―Moses permitted you to divorce
your wives because your hearts were hard. But it
was not this way from the beginning.

61. Culture
developed within
the context of a
fallen society.

62. Genesis 4:19-22
Lamech married two women, one named
Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to
Jabal; he was the father of those who live in
tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name
was Jubal; he was the father of all who play
the harp and flute. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-
Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of
bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was
Naamah.

63. Satan has a
cultural agenda.

64. Luke 4:5-7
The devil led him up to a high place and
showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of
the world. And he said to him, “I will give you
all their authority and splendor, for it has been
given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want
to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

65. Kingdom Culture
Jesus had a profoundly cultural phrase
for his mission: the kingdom of
God…His good news foretold a
comprehensive restructuring of social
life comparable to that experienced by
a people when one monarch was
succeeded by another. The Kingdom of
God would touch every sphere of
culture. Andy Crouch, Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, (Downers Grove:
InterVarsity, 2008), 138.

66. God &
Culture
God is working
within culture as
well as working
―against‖ it.