3. Culture is
the world of meaning, made by humans, in which we dwell…a
comprehensive term for the beliefs, values, and way of life passed on
from one generation to the next: a “web of signi
fi
cance” (Cli
ff
ord
Geertz).
(Vanhoozer, Anderson, & Sleasman, 2007, p. 298)
17. Cultural Text is
any human work that, precisely because it is something done
purposefully and not by re
fl
ex, bears meaning and calls for
interpretation
(Vanhoozer, Anderson, & Sleasman, 2007, p. 298)
21. Everyday Theology: Interpreting texts thru lens of faith
Cultural
Text
Interpretor
Creator
Culture
of
the
Creator
Biblical Lens
22. Everyday Theology: Interpreting texts thru lens of faith
Cultural
Text
Interpretor
Creator
Culture
of
the
Creator
Culture
of
the
Interpretor
Biblical Lens
29. Ahab told Jezebel all that El
ij
ah had done, and how he
had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel
sent a messenger to El
ij
ah, saying, “So may the gods do
to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of
one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid,
and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba,
which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
(1 Kings 19:1–3 ESV)
Elijah was an outsider
30. Paul & Silas [came] to Berea, and when they arrived they
went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were
more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the
word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to
see if these things were so. Many of them believed.
(Acts 17:10–11 ESV)
Paul was an insider
31. Paul…puri
fi
ed himself…and went into the temple…the
Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the
whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of
Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone
everywhere against the people and the law and this
place…They seized Paul and dragged him out of the
temple
(Acts 21:26–31 ESV)
Paul was an outsider
34. Christendom
The period of Christian history in which Christian religion
was an integral and fundamental part of the social order.
Gladwin, J. (1988). New dictionary of theology. P 133
35. Early Church
• Church outside of culture (33 - 312 AD)
• Constantine converted to Christianity (312 AD)
• Rome became a Christian Kingdom
• Church is the Kingdom of God on Earth
• Church equated with culture (312 AD - 16th Century)
36. Christendom Model (Premodern)
• Church governs society
• Church-determined rules of culture
• No di
ff
erence between sacred & secular
37. Puritanism in New England
• Governed by John Winthrop
• Religious community
• Church determines rules
• Only Puritans could live in Boston
39. Christ & Culture
Niebuhr, Richard
1. Christ Above Culture
2. Christ of Culture
3. Christ Against Culture
4. Christ the Transformer of Culture
5. Christ & Culture in Paradox
41. God uses the best elements of culture to give people
what they cannot achieve on their own
Wax, Trevin. (2015). Gospel coaltion.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/christ-and-culture-an-overview-of-a-christian-classic/
42. 1. Christ Above Culture
17th - 19th Centuries
Age of Reason
Enlightenment
Wax, Trevin. (2015). Gospel coaltion.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/christ-and-culture-an-overview-of-a-christian-classic/
43. 1. Christ Above Culture
• Seeking synthesis between reason & revelation
• God works providentially over culture
Common Grace (Calvin)
Clockwork God (Deism)
God of the Gaps (Henry Drummond)
Wax, Trevin. (2015). Gospel coaltion.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/christ-and-culture-an-overview-of-a-christian-classic/
45. “Christ is the great enlightener, the great teacher, the one
who directs all men in culture to the attainment of
wisdom, moral perfection, and peace”
Niebuhr, R., 1951, p. 92
46. 2. Christ of Culture
• 19th Century
• Age of Liberalism
• Christ is associated with culture
• Western civilization associated with Christianity
• Age of Colonialization
49. Christ & Culture
1. Christ Above Culture
2. Christ of Culture
3. Christ Against Culture (Early to late 20th Century)
50. Loyalty to Christ and the church entails a rejection of
culture and society.
Wax, 2015, “Christ Against Culture”
51. 3. Christ Against Culture
• Result of Modernist / Fundamentalist Schism
• Fundamentalists disengage from Culture
Wax, 2015, “Christ Against Culture”
52. 3. Christ Against Culture
• America — led to the Christian fundamentalist
movement, and disengagement
• Germany, led to church’s non-involvement during
rise of Nazism
Wax, 2015, “Christ Against Culture”
53. Rise of Nazis in Germany
Led to Lutherans disengagement
with culture during rise of Nazi’ism
53
54. Civil Rights Movement
Led to Evangelical Christians refusal
to engage with the Civil Rights
Movement
54
55. “I came to Jackson to preach only the Bible and not to enter into local issues.”
Cited in Shellnutt, K. (2018). What is Billy Graham’s friendship with Martin Luther King Jr.? Christianity Today.
56. Christ & Culture
1. Christ Above Culture
2. Christ of Culture
3. Christ Against Culture
4. Christ the Transformer of Culture (1970s to Present)
57. A
ffi
rm what can be a
ffi
rmed and seek to transform
what was corrupted by sin and sel
fi
shness
Wax, 2015, “Christ Transformer Culture”
58. Birth of the Moral Majority
• Late 1970s
• Response to Counter-Culture and moral
decline of culture
• Energized by Reagan’s outspoken
conservative views
59. Reaction Against…
• Removal of prayer from school
• Birth control & sexual freedom
• Rise of the Gay Rights Movement
• Growth of liberal denominations
60. What came out of it?
• Conservative Politicians seeking support
from Evangelical Christians
• Alignment of Evangelicalism with
Conservative Politicians (even if they are
not really Christians)
61. Christ & Culture
1. Christ Above Culture
2. Christ of Culture
3. Christ Against Culture
4. Christ the Transformer of Culture
5. Christ and Culture in Paradox (1970s to Present)
62. The con
fl
ict between God and humanity is ever
present and this con
fl
ict is present between Christ
and culture as well.
Wax, 2015, “Christ Transformer Culture”
63. 5. Christ and Culture in Paradox
• Christ is above culture
• Culture is corrupted by sin
• Both facts are true at the same time
Wax, 2015, “Christ Transformer Culture”
64. 5. Christ and Culture in Paradox
• Some use it to justify non-action
• Some use it in strategic engagement
Wax, 2015, “Christ Transformer Culture”
66. What are the strengths & weaknesses?
1. Christ Above Culture
2. Christ of Culture
3. Christ Against Culture
4. Christ the Transformer of Culture
5. Christ & Culture in Paradox
