Christianity and culture By Billy Sichone

The Christian is in the world but not of it. S/he is a citizen of two kingdoms, one divine and the
other of Gods created order, the physical world. he Christian is thus faced with many challenges that once in a while casts doubt, despair or fosters courage. he Christian life is a battle till we breathe our last. his battle has been going on for over si! thousand years and the Christian has to contend with different cultures, world views and practices. he ma"ority of the practices in the world #used loosely in the general sense$ are anti God as the arch enemy of God Satan wrestles with or against Gods purposes. hus, the Christian is faced with many options and challenges about what to do and what not to do. Some things fall into matters indifferent but many still remain unresolved. %ttempting to resolve this conflict, the Christian has tended to categorise or view things in different ways. &ne is to split the world into a dichotomy of 'earthly or material world( and 'Spiritual or )eavenly(. hus this perception dictates how the Christian "udges all things whether they be of God or not. *hen the Christian encounters culture for instance, how is s/he to treat it+ ,s culture altogether bad or not+ %re there any good things in this world or everything is bloated with sin+ Some things are perceived perfectly allowable in one part of the world while not acceptable in another. -or instance, can a sound spiritually healthy Christian en"oy movies, films or listen to .ock music with a clear conscience+ &ne school of thought would argue that this is perfectly in order while another would violently ob"ect. he /uestions raised above can be answered by considering several issues relating to culture and world view. ,n the /uest to answer some of the pertinent /uestions above, we consider this under several sub heads0 Culture defined *hat e!actly is culture+ )ow is it defined+ he precise definition of culture is difficult to bo! and ade/uately define. ,n addition, it is variously described but the basic definition revolves around 1the way things are done in a given conte!t. his has to do with perceptions, practices and way of doing things. Since scripture itself does not define culture, we can safely say that it is derived from the 2atin word 1colere literally referring to agriculture as in tilling the land in order to grow things. -rom this simple definition, we can say that the process and method of tilling and growing crops is a 1culture. -urther implication has to do with doing things in a particular way to achieve a given ob"ective. ,t includes the system of ideas and philosophies we employ to achieve something such as science, economics, theology etc. -rom the 2ausanne committee on 3vangelism, we get this definition of culture0 'an integrated system of 4eliefs, values, customs, and institutions which binds a society together and

gives it a sense of identity, dignity, security, and continuity.( ,n short, culture is derived from something that already e!ists. ,n biblical terms, we can say that creation came first before culture evolved or was developed. *e can thus conclude that culture pervades the whole of life and affects many things in a given conte!t. ,n our discourse then, we refer to all these aforementioned attributes as we reason out our faith. %s can be seen, culture is different from world view. &ne is the product of the other, in this case, the world view came first from the hand of the maker and culture developed later, although when we think logically and rationally, the opposite seems to be the case. Christ and culture ,n our continued /uest to understand culture and how it impacts on the Christian faith, it makes sense to understand e!actly how the Christian faith or the scriptures for that matter views culture. *e have made an assertion that culture flows from creation and thus must be subservient or be controlled by creation. hat does not appear to be the case. ,n this section, we bring to the fore, several views that have been advanced by theologians and thinkers of the past. -ive views e!ist on the knowledge market0 a. Christ against culture he first is what has been termed 'Christ against culture(. 4y implications, this subhead assumes the fact that the Christian faith is against culture. *hat e!actly this view suggests is that culture is inherently bad and must be avoided at all costs because it contaminates the soul. he early Christians tended to view culture in that way and avoided all contamination with the 'vice( called culture. Some even went further to say that the Christian faith was a third race meaning that it was distinct and different from 5udaism or paganism. his view often landed the early Christians into trouble with the authorities because they did not fully appreciate that there was some good in culture although some of its tendencies were leading to sin, as a result of the fall. hus, this view holds that Christians should be against culture and keep a distance from any cultural issues #Since culture is absolutely bad and corrupted by the fall$. his obviously runs contrary to Christs prayer in 5ohn 67 where he prays that the saints should not be taken out of this world but remain faithful none the less. &nce in a while, pockets of this view pops up. ,t is important to mention here that the scripture never condemns culture as such but components of it. -or instance, the scripture talks against 'the world( in several passages. , 5ohn 8069 is a classic e!ample in this regard. :ote also that the word 'world( is used in different senses but what the scripture is against is the evil systems, ways of viewing things and practices that are contrary to Gods law. he 3arly Christians did not seem to note this fact. he world is a component of culture then. b. Christ in culture his view holds that Christ was actually a cultural man and thus supported whatever culture had to offer. his view holds that what should be emphasized is the principle of the gospel

message couched in the culture ambit. his view fails to recognise some of the dangers inherent in some cultural practices and often flows with the stream. ,t hardly ever has an influence over culture and conse/uently no tangible impact on the worldly. c. Christ above culture #Synthesist$ his view holds that Christ is above culture and thus must dictate what is to be believed or practiced. his view recognises that culture and Christ are different. hat said, this view holds that there are some good and helpful elements in culture although culture must not be wholesomely accepted or re"ected. homas %/uinas was the chief component of this view and has been by and large accepted by the .oman Catholic Church as the official position. d. Christ and culture in paradox (Dualist) his view has been proposed by ;r Gene <eith where God is said to have double sovereignty over nature and spiritual side though he manages them in two different ways. his view cuts the world into two dichotomies. he one is spiritual while the other is material or natural. his view has its own challenges because the Christian soon lands into multiple problems but certainly gives a great basis from which to operate. e. Christ the transformer of culture (Transformationalist) -inally, there is the transformational position which teaches that while culture is both evil and good, the Christian is called upon to e!ert influence over it and 'pull( it towards Gods principles. ,n other words, this view holds that the Christian faith must so influence culture towards God because of the inviolable deposit of Gods spirit that dwells in them. 4y implication, it means a Christian should remain one at all times regardless of the calling they have in the world. ,f their lot falls into the arts, economics or whatever else God has endowed upon them, they must 'sanctify( those talents and gifts God=ward. hat is the only way to change the world. hus we have seen from the fivefold breakdown of perceptions on culture that many things are at play and various strong and sound Christians have differed over matters. ,t is therefore wise to weigh carefully before making our "udgement ensuring that our decisions are 4iblically sound and can be followed through. -or us to fully appreciate these views, it is recommended that the apologist studies the views e!pressed by some sound theologians and thinkers of the past as they should throw some light on what we presently grapple with. >eople like 5ustin ?artyr, ertullian, Clement, %ugustine, homas %/uinas, Cornelius <an ill, -rancis Schaeffer, C S 2ewis, &S Guinness, ;avid *ells, @enneth % ?yers and a host of other sound giants that have delved into these matters more than we probably ever will. ,nternalising and mastering these varied views will make one a more competent apologist.

*e must make a note that views about culture and world views have been in flu! in different epochs of history. here is the pre=modern, modern and post modern views and each of these values truth differently. he pre=modern viewed truth as absolute and could be know with certainty. he modern holds that truth can only be determined through rational scientific means while the post modern holds that truth can be known through both discernment and rational scientific means. -rom these views, we can seem that truth is viewed variously and thus valued differently too. ,n the one case, truth is highly prized while in the other, it is held as relative and depending on the circumstances. -rom the above positions, many implications therefore can be drawn. % few of them come to the fore and we briefly highlight them0 Films Can a Christian watch films or be a professional actor in a 'worldly( setting for instance. Can they watch movies and come away having learnt something+ *hat about the crime, evil, wickedness and the entirely fictional stuff that is presented by these mediums+ he answer to this one is not an easy one but from what we have said so far, and particularly hinging on the fifth view, it is possible for a Christian to watch movies with a clear conscience provided their motive is to learn something as well as influence the world out there. ,f they are grossly ignorant, how will they know how to influence the world+ hey may handle these things delicately as a chemist handles deadly chemicals, although in this case the films may not be entirely 'to!ic( in that sense. ,f the Christian is an artist, they should use their knowledge of God to influence other artists and would be audience. his principle applies universally in all areas of life. .ecall , Corinthians 708A+ *e are to remain in whatever calling God saved us in as long as we are not violating his law or sinning against God. *e need a healthy balance of these things though admittedly, a delicate balance is hard to come by. Music he ne!t issue that obviously begs attention is music. *hat type of music should a Christian listen to+ )ow should he or she view 'worldly music(+ Can a Christian take singing 1secular music as a career+ *hat about the type of music in the Church, what should it be like+ ,s rock music acceptable for instance+ his is a loaded /uestion and needs to be well /ualified in many senses. *e do not have the time to handle each point in detail but we give a principle and it is this0 ,f whatever you listen to is factual, makes educative sense or glorifies God, then by all means, take it in without reservations. he point is similar to what the %postle talks about buying meat offered to idols at the meat market. Give thanks and use it. )owever, we need to apply wisdom and a discerning spirit in "udging all things. &ften what we have termed 'worldly music( is often a social commentary of what is prevailing in the general world conte!t. , have often got to know what the issues are when , am on a mini bus ride where all sorts of music is played. here, the music often talks about what is happening.

Dressing he other part we should deal with is the issue of dressing and fashion. )ere, the type of dress and dress codes differ. *hat may be considered 'modest( in the B@ may be out rightly in decent in the heart of %frica. %t one time, people were "udged by what they dressed. ,f they wore things that were not considered acceptable among believers, their salvation was brought into sharp dispute. 4ut with time and e!posure, we know better. hat said, there are some basic minimums which Christians should agree on. %s for being a fashion designer, that too, God will lead. he Christian should seek to be the trend setter as well as the best. Conclusion )aving surveyed the Christianity and culture landscape, it is therefore fitting for us to make some concluding remarks. ,s Christ against culture+ Certainly not. ,s he against the world+ -or sure. his implies that the Christian is at liberty to operate in any culture and e!ert substantial influence over it and yet remain a holy regenerate soul living to the glory of God. he application to things may vary here and there but certainly, the main things are agreeable to all without e!ception. )ow does it go with us+ eference -rame ? 5.#8AA6$. Christianity and culture, >ensacola heological ,nstitute, 8AA6 )esselgrave 5 ;.#6C7D$. Communicating Christ cross culturally0 %n introduction to ?issionary communication, Eondervan >ublishing house Segler ? -.#6CCF$. Christian *orship, 4roadman G )olman >ublishers, 8nd edition ;e?ol @. %.#6CCD$. 'Sound stewardship0 )ow should Christians think about ?usic+(>ro .ege, ?arch 6CCD <ol HH<, I J