Considering Culture (3/footnote)
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On the idea that a properly functioning creation is what brings glory to the Creator, it is interesting to refer to Chris Wright’s ‘The Mission of God’. He has a substantial section on God’s glory as the goal of creation. His emphasis is on the fulness of the earth giving God glory, but it seems to me that proper functioning has to be a part too, if only implicitly.
The following quote from Wright is also interesting. It comes from a slightly different angle, but ends up in a similar place as the last post:
The creation exists for the praise and glory of its Creator God and for mutual enjoyment. We humans, being creatures ourselves, share in that reason for existece — our ‘chief end’ is to bring glory to God, and in doing so to enjoy ourselves because we enjoy God. So that God-focussed goal of human life (to glorify an enjoy him) is not somthing that sets us apart from the rest of creation. Rather it is something that we share with the rest of creation. That is the chief end of all creation. the only difference is that of course we human beings must glorify our Creator in uniquely human ways, as befits our unique status as the one creature who has been made in the image of God. So, as humans we praise God with our hearts and hands and voices, with rationality as well as emotion, with language, art, music and craft — with all that reflects the God in whose image we were made.
This also has connections back to the quote from Steve Turner which considered renewal of cultures as giving God pleasure.
Tags: culture, Culture Seminar, The Mission of God (Wright), theology
Considering Culture (3)
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Having made tentative steps towards recognising culture as something we should think about from a Christian perspective, we took a more detailed look. The approach was to track through the biblical narrative and see where culture fits in the overarching story.
Of course, by turning to the Bible at all we are making a statement about how God and culture relate — the Bible is a cultural object (albeit a unique one). It is not a dropped-from-the-sky set of writings, but uses, for example, poetic forms from a particular culture and time, references aspects and event of particular cultures, etc. etc.
But, leaving that aside, let’s look at the content and start of the story — creation. One of the key parts of the biblical account is that man is made in God’s image. Taking the approach of, e.g., Middleton & Walsh (in Truth Is Stranger Than It Used To Be), we can compare this to the action of ancient rulers who placed images of themselves in lands that they conquered; this reminded the inhabitants who was in charge. With this context in mind, man being God’s image implies a role as God’s representatives within creation. And it starts to introduce the theme of mankind as steward of creation on God’s behalf.
Of course, the command by God for man to ‘rule over’ and ‘fill the earth and subdue it’ pushes this theme further. Douglas Moo makes the point that
The Hebrew verbs behind ‘rule over’ and ‘subdue’ are strong ones and not only justify but mandate a significant degree of human intervention in the created world.
And what is culture? Surely it is the way that we interact with the created world and others around us? Kevin Vanhoozer suggests the following:
Culture refers to the expressive work of human freedom in and on nature.
So, perhaps we can say that culture is what we do with the freedom that God gives us in our role as stewards and divine representatives. Consequently, culture is intrinsic to what we do as God’s image.
If we take this approach then it is clear that culture in itself is good. In fact, it is part of the our role as humans within God’s creation. Whether all forms are good is, of course, the next question.
Perhaps we can start by describing things like this: a properly functioning creation is what brings glory to the Creator, God, and mankind has a significant role in that proper functioning. We routinely accept this on a personal level — I bring glory to God by living my life in accordance with His intentions; i.e. when I, as part of creation, function properly. But it also applies on corporate and cultural levels. We have a wider responsibility as God’s image.
So, the implication is that culture is good, but it needs to be culture that fosters or is part of a properly functioning creation.
All this is pulled together by Richard Middleton
While various psalms call upon all creatures (humans included) to worship or serve God in creation, the distinctive way humans worship or render service to the Creator is by the development of culture through interation with our earthly environment (in a manner that glorifies God).
Tags: culture, Culture Seminar, theology, worldview
Considering Culture (2)
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Following the last post, the question is, if we have these prompts to include culture in our thinking as Christians, why don’t we do it? There are, of course, multiple reasons. But, a classic and key one is ‘dualism’ — the tendency we have to slice ‘n’ dice life into so-called spiritual and so-called secular boxes; things that God is interested in/have eternal significance and things that are relatively unimportant.
It is possible to give historical reasons for this ‘duality’, but it seems that we always have a tendency towards some kind of split. Where we draw the line depends on the culture. Today, it seems like (thinking mainly of the evangelical culture I’m a part of) the ‘spiritual’ side includes church, family, some politics (where it touches personal holiness) and some education. Most of the rest of life falls into the ‘secular’. (I know, a caricature, but you get the gist.)
Of course, my comment in the last post about interpreting 1 Cor 15 in a personal way is also an impact of dualism — because I have the underlying tendency to discount big ideas as being important from a Christian perspective, I find it easy to read the Bible in a way that fits my preconceptions.
So, given our tendency to dualism, we can’t go anywhere without first asking if culture is an important subject for our thinking. Of course, in some ways we just go back to the Bible verses above above and work from the point that Jesus is Lord of all. Jeremy Begbie again:
Theologically, the most general and basic reason is simply the lordship of Jesus Christ. For the follower of Christ, there is no “exclusion zone,” no “secular” territory outside the scope of his saving work, no value-free or neutral area of human life.
But, perhaps we need to unpack this a bit further; to look at our starting point(s) in detail. In the process we will hopefully get clues on how to think about cultural issues from a Christian perspective.
Tags: culture, Culture Seminar, theology, worldview
Considering Culture (1)
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My goal for the Christmas break was to post a series based on my recent seminar on culture. (If only to convince readers that I can do more that random speculation 
I’m a bit late starting, but let’s see how we go. It will be sketchy and probably revisionist — I can’t include everything from the talk and I will probably incorporate some extra thoughts that came up in hindsight.
Context-wise, it was aimed at a group of students from our church. There was probably more than could comfortably be covered in one session, but there is a lot of ground to cover if you assume your talking to people who haven’t thought much about this sort of thing before. (This may not have been the case, but I had to start with that assumption.)
At some point in the posting process, I will try to put together a list of source material and associated books, etc. So, if you’re looking for references, hang on for that post.
The starting point for session was really just a set of questions to emphasise that we don’t tend to think about culture from a Christian perspective. This is in contrast with the massive influence that culture has on us — it shapes our imagination, which in turn shapes goals, priorities and actions, and what we consider to be possible. The question I always come back to is ‘If my faith can’t talk about all of life [including culture] then how real is what I believe?’
Jeremy Begbie has a similar sentiment is Resounding Truth:
Music may not be necessary for biological survival—on a desert island we could subsist without it—but it does seem vital to human flourishing. Would it not be strange, to say the least, if there were no distinctively Christian comment to make on so prevalent a feature of the human race?
As well as the surely-we-must-have-something-to-say approach, we can also start from the biblical themes of ‘taking every thought captive’:
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.1 Cor 10:5
and having renewed minds:
Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.Rom 12:2
I don’t know about you, but I have always had a pretty restrictive idea of ‘taking every thought captive’; reducing it to problematic thoughts — fears, temptations, etc. But, Paul contrasts it with ‘arguments … against the knowledge of God’. Clearly he is thinking about something bigger than personal piety (though it must include that).
We also have the idea that ‘In [Jesus] everything holds together.’ (Col 1) With this in mind, thinking about culture interacts with the question: Do we really think that Jesus is Lord of all, that
Tags: culture, Culture Seminar, theology
Happy Christmas!
Posted by Paul | Filed under photos
Tags: photos
festive hermeneutics
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I’ve never really noticed just how much the start of Matthew’s gospel sets Jesus up as the new Moses/representative of Israel. But, going back to the ‘Christmas’ stories over the last few days it really lept out at me. So, with acknowledgement to the reformed catholic blog and Tom Wright’s Matthew for Everyone, here is a set of parallels. I think I’m roughly following the order in Matthew’s narrative:
* Moses escapes Pharaoh’s slaughter of baby boys
Jesus escapes Herod’s slaughter of baby boys
* Moses comes out of Egypt (with Israel)
Jesus comes out of Egypt
[aside 1: see reformed catholic for interesting overtones of Israel-is-Egypt]
[aside 2: but it's interesting that both are in Egypt due to the dreams of a guy called Joseph, but maybe that is pushing things too far...]
* Moses takes Israel through the waters of the Red Sea
Jesus is baptised
* Moses and Israel head from the water into the desert and face challenges of trusting God
Jesus heads from baptism into the desert and is tempted, but trusts God
[aside 3: Jesus' temptations cover bread and worship of someone/thing other than God. Israel complain about provision of food and tragically worship the golden calf]
* Moses is advised to select leaders to help him
Jesus calls the disciples
* Moses brings the law down from the mountain
Jesus preaches the sermon on the mount
A random walk over culture, art, christianity, etc. with occasional photographs...