which approach is aimed at finding common ground between world religions and cultural traditions?

In Every Square Inch, Dr. Bruce Riley Ashford surveys a diversity of perspectives on the human relationship betwixt Christianity and civilisation. Co-ordinate to Ashford, the chat boils down to these three main views:

1. Christianity against culture

This start perspective sees Christianity and culture equally two opposing forces of influence. The church building stands on one side of the line, and culture on the other. Ashford says, "This is particularly a temptation for Americans who realize that their country is becoming increasingly post-Christian—and in some ways, even anti-Christian. They realize that their beliefs on certain theological and moral bug volition increasingly be rejected and mocked by the political and cultural elite and past many of their swain citizens."

Within this perspective, Ashford identifies two analogies to represent the perceived relationship between Christianity and culture: "Some proponents of 'Christianity confronting civilisation' tend to view the Church building primarily as a flop shelter."

This stance transforms the church into a sanctuary, where people seek refuge from the spiritual siege of the exterior world.

Christians sometimes talk virtually trying to find the balance between immersing yourself in the earth and isolating yourself in a comfortable picayune bubble. This perspective has fully embraced the bubble.

"Believers with this mentality have adept intentions," Ashford says. "They want to preserve the Church'south purity, recognizing that the Church is nether attack and that therefore we should concur fast to the faith (Revelations iii:11). They know that there is a neat battle being waged (Ephesians 6), a battle that plays out both invisibly in the heavenly realm, and visibly in the cultural realm."

But these man-made barriers only create the illusion of prophylactic from sin.

"[This] externalizes godlessness and treats it as something that can exist kept out by man-fabricated walls, rather than understanding that godlessness is a disease of the soul that can never be walled out."

So what happens?

"This mindset tends toward legalism and tries to restrict Christians' interactions with guild and culture," Ashford says. "While information technology rightly recognizes that the Christian life involves war against the powers of darkness, it wrongly tries to wage that state of war by escaping from the world. This obeys only i half of Jesus' admonition to be in the world, but not of information technology (John 17:fourteen–16)."

The bubble of legalism can't keep sin out of the Church building, and it hides i of God's most useful tools—us.

Ashford's 2nd illustration for this perspective takes a more confrontational approach to the conflict.

"Other proponents of "Christianityagainst civilisation" view the Church building primarily every bit an Ultimate Fighter."

You can certainly find biblical support for a view that pits the Church in the ring against civilization. "Believers with this mentality are clinging to the biblical principle of waging state of war against what is evil. They rightly recognize that we must put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians half dozen:11), fight the skillful fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), resist the devil (James 4:7), and bandage downwardly anything that exalts itself against God (2 Corinthians 10:four–5)."

That being said, Ashford believes this mindset still falls short—information technology'south too piece of cake to come across ourselves fighting against people instead of sin. God uses the Church in his plan to rescue people, not destroy them. Ashford says, "Our social and cultural contexts are total of unbelievers—simply those unbelievers are not just enemies of God, just also drowning people in need of a lifeboat. The Church is not but a base of operations for soldiers, just as well a hospital for the sick."

Here'southward a different have on the fighting analogy: culture is actually beating people upwards. Left to their own devices without God, people will take blow after blow—perhaps without fifty-fifty realizing that information technology'due south culture (and themselves) delivering the pain. The false promises, social norms, distorted morality, and unchecked sin present in diverse cultures can all appear good to people without God. Merely we know that God'southward law is actually designed with love (Matthew 22:37–40). People are fighting themselves, non the Church, and many of their wounds are self-inflicted.

The Church building fights culture past continually pointing to the one who heals the brokenness.

2. Christianity of civilization

The second view Ashford presents embraces culture and brings it into the Church.

"Those with a 'Christianity of culture' perspective tend to build churches that are mirrors of the culture."


Cultural shifts that happen independently of the Church aren't always bad. Ashford says, "God has enabled all people—Christian or not—to brand expert and valuable contributions in the cultural realm." The human being rights movement and the abolition of slavery brought about awe-inspiring positive changes. Looking back at present, we can recognize that in that location were Christians on both sides of these movements—some advocating them, and others resisting them. We tin hold that the Christians resisting these cultural shifts were in the wrong. But culture isn't ever correct, and the Church tin't mirror every move culture makes. Without God, civilization raises up idols in his place—celebrities, politicians, sex activity, wealth, power, and even productivity and liberty.

Tin can the Church embrace culture without besides embracing its idols?

Ashford says, "Christians with this mindset tend to view their cultural context in very high esteem—perhaps disagreeing with aspects of information technology here and there, but for the well-nigh function finding information technology to be an ally rather than a threat." Mostly, this view sees advances in culture equally positive changes the Church should cover. While parts of Christianity can be defined in black and white, culture oft creates large grey areas. Different perspectives may identify the gray as black or white. This perspective fully embraces the grey.

Acquire more in Dr. Ashford's new book, Every Square Inch.

"Believers with this mentality rightly recognize that God ordered the world in such a fashion that humans would make culture, and they rightly recognize that their culture exhibits existent aspects of truth, goodness, and beauty," Ashford says. "However, this mentality is misguided because information technology fails to sufficiently run across the way in which every culture, and every aspect of civilisation, is corrupted and distorted because of human being sin."

By becoming a reflection of culture, the Church can lose its position as a champion of a ameliorate way to live. When Christians comprehend the "gray areas," the better way of life we offer tin become a greyness area, as well. (Click to tweet.)

Ashford puts information technology this manner, "When Christians adopt a 'Christianity of culture' mindset, they have away Christianity's power to be a prophetic voice and usually end up sacrificing doctrines and moral beliefs that run opposite to the cultural consensus."

In that location are practiced intentions and tin can exist positive fruits, merely it may not ultimately be the all-time route for the Church to take.

3. Christianity in and for civilization

It'due south no secret that Ashford believes this is the best way to view the relationship between church building and civilisation: "A 3rd and better mindset is ane that views homo beings as representatives of Christ who live their lives in the midst of and for the good of their cultural context, and whose cultural lives are characterized by obedience and witness."

Ashford doesn't employ a metaphor to describe this perspective, but here'southward a common example y'all might find helpful:

Every bit Christians, nosotros are Christ'due south ambassadors (two Corinthians 5:20)—we represent some other world, while we alive in the midst of this one. (Click to tweet.)

God created the structure that allows civilisation to exist, shift, and progress. Equally humans, we formulate and shape that culture within God's structure. "Every cultural context is structurally proficient, but directionally corrupt," Ashford says. "For this reason, we must live firmly in the midst of our cultural contexts (structurally), all the while seeking to steer our cultural realities toward Christ rather than toward idols (directionally)."

Equally ambassadors, we are fully immersed in the civilisation, but everything well-nigh us points back to the one we serve. This doesn't mean nosotros agree with everything culture does, only we larn to sympathise it and speak its language, identify its true desires—all with the intention of showing how Christ is the merely i who can correctly fulfill those well-meaning (though often misplaced) desires.

Ashford says, "Every attribute of human life and culture is ripe for Christian witness. Every dimension of culture, whether information technology is art, science, or politics, is an arena in which we can speak about Christ with our lips and reflect him with our lives. We thank God for the existence of culture and recognize whatever is good in it, while at the same time seeking to redirect whatever is not practiced toward Christ."

Acquire more most cultural engagement with Dr. Ashford's book, Every Square Inch.

Source: https://blog.faithlife.com/3-views-on-the-relationship-between-christianity-and-culture/

Posted by: faydoely1954.blogspot.com

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