The Christian and Culture

The Christian and Culture
What is this?
What is this?
What is this?
What do you see?
Art by Bev Dolittle
Hide and Seek
Senses Grid - Hiebert, Cultural Anthropology, p 6
Sense
Experiences
Conscious
Experiences
THE EXTERNAL WORLD
Potential
Experiences
Categories & Models
Sensory Grid
(screens out occurrences;
no perceivable by the
senses)
Attention Grid
(excludes occurrences
not relevant to one’s
immediate concerns)
(learned from one’s
culture and derived
from observations)
Perception and Reality
•Scientific thinking – careful thought and
systematic observation makes objective reality.
•Perception is selective:
•Limited by cultural experience
•Limited by knowledge
•Limited by location
•Limited by abilities
•Limited by amount & how data is organized
Video – The Power of Words
Describe what you see?
Describe what you see?
What is meant by Christian cultural heritage?
► Christian
 Christian worldview compared to others
► Action:
Making a positive difference in this world
► Culture
 Understanding culture and religion’s role
► Action:
Christian engagement in culture and professions
► Heritage
 Christianity’s historical influence in the U.S.
► Action:
Adding Christ-like contributions to our culture
What is meant by Christian cultural heritage?
► The
role of Christianity in our culture
 Integration with American culture
 Contributions
 Challenges
► Culture
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and Christians’ engagement
Recognize differing worldviews and why different
Christianity’s view to cultural involvement
How should we as Christians engage our culture?
Your spiritual place in our culture
Christian Thinking
Open System vs. Closed System
Closed Worldview
Open Worldview
Material universe only
Material and spiritual in
universe
Humanity evolved and is
solely a product of material
forces
Truth is relative on moral
issues
Existence by accident
Humanity created in the
image of God
Humanity the authority
God the authority
Truth is revealed by God
Creation by intelligent design
Physical World – Closed System
PREDICTION
Test by
Experimentation
Analysis
Deduction
Scientific Process Cycle
MODEL
OBSERVATION
Synthesis
by
Induction
Physical World
Open System
PREDICTION
Test by
Experimentation
Knowledge
Spiritual Realm
Analysis
Deduction
Process Cycle
MODEL
OBSERVATION
and
REVELATION
Synthesis
by
Induction
What is Epistemology?
Definition: Epistemology is the study of the
nature, sources and validity of knowledge.
Perception and Reality
Christian Perception – perceive God as the source of
ultimate reality but Christians can only understand it
imperfectly and with guidance from God.
 Christian epistemology is informed by biblical revelation
toward the spiritual and physical aspects of life.
 Christian also are observers of the physical world.
 We rely on God to guide us toward a closer
understanding of the world in conjunction with reason.
 Understanding by reason/observation and interpreting
revelation is imperfect but enough to discover truth.
Sense
Experiences
Conscious
Experiences
THE EXTERNAL WORLD
Potential
Experiences
Categories & Models
Sensory Grid
(screens out occurrences;
no perceivable by the
senses)
Attention Grid
(excludes occurrences
not relevant to one’s
immediate concerns)
(learned from one’s
culture and derived
from observations)
Epistemology
•Realism: External world is real. Science assumed that scientific theories were accurate
descriptions of the world. Theology – one’s
understanding is complete and fully accurate
•Idealism: Philosophy & Religion – reality exists in
the mind; material world illusionary
•Critical Realism: External world is real. Science –
provides a map or model that moves toward a
more complete understanding of reality.
Theology - Knowledge of ultimate reality is limited
but truth is obtainable by revelation.
Epistemology
•Critical Idealism: Reality exists in the mind. The
external world is unknowable but order is
imposed on sense experience by the mind.
•Instrumentalism or Pragmatism: External world
is real. Cannot know if one’s knowledge is true
but if it accomplishes what one wants its usable.
No claim to ultimate truth.
•Determinism: External world is real. Knowledge
is determined by material causes. Therefore
there can be no claim to truth.
Perception and Reality
Model – is “a means by which the basic structure
and operation of the real world is portrayed.”
Characteristics of a Model
•Helps to organize ones experience in a meaningful way.
•They do not attempt to explain everything
•They are ways of looking at the world
•Solar system model
•Models of American and Indian concepts of life
Christian and Hindu Perceptions
Paul Hiebert, Cultural Anthropology, p 36
AMERICAN CONCEPT OF LIFE
God, eternal,
supernatural, infinite
Relationship
between God
Creator
and man are
Creation
vertical
Man; natural, but with
an eternal soul
A
B
Relations between
people are essentially
horizontal
INDIAN CONCEPT OF LIFE
Brahman: only reality, unknowable to
the passing world
Reality
Pure
Spirit
high gods
Illusion
lesser gods
demons & spirits
demi-gods
saints & incarnations
priests
Mixed
rulers
merchants
craftsman caste
worker castes
Animals temporal
service castes
Plants
outcastes
high animals
Inanimate world; lifeless
low animals
Pure
Matter
plants
inanimate world
Relations are
essentially
vertical
What is Christianity?
► Belief
system
► Description of reality (worldview)
► Religion
► Spiritual disposition
► Movement of followers of Christ
► Way of life
Video – Thinking Christianly
by
Jonathan Morrow
What does it mean to be Christian?
► Relationship
with God and Christ
► Engagement of God’s mission
► Spirit of humility
► Engagement of our culture
► Spiritual development
► Living by love of God and others
Video - Three Seconds
► Culture
defined:
 Culture is the integrated system of learned
patterns of ideas, values, behavior, and
products characteristic of a society.
► “Kultur”
– early 19th century German
 E. B. Tylor pioneer anthropologist borrowed in
1871 to designate “the total nonbiologically
transmitted heritage of man”
► Considered
one of the most important
contributions of anthropology to the
missionary endeavor (Luzbetak 1963, 59).
► Culture
is a product of God’s creation
of humanity in His image
 Humanity by its nature creates culture
 Humanity was created as a relational
being
Values
Ideas
Behavior
Culture is
Dynamic
Products
Learning
► Culture
is a product of God’s creation
of humanity in His image
 Culture is a dynamic vehicle by which
humanity perpetuates its ideas, values,
learning, behavior, and products.
►Ability
to share ideas
►Develop and evaluate values
►Evaluate and regulate behavior
►Ability to envision, create and construct
►Constantly changing (dynamic)
► Culture
is different from worldview
 Culture is society’s integrated activities
►Ways
of thinking and actions in society
►Culture is influenced by worldview
 Worldview consists of peoples’ interpretation
of reality
►Intellectual
and philosophical understanding and
beliefs that motivate and direct behaviors and
actions
Worldview – set of
presuppositions about
the makeup of one’s
world.
Worldview is
how a person
perceives and
interprets reality,
which
Culture ‘s learned system is
based on one’s worldview
Culture is an integrated system of learned
patterns of ideas, values, behavior, and
products to meet the needs of its members.
is used for living.
Worldview Defined
Definition: “Worldview is a fundamental
cognitive, affective and evaluative
assumptions a group of people make about
the nature of things, and which they order
their lives.” – Paul Hiebert
OR
Worldviews are how people perceive and
interpret reality, which they use for living.
OR
“A set of presuppositions which we hold
about the makeup of our world.” – James W. Sire
Dimensions of Culture &
Worldview
WORLDVIEW
Cognitive
Behavior
Products
Culture
Decisions
Evaluative
Affective
Adapted from Paul Hiebert: used by permission
Culture
► Elements
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of Definition of Culture
Integrated
Learned - cognitive
Ideas - cognitive
Values - evaluative
Behavior – evaluative and affective
Products – affective
Society – socio-economic systems, how
communities are organized
Culture
► Cultural
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Diversity
Language
Physical items
Life style
Relationship with others
Values
Gestures
Personal space
Culture
What is attractive?
What do you find appealing?
What kind of lips?
Culture
OR
Culture
 What is considered beautiful is cultural (affective)
 “’Culture’ came to mean not merely the
aggregates of human thought and behavior,
but both the systems of beliefs that lie
behind ideas and actions and the symbols
by which those ideas and actions are
expressed. Cultures are seen as integrated
wholes in which the many parts work
together to meet the basic needs of their
members” Hiebert 1985, Insights, 21).
Culture
► What
is the relationship between God
and culture?
Or
► What
is the relationship between
Christianity and culture?
► Understanding
Christ’s relationship to
culture gives us an example to follow!
God & Culture
► H.
Richard Niebuhr (1951 Christ & Culture)
 Discussed five relationships that western
theologians have seen between Christ and
culture.
► Five
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Perspectives:
Christ
Christ
Christ
Christ
Christ
against culture
of culture
above culture
and culture in paradox
transforming culture (in and above)
Culture
God and Culture
► Four
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Perspectives of God and Culture
God Against Culture
God In Culture
God Above Culture
God Above but Through Culture
Culture
God and Culture
► God
Against Culture – holds that God is
opposed to culture
 Christians withdraw, reject, escape, isolate, or
insulate themselves from the world
 Problems with this view
► (1
Jn. 2:15-16; 5:19) kosmos – evil use of culture
► Assumes because Satan uses culture evilly = all culture is evil
► Culture is not just external but in us
Culture
God and Culture
► God
In Culture
 Views God as created by humanity for something
above themselves
 God is seen as supporting ones own culture
► Problems
with this view
 Makes humanity the source of God whether
intentionally or for psychological reasons
 Makes God a tool to support ones own ethnic identity
(Acts 10, 15 - Jews and Gentles debate)
Culture
God and Culture
► God
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Above Culture
Deism
Distant God and not involved
Belief is good for moral direction
No belief in supernatural working of God
► Problems
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with this view
Takes God out of our daily lives
Removes God’s incarnation
God is simply rule maker not a father/relational
Turns it into a closed system created by a remote God
Culture
God and Culture
► God
Above but Through Culture
 This view understands God as above (not limited by)
culture but using culture as a vehicle for interaction with
human beings.
 Culture can have both good and bad to varying degrees
 God works as well as his followers within cultures for
His desires and goals
► Incarnation
– Christ human and divine
Yahweh
Culture
Christ in Culture – Example of Service
Culture
All cultures change
Contact with other people
Environmental changes
Development
Education
Modernization
Globalization
Culture
Bluetooth has arrived
God & Culture
Three Discussion Questions
Why did God create humanity?
How does God work to change culture?
What role do Christians have in God’s
work?
What’s your story?
Os Guinness shares his
God & Culture

Bible Recognizes the Place of Culture:
 Adam & Eve began culture
► Created
with free will (relationship)
► God communicated with them even after sinning
► God provided for them even after sinning
► God provided direction for life
 Cain & Able
 Cain protected
 Flood points to God control of the world
► God
works in the midst of those who do evil
► God decides the limits and results of excluding God
 Tower of Babel
► Humanity
struggles with pride to exclude God and make
themselves the final authority
God & Culture

Bible Recognizes the Place of Culture:
 Abraham – through him “all peoples blessed”
►Interaction
with King of Egypt
►Descendent from his servant or Hagar
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Nose ring (Gen. 24:47)
Egyptian and Israelites (Gen. 43:32)
Men and earrings (Gen. 35:4; Ex. 32:2; 35:22)
At the gates (Ruth 4:1ff; Josh 20:1ff)
►Sandal
given (Ruth 4:7ff)
 Saul and medium of En-dor (1 Sam. 28:7)
 Covenants (used in ancient Near East)
God & Culture
Culture in the Bible
► Birth
► Jews
of Christ
and Samaritans (Jn. 4:9)
 Cultural problems
► Racism
► Sexism
► Life
► Jews
style
and Gentiles (Acts 10:28; 11:3)
 Racism and Christianity
 Christianity and culture
God & Culture

Bible Recognizes the Place of Culture:
 Acts 14:1-18 – Paul & Barnabas encounter
culture
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Religions effect thinking
Beliefs Illustration: Christmas pageant in India
(Hiebert 1985, 13)
 Acts 17:16-34 – All humanity belongs to God

Philosophy effects thinking
 Acts 19:11-20 – Ephesus and the occult
God & Culture
Aspects of God’s Relational Nature
► God
is love
► Humanity – created in God’s image
► Humanity creates cultures and societies
► God interacts and communicates with humanity
► Personal and involved
► For the benefit of humanity
► Physical wellbeing (garden, after fall clothes)
► Spiritual wellbeing (direction for life)
► Eternal being of the person
God & Culture
God of relationship within cultures
► God Corrects and Improves
 Mankind, his creation, always concerned for them.
 Noah & judgment: the first missionary (Heb. 11:7; 2 Pet.2:5)
 Gen. 15:16 sin of the Amorites
 Deut. 7:1-6 – destroy other gods
 Gods and goddesses (Gen. 31:30) Jacob and wife’s
idol
God & Culture
God of relationship within cultures
► God: The Provider
 Covenant – a common means of making agreements
with each other
 Abraham: Called and promised to become great
nation
 Gen. 18:18 through him all nations will be blessed.
 Watch over His chosen people
 Began fulfilling His promise
God & Culture
The Deliverer and Culture Perfecter
► Moses:
Commissioned by God (Ex. 3:10)
 Moses' four objections
am I that I should go" - emphasis on his own abilities
► People won't know who God is
► What if they don't believe?
► He is not a good speaker
►
"Who
 Description of God's deliverance of Israel (Ex. 19:4)
► Judges:
Deliverance from political servitude (Jug.
3:9, 15)
► Prophets
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Proclaimed the will of God
Exposed the sin of the people
Preached the need to repent and be reconciled
Proclaimed the outcome of non-repentance
Christ & Culture
God: In Christ In Culture (Incarnation)
► Immanuel:
God with us
► Jesus came within a culture with and ethnic
identity
► Redeemer: came to remove our sins, improve
ones lot in a culture (Jew, Samaritan, Gentile)
► Savior: came to save the lost of all ethnic groups
► Sent One: sent by God for his purpose – restore
humanity to God within their cultures
Christians & Culture
God: Through the Church in Cultures
► We
are sent as Jesus was sent (Jn. 17:18)
► The world may believe God sent Jesus and loves
them (Jn. 17:23)
► The great commission: Go into all the world –
cannot go without entering cultures (Matt. 28:1820)
► Baptizing, making disciples, and teaching –
working within cultures for a change of
relationship with God to following the one true
God
Christians & Culture
God's Mission through Christ
► Central
theme in the New Testament is
God's redemption of people through Christ.
(Tit. 3:4-5; Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:10; John
3:16)
► In Old Testament we see a God of mission
 God always concerned with peoples’
relationship with the one God
Culture
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a
slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I
became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are
under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself
under the Law, so that I might win those who are under 1the
Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though
not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ,
so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the
weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have
become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save
some. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I
may become a fellow partaker of it.
19
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NASB95)
Christians & Culture
God’s Mission, Our Mission

What the mission of God means for Christians
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Mission originates with God
God loves His creation
God's people cannot neglect it
God will equip His people
Love as God loves by loving God and our neighbor
Concern for spiritual and physical well-being of others
Serve in a manner that represents Christ’s service
Christian Perspective
► Christian
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thinking and worldview
Open rather than closed system
Physical and spiritual dimensions
Concept of objective authority
Concept of truth
Reality of evil
Value of the person
Value of the sacred
How to Choose a Worldview
By Jonathan Morrow
Christian Perspective
spiritual
social
cultural
Human
Psychological
biological
physical
People should be understood as integrated beings.
Christian Perspective
► The
Christian worldview answers
questions that science cannot
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Why am I here?
What should I love?
What should I live for?
What is after death?
“Reason’s final step is to recognize that there are
an infinite number of things which surpass it.”
Immanual Kant
Christian Perspective
► What
is Christian Cultural Heritage
 Christian
Representing Christ in the world
through a Christian life style and belief system
 Cultural
Engaging our culture from a
Christian worldview expressed in ideas and
actions within any profession
 Heritage
Christians holding to a Christian
worldview have contributed positively to this
world & the U.S. and Christians should continue
working in peace with all people upholding the
value of all humans created in the image of God
through sharing the Christian worldview