Christ and Culture Revisited

Abstract

Does not find Neibur's model biblical; allows for options that are outside the essentials of the faith. He argues for a biblical framework that is flexible and can adjust to context without losing any necessary aspect of what "Christian" requires in engaging culture. "All of these turning points must be held together all of the time as we try to think constructively and holistically about the relation between Christ and culture" (p.206). "Right" answer is a moving target is each context as the context changes. "Even when no theoretical position is formally adopted, a theoretical position is usually presupposed. When practical advice is given to Christians by firm voices that articulate one heritage or another, some sort of relationship between Christ and culture is invariably assumed" (p. 8). He makes a case for this integrated approach by finding faults in all others. Shows how we can quickly make idols of democracy and freedom, and the problems of power and secularlism. Whole chapter on church/state, with section on servant leadership (p. 168). Good section on culture war rhetoric (pp. 184-185) Last section looks at several approaches; he rejects them all, but we can gain insight from them.