Culture is defined as everything beyond what is naturally given and encompasses language, technology, objects, habits, and ways of thinking about space and time.
Everyday Christians have the tools for cultural engagement through reading the Bible in its entirety, engaging with different perspectives, and embodying various biblical postures.
Christians can adopt multiple postures, like prophetic critique and gentle connection, in cultural engagement, recognizing the complexity and diversity within the church.
Deep dives
Understanding Culture through Biblical Critique
In this podcast episode, the host interviews Dr. Christopher Watkin about his book 'Biblical Critical Theory' and explores the concept of culture. They discuss how culture is defined as everything that human beings do that is beyond what is given naturally. Dr. Watkin explains various aspects of culture, including language, technology, objects, habits, and ways of thinking about space and time. He emphasizes that culture is not separate from God's revelation and that God reveals himself through interactions with specific people groups and cultures. The conversation also delves into how Christ is within culture and how Christians can engage with culture in different ways, such as through prophetic critique or gentle engagement. The episode highlights the importance of embracing the wisdom of the Bible and the complexity of cultural engagement, and it encourages Christians to embody a range of biblical postures when engaging with culture.
Navigating Cultural Engagement as Everyday Christians
The podcast episode addresses the concern that cultural engagement may seem daunting or limited to those with theological training or deep biblical knowledge. The guest emphasizes that the shape of the biblical story itself, encompassing creation, fall, redemption, and consummation, provides everyday Christians with the tools needed for cultural engagement. He suggests that reading the Bible in its entirety, engaging with different perspectives, and being open to correction can help avoid cherry-picking verses or using predetermined cultural lenses. The guest encourages Christians to embody various biblical postures, including prophetic critique and gentle engagement, and to seek wisdom rather than relying on single methodologies or techniques. The episode affirms that all Christians, regardless of theological education, can embrace the fullness of cultural engagement by allowing the biblical narrative to shape their understanding.
Engaging with Culture: Antithesis and Fulfillment
This podcast episode explores Paul's approach to engaging with culture in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. The guest outlines how Paul addresses the dominant cultural values of his time, namely, wisdom and miraculous signs. Paul initially sets the gospel in antithesis to these values, highlighting the foolishness and weakness of the cross in contrast to human expectations. However, the guest notes that Paul also demonstrates fulfillment by pointing to the wisdom and power found in the gospel. This approach reconciles both antithesis and fulfillment, encouraging Christians to critique culture while also offering a transformative way forward. The episode encourages Christians to embrace the complexities of cultural engagement, incorporating different biblical postures and relying on the wisdom of God's Word.
Navigating Differences in Cultural Engagement
The podcast episode addresses the challenge of differing approaches to cultural engagement within the Christian community. It acknowledges that sincere Christians can agree on the critique of cultural issues while diverging in how to engage with them. The guest highlights the need for Christians to recognize the wisdom dimension of cultural engagement, rather than reducing it to a good-versus-evil binary. He emphasizes that Christians can adopt multiple postures, such as prophetic critique and gentle connection, depending on the specific context and issue at hand. The episode notes that these apparent contradictions can coexist within the same church, reflecting the diverse ways Christians engage with culture. It encourages Christians to approach cultural engagement with humility, recognizing the vastness and complexity of the topic.
Wisdom and Complexity in Cultural Engagement
In this podcast episode, the guest explores the need for wisdom and the recognition of complexity in cultural engagement. Reflecting on 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, the episode emphasizes that cultural engagement should not be reduced to simple techniques or methods, as culture is intricately woven with relationships and diverse perspectives. The guest suggests that Christians should pursue biblical wisdom and allow the entire sweep of the biblical story to shape their engagement with culture. This includes recognizing the antithesis between cultural values and the gospel while also seeking the fulfillment and enrichment offered by the gospel. The episode encourages Christians to embrace various postures and approaches to cultural engagement, understanding that it requires ongoing discernment and a reliance on God's wisdom.
What is culture anyway? Despite being a cultural commentary podcast, we’ve never quite teased out the seemingly-simple-yet-actually-complicated definition. So today, Patrick teams up with Christopher Watkin, author of Biblical Critical Theory, to define and make sense of “culture.” The two discuss what culture is (and what it isn’t) and what it looks like for Christians to engage with culture. Given that we’re all enculturated, what should we strive for: Should we be more monocultural? Or should our pursuit of Christlikeness place us outside of culture as a whole? How can everyday, average Christians read the Bible and think about culture? And how should we sort out disagreements? Should our interpretation of the Bible be more postmodern in an attempt to make sense of our culture? Listen now!
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