INS 111: COM AND CULTURE I Session 3: Christ and His

Communicators Confront Culture

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Session 3: Christ and HS Communicators Confront Culture
Key Terms: Key terms: dualists, synthesists, incarnation, conversionists
Reflection: (1 John 2:15), Mat15.3-7, Rom 13.1-7
References: Handouts, bible, communicating Christ Crossculturally( David Hesselgrave); Menuge,
A.J.L.(n.d) Nieburh’s Christ and Culture re-examined; Nierbuhr, H.R.(1951).
The tension between Christ and culture is as
old as Christian faith itself. If Christian
change agents (missionaries, development
workers, communicators and social workers
etc) are to be effective in bringing change to
the society/people, their grasp of biblical
view of culture and Christ must be correct.
Change agents must recognize that cultures
have divine order and satanic rebellion as
well - that each culture has potential for the
revelation of God’s truth and for its
concealment or mutilation.
Richard Nierburh’s Categories of Christian
views on Christ and culture
1. Christ against culture
This is position that Christ is the sole
authority over Christians and that the claims
of culture are to be rejected i.e. If we follow
Christ we must reject any loyalty to culture.
Those who hold this position use 1 John
2:15. It sets up a false dichotomy between
Christians and the rest of the world (evil).
However, the reality is that culture permeates
our thinking and language- it is in us and
around us. It also denies Christ role creation
and incarnation in history
2. Christ of culture(cultural Christians)
Cultural Christians see Jesus Christ as
the great enlightener, the great teacher,
the one who directs all men in culture to
the attainment of wisdom, moral
perfection, and peace. Christ is seen as
the highest aspiration and fulfillment of
culture. They view culture in terms of
compatibility with Christ. This view
offers more practical versions of
Christianity, guiding action in the culture
as it actually is.
3. Christ Above Culture (synthesists) This
is the position that the reception of grace
perfects and completes culture. Culture
is seen as "both divine and human in its
origin; both holy and sinful. Although
culture is affected by sin, it still acts as a
restrainer against sin. Christ, then, is
above culture and enables us to rise
above the basic demands that culture
makes on us. Those who hold this view
argue that culture cannot be all bad
because it is founded on the nature
created good by God, and that although
nature and culture are fallen; they are
still subject to God. They also argue that
good works are carried out in culture, yet
are only made possible by grace. Only
through grace can we love our neighbor,
yet only in culture can we act on that
love.
4. Christ and culture in paradox (dualists)
This position holds that both culture and
Christ are to be obeyed by the believer; both
Christ and culture claim our loyalty this
tension cannot be reconciled by any lasting
synthesis. That humans live in the realm of
the world (governed by law) and the realm
of God (governed by grace). These two
realms exist side by side in a paradoxical
relation, never to be resolved in this life. A
Christian is therefore simultaneously subject
to both realms, because each Christian
contains an "inner man" (ruled by faith) and
an "outer man"(ruled by the Law) i.e. a
Christian is simultaneously saint and sinner.
They argue that laws are needed to limit the
consequences of sin in this world.
5. Christ as Transformer of Culture
(Conversionists)
This position holds that culture reflects the
fallen state of humanity, but in Christ
humanity is redeemed and culture can be
renewed to glorify God and promote his
purposes. The fall only perverted things
which were created good, and these things
remain inherently good and capable of
reform, even though they have been
misdirected. Culture is corrupt and yet
redeemable.