Thesis Statement

The clash between Christianity and culture has existed ever since the beginning of the church. Sometimes Christians have had great influence on the culture, other times culture has greatly influenced Christianity. This constant tug-of-war between faith and “the world” defines the struggle many people of faith face every day. A more thorough knowledge of theology as it pertains to these different areas of life can help everyone make headway against the contemporary culture that Christians face.

Introduction

It should be noted from the outset that this paper borrows its title from a chapter in Dr. H. Richard Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture. In his most famous work, Niebuhr outlines five different viewpoints of how Christians have interacted with the culture around them.[1] Each of the viewpoints given has strengths and weaknesses, but the book itself is a treatise on how Christians can apply theology to the culture every day. Niebuhr’s dedication to pursuing the connection between theology and contemporary culture is summed up in a quote from his obituary in 1962: “Let them orbit. Let them take their sins and their wars to other planets. We will have to ask the same theological questions no matter where we are in the universe.”[2]

How does theology wind its way into contemporary culture? Is theology something that should be left to the academics, authors, and pastors, or is it something that the lay person and even the unconverted can use in everyday life? Furthermore, can theology be used to combat the common views of the world, views that seem to line up with Christian faith, but may run contrary to it under the surface?

In contemporary culture, faith and religion have been pushed back from the public arena. In the last 50 years, what was once a public faith has now become a private matter. Contrary to that, Michael McGough states that “(m)ost battles in the culture wars are joined in the public square.” He adds that both sides of the battle attribute their views to belief in a higher power, making this a theological discussion.[3]

Culture and theology will always contrast each other, but the challenge to the Christ-believer is how to apply theology to contemporary worldviews. Throughout history that challenge has existed, sometimes under threat of violence. It has always been and will continue to be difficult to synthesize culture and theology. This paper will first explore historical viewpoints of theology and culture in order to give some background to the discussion. The remaining sections will discuss various aspects of modern theology and culture, attempting to show that theology can be impressed upon culture in a way that glorifies Christ.

---

[1] H. Richard Niebuhr, Christ and Culture (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1951), these viewpoints will be discussed further in a later portion of this paper.

[2] “Rev. H. Richard Niebuhr Dead: Authority on Theological Ethics”, New York Times, 6 July 1962, sec. A, p. 25

[3] Michael McGough, A Field Guide to the Culture Wars: The Battle Over Values From the Campaign Trail to the Classroom (Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2009), 4