Christian culture?

 Moore, T.M. “Culture Matters: A Call for Consensus on Christian Cultural Engagement.”

Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2007.

Review by Adrian Peetoom

Christians live within the culture of their days, and they always have, and so do all human beings, past, present and future.  Jesus did. “Culture consists of the artifacts, institutions, and conventions by which people define, sustain, and enrich their lives. Human beings are creatures of culture; we require it for our very existence and could not avoid it or escape it even if we tried. (20).” Culture is us together. But as the author also observes, “not all culture is edifying (my underlining), and this is especially so when our objective in life is the realization of the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Matt 6:33; Rom. 14:7).” So how should Christians grapple with a culture that may be both good and bad?

The author gives us extensive discussions of five historical periods which faced this thorny subject, suggesting that we can (and must) learn from all five. Fortunately he used plain prose.

1.       Culture Critic St. Augustine (5^th century)

2.       The Celtic culture builders  (5^th-8^th centuries)

3.       Calvin, the culture educator of Geneva (16^th century)

4.       Politician and journalist Abraham Kuyper (The Netherlands, 19^th century)

5.       Communicator 20^th century Lithuanian-Polish-American poet Czeslaw Milosz.

All along Moore is critical of current Christian believers and their relationship with contemporary culture, though he is not without hope and points to positive development. The question of the book is: can a more unified and common Christian attitude towards culture be developed?  Can we teach Christians to be critical of their culture, and also erect signposts that point to the Kingdom of God? This is communal work (158), and ecumenical work (159-160).

                “Culture matters span the spectrum of human interest and activity, and a kingdom distinguished by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit will certainly offer an interpretation and approach to culture that must stand pout amid and speak prophetically to the chaos and cacophony of contemporary life (161).”

Culture is not neutral, though many Christians still think so.  It is time to learn from the five predecessors that culture is not neutral – and as Moore observes, he could have named many more predecessors. May we begin learning from all of them. This book is a fine primer to raise consciousness at HTAC.