Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Culturally Savvy Christianity

On Sunday I started teaching a class entitled Culturally Savvy Christianity at the Cloverdale Church of Christ. If you are in town, I invite you to join us at 10:30 am this Sunday.

What does it mean for Christians to be savvy in regards to their culture? How does a Christian live in the world and at the same time avoid being of the world? Does living in the world mean I should be entertained by the same TV, movies, and music that the world listens to? These are just a few of the questions we'll be trying to answer in the next few months.

I'm referencing several texts which I have found to be very thought provoking when examining how Christians should interact with American popular culture:



1. Too Christian, Too Pagan by Dick Staub. Staub argues that Christians that fail to interact with the culture around them are in danger of being "too Christian" and not affecting the world as Jesus calls us to. Christians that engage their culture may be labeled "too pagan" by fellow Christians, but this is precisely what Jesus has called us to do: work to positively influence the world for Jesus.
2. The Culturally Savvy Christian is Dick Staub's latest book which explores our rather shallow popular culture and argues that Christians must not disengage or attack it, but instead transform it. "We are called to be culturally savvy Christians who are serious about faith, savvy about faith and culture, and skilled at fulfilling our calling to be a loving, transforming presence in the world."
3. Roaring Lambs by Bob Briner explores the positive effect Christians could and should have on popular culture if they would engage it fully and get off the sidelines. Christians can become "roaring lambs" within the workplace or culture when they excel at their work and earn the respect of their peers. Briner did just this working in the sports and television industries.

Hope to see you Sunday.

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