Page 18 - Christ and Culture Textbook

Niebuhr’s broad interests included a lifelong concern for the relationship of the church and the modern
world. Niebuhr’s theological work centered on questions of unity and diversity, the shaping of
knowledge of objective truth in a relativistic framework, and the nature of faith in modern life.

1. Christ against Culture
Christians rejects any loyalty to “sinful “culture and resist cultural accommodation. This can result in
“Holy huddle” of Christians who rarely dialog or interact with outsiders.

Therefore, Christ and Culture affirms the sole authority of Christ over the Christian and wholly rejects
culture’s claim to loyalty. Christ against Culture is the most uncompromising view towards culture.
According to Niebuhr, “The counterpart of loyalty to Christ and the brothers is the rejection of cultural
society; a clear line of separation is drawn between the brotherhood of the children of God and the
world”

Prime Example of Christ against Culture: Tertullian (3rd century)
 It is in culture that sin chiefly resides.
 It is best for the believer to withdraw from any unnecessary contact with those outside the
church.
 Military service to be avoided
 Impossible to be a “professor of literature” without commending and affirming “the praises of
idols interspersed therein.”
 The theater, games of levity and even music are ministers of sin.
 “What is there in common between Athens and Jerusalem? Between the Academy and the
church?”
 When we believe, we desire to believe nothing further.
 For we need believe nothing more than “there is nothing else which we are obliged to believe.”

Historical view:
In the early days of Christianity, there were many conflicts between the Christians, the Jews, and the
pagans, often rising to the level of persecution. Christians often saw themselves at war with the
surrounding culture. The Church Fathers, the earliest Christian writers after the New Testament period,
described the Christians as a “third race,” distinct from both the Jews and Gentiles. The world was
simply wicked. Tertullian (approx. 160-220 A. D.) maintained that Christians could not participate in the
military, in politics, in trade with the world. After we become Christians, Tertullian said, we have no
need of Greek philosophy. Jerusalem and Athens have nothing to do with one another.

Christianity and culture are opposites, opposed to one another, at war with one another. This view
became less common after the Roman Empire became officially Christian under Constantine.

Strengths: The people who believe/adopt this way of are the single-most reason why we can have some
sympathy for this view, says Niebuhr. The people who reject the world “have not taken easy ways in
professing their allegiance to Christ. They have endured physical and mental sufferings in their
willingness to abandon homes, property, and the protection of government for the sake of his cause”

Weakness: This position is inadequate; primarily because this separation from world and Christianity has
never actually been achieved at any time, nor can we think that it can be. Also, there seems to be the
false notion that sin lies in culture and when the Christian escapes culture, he/she can escape sin. Most
importantly for Niebuhr, this view does not adequately recognize Jesus’ and the Spirit’s role in creation.

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