Not So Different? (Church and Culture pt. 4)

In last two conversations of Church and Culture we took a look at the “Christ against Culture” model and the “Christ of Culture” model stating that they serve as the antithesis/opposite to one another. Yet despite their differences (of which there are many) the result of either posture is often the same: irrelevance to the world.

The irrelevance of the “against” posture is clear to see. Church communities that exist by praxis of escapism from the culture fail to find any common ground for conversation that can give birth to a mutually life-giving relationship between the Church and culture. The Church in this category is unable to speak any of the cultural language and finds its self unable to communicate effectively with the world around them. Further, the world sees the church in this posture as having nothing helpful (or even hopeful) to contribute; essentially the culture sees the Church as the “last” place to go for guidance and direction. The church in this posture becomes a holy huddle…wholly irrelevant.

By contrast of approach, yet with similar outcome, the “of” posture of the Church engages so deeply in the culture that the distinctives of the sacred community evaporate. Here the Church so immerses itself in the culture (by way of music, structure, ideology) that there is nothing “new” to be offered to the culture. As a result the culture doesn’t look to the Church for inspiration or direction because the Church looks just like the culture. The church looses its mission for sake of mimicking the world around them and fails to bring the type of fresh creativity that can inspire the culture towards the story of God.

How have you seen the irrelevance of the “against” posture in our culture?


How have you seen the irrelevance of the “of” posture in our culture?