Christ Against Culture

Click here to read the introduction to this series.

As I continue to work through Christ and Culture, by H. Richard Niebuhr, I would like to give a brief synopsis and discussion of each of his five categories.  The first category, or type, is entitled "Christ Against Culture."  This first position is resolute in its defiance against "worldly" culture.  Niebuhr points out the way 1 John seems to support this view.  1 John 2:15 is a good example:

Do not love the world or the things in the world.  The love of the Father is not in those who love the world...

The "Christ Against Culture" view sets up what I think is a false dichotomy.  It makes a sharp distinction between those who are in Christ and the rest of the world, which is evil.  Niebuhr says the following:

There seems to be in this Christian ethic no recognition of the fact that in a society where gospel rules are not acknowledged some rules are nevertheless in force; and that as there are virtues and vices in the domain of Christ so there are also virtues and vices relative to the standards of non-Christian culture. (p.51-52)

Niebuhr points out that "Christ claims no man purely as a natural being." (p.69)  That is to say that we cannot escape the fact that we are cultural beings.  We also cannot love our neighbors without understanding, and entering into, their culture in some way, shape or form.

Those who tend toward "Christ Against Culture" seem to believe that Jesus came to bring a new law.  Niebuhr says, on the contrary, that "Christ is by no means the founder of a closed society with a new law but the expiator of the sins of the whole world." (p.80, emphasis mine)

...the Christian does everything with a difference; not because he has a different law, but because he knows grace and hence reflects grace. (p.80)

I think we must be careful about what we choose to reject in the culture around us.  This is not to say that culture is beyond our moral judgement, but we must continually question our own understanding of who Christ is and what he wants from us.  We may also want to examine our own motives.  In rejecting an aspect of one culture, are we only seeking to preserve the values of another?

Comments

[leo basing-at]

thanks and I enjoyed reading your essay, but then i would like to ask that is christ against culture same as culture agains chtist?
Can you please sending me a simple but understandable meaning of the following: Christ above culture, christ against culture, christ the transformer of culture, christ of culture and christ the culture in paradox.
thanks
Pls send send me on my email addres at [email protected]

[Jameson Saint Romain]

Great Readings. It really helped in my Theology class!