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The Journal

2009-11 Summit Journal
» Summit Alumni Spotlight | pg. 2 » Highlights from around the Globe | pgs. 4–7 Christianity, Culture, and Politics

Essays

Is Popular Culture Either? (via Modern Reformation)
"Popular culture" is a slippery and deceptive term for a massive and unwieldy reality. As in other controversies, many arguments about popular culture are frustrating because there is no prior agreement on exactly what is being talked about. Sometimes "popular culture" is used to denote any cultural activity not produced and sanctioned by "elite" cultural institutions. But that really doesn't clarify things, since the term "elite" has a number of meanings. In referring to "elite" cultural institutions, do we mean...

Truth & Consequences

Why Students Don’t ‘Get It’
If Christian Smith and Melinda Denton are correct, our key concern in regards to the next generation is that they "get" Christianity. Our primary focus should turn from whether Christian students like church, or whether they think of Jesus as their best friend, or even whether they know why they believe what they believe (though that has been a useful tag line for Summit Ministries for years). Primarily, if Smith and Denton are correct, our focus should be teaching them what Christianity is because, simply put, they don't get it. My experience working with students, most having strong histories in conservative evangelicalism (and representing almost evenly home, private Christian, and public schooling), suggests Smith and Denton are right. I often hear students describe their experience of Christianity in these terms: "I've been a Christian my whole life, but I don't really get it." Or, "I prayed the prayer when I was four, but I don't think it stuck." Or, "I committed my life to Christ when I was fifteen, but I am not sure it stuck." How is it that students who are so deeply engrossed in church culture and who have more access to the Bible, Christian literature, youth programs, and other resources than any generation that has lived since the founding of the church, can be so confused about what Christianity actually is and why it matters? How is it that they possess such a truncated, neutered view of the Kingdom? How is it that these students just don't "get it?"

Helping Students ‘Get It’
In last month's article, I argued that a major project for those of us who work with students is to help them "get" Christianity. While a significant number of Christian students reject Christianity during their university years, far more struggle to embrace a faith that is not really authentic or orthodox. Theirs is a "moralistic therapeutic Deism" as Christian Smith put it; a tame faith that is privatized and perhaps personally meaningful but which is not publically true, culturally significant, or fundamentally informative to the rest of their lives. Rather than trying to make Christianity as attractive and entertaining as possible, we ought instead to be sure that what we are communicating to them is actually Christianity. As I noted, this is very challenging in a culture of information overload, where students are bombarded daily with a multitude of messages, most of which, encourage them toward a mentality of adolescence. Still, there is good news. Adolescently minded cultures like ours inevitably have a leadership vacuum. So, there remains a terrific opportunity for influence for those who produce the leaders, especially if they produce networks of leaders who can think deeply and contribute broadly to a wide variety of cultural institutions. How can we do this?

Why Christians Should Avoid Great Books Like the Plague
An interesting article was penned this fall titled "People of the Screen." The author, Christine Rosen, editor of The New Atlantis, opines on the diminished role of reading books for pleasure. The advent of computers and the internet has taught a generation of children to seek information online instead of on the page and several studies indicate the result is a lack of concentration and interaction with the values and worldview of the author. One national study found that nearly half of Americans ages 18 to 24 read no books for pleasure. Rosen suggests this is to our individual and collective detriment. You're invited to read the entire article here. This month's article tackles the same issue but from a tongue-in-cheek perspective. Enjoy!...

Pop Culture
Francis Schaeffer once wrote that the secular philosophies of intellectuals filter down to the general population through the arts, becoming what we call "popular culture." Thus, pop culture is the prevailing worldview expressed primarily through blockbuster movies, best-selling novels, "top-forty" music, highly rated television shows, the visual arts, and advertising.

Becoming a World-changer
Are you looking for a great Christmas gift that every member of your family will appreciate? How about a gift that will change the world for the better! You may be thinking, what kind of gift would do that? Let me explain. What's the greatest gift you can give someone? As Christians, our immediate answer to that question is "Salvation, God's free gift!" That's true. In fact, Jesus' Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20 has been the marching orders for the church throughout the past 2,000 years. And usually we think of presenting the Gospel as the primary means of fulfilling the command to "make disciples of all nations." However...

Christianity and Slavery
In the United States, February is designated as "Black History Month." The history of the black race is steeped in the matter of slavery and this raises the issue of the role Christianity played in the practice of selling and owning other people. It's been popular in recent years to accuse Christianity of being a primary promoter of slavery. For example, William McDonald of the New York Times wonders...

The Influence of the Secular Humanist Worldview
Secular Humanism (SH) is a well-defined worldview. The Humanist Manifestos of 1933, 1973, and 2000 explain the details of their beliefs. Topping the list is their belief that God does not exist, or at least there is insufficient evidence for the existence of God. From that theological foundation, Secular Humanists have developed a comprehensive view on various issues, including the nature of man, moral values, the role of the state, plus other areas. Over the past 75 years, Secular Humanists have exerted significance influence over a wide range of culture shaping arenas, including...

Being a Christian in the World
Dear Mr. Edwards, I was a student at Summit this summer. I'm a senior at a public high school. I'm writing for some advice in the situation I'm in. I've been a competing cheerleader for about 15 years, and am now on the school varsity cheerleading squad. We do our pep rally routines to different cuts of songs. Last week was our first pep rally. When I heard the music to our routine I was appalled. I asked who the artist was, and at once knew it was a provocative artist. That night I went home and printed off the lyrics. There were numerous cursing and sexual suggestions to say the least. I asked if I could sit out and not participate, because I didn't want to be involved with inappropriate music. I also asked this in a quiet, behind the scenes way. Basically my principal told me...

Why the Grinch is Stealing Christmas
Like the Grinch of Dr. Seuss fame, there are those who are working hard to erase every public expression of Christmas in USA'ville. To list just a few examples, consider the following...

Living in the Real World
In the high-action, Kung fu fighting, futuristic science fiction film, "The Matrix," high-tech hacker Neo is rescued from a computer-generated world (the Matrix) through which "Machines" have suppressed reality and dominated mankind. Neo is brought into "the real world" by a leader named Morpheus. As part of Neo's training to save humanity from its slavery to the machines, he is introduced to the virtual reality of the "loading program." Upon entering this virtual reality, Neo begins to come to grips with this new understanding when...

Discerning Worldviews in Movies
There are various ways to evaluate movies, such as tracing the growth of the main character, evaluating the theme(s), critiquing the cinematography, or judging the quality of the acting. However, when it comes to understanding and engaging the culture, the best approach is to discern the key worldview issue being addressed. In other words, we attempt to uncover the worldview message of the movie. This is done by asking...

Popular Culture
Francis Schaeffer once wrote that the secular philosophies of intellectuals filter down to the general population through the arts, becoming what we call "popular culture. Thus, "popular culture" is the prevailing worldview expressed primarily through blockbuster movies, best-selling novels, "top-forty" music, highly rated television shows, the visual arts, and advertising. George Lucas clearly understands his role as a film writer and director when he said that...

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