THEOLOGY AND CULTURE

Three Great Books on the Subject

 

 

Hegeman, David Bruce

Plowing in Hope

Moscow, Idaho:  Canon Press

• Key concepts in the book:

The key concept of Hegeman’s work is that Christians should not reject culture in their daily lives and life-long pursuits but seek to create Christianity within their culture.  Christian culture should be in all parts of society, not just church-life.  “The Bible begins in a garden and ends in a city.” (Back Cover)  The Bible shows the journey of many through all parts and concepts of earthly-life. Christians should help create modern culture, not separate themselves from it.

• Strengths and weaknesses of the text:

Hegeman’s easy writing style is a distinct strength of the text.  This work on modern theology reads more like a novel than a textbook.  Other strengths are the plentiful biblical references to support his narrative on modern culture.  No significant weaknesses were found in the text.

• Issues or concerns raised for you in relationship to life, work, or ministry:

The implications for personal living are clear.  Create culture as a Christian.  Do not live to avoid one of set of cultural norms and insulate yourself in your own environment.  Be a part of the world, working to influence it in a Christian way.            

 

 

 

 

Vanhoozer, Kevin J.

Everyday Theology

Grand Rapids, MI:  Baker Academic

• Key concepts in the book:

To understand culture, one has to just read it, observing the words, actions and intentions of those around us.  There is biblical culture in everything we or others do.  To study and understand the everyday culture around us, we just need to observe the common and uncommon behaviors in our society.  God could be speaking to us all in the secular culture as well as the biblical one.  One has just to read the story in which they are surrounded.  There are biblical culture lessons in the checkout line and the coffee shop.

• Strengths and weaknesses of the text:

Vanhoozer’s systematic approach to the thesis is a strength of the text.  It begins with definitions, moving on to illustrations and examples.  Each chapter is well presented in a logical manner. His overall approach is to define humanity, define success as a Christian human and then illustrate how to merge those two ideas.

While the wide range of examples and illustrations could be seen as a strength of the text it can also be seen as a weakness.  Some are easier to believe than others.

• Issues or concerns raised for you in relationship to life, work, or ministry:

God can be seen in all parts of the world he has created.  Don’t be afraid or hesitate to look for him in all the world around us.  He is there. He can be seen every day and everywhere.

 

 

 

Viladesau, Richard

Theology and the Arts

New York/Mahwah, NJ:  Paulist Press

• Key concepts in the book:

Beauty can be found all around us.  It comes from God in human form through music, art and speech, all of which can express beauty in their own ways.  God can be seen in these human forms of self-expression.  It is possible that this purpose of beauty is why God gave us these forms of art. Theology can both inspire and be inspired by the arts.

• Strengths and weaknesses of the text:

A strength of this work on the arts are the many and diverse forms of support references used in its writing.  Written texts, recorded music and illustrative video examples are all used as references and easily accessed by the format of the work.  A book on the arts so thoroughly illustrated by the arts themselves in so many formats is a well-rounded presentation of the central thesis. This thesis is also complex.

It is easy to get lost in this work from its complexity.  It could be that Viladesau had more than one book in mind when he put all these ideas under one cover.

• Issues or concerns raised for you in relationship to life, work, or ministry:

Our Christian world struggles with the concepts of the “right” music, the “right” art forms and the “right” rhetorical styles to be used to glorify God.  This work presents many possibilities and alternatives approaches to finding the art forms that work best for each of us.