Culture Making

I just finished Andy Crouch’s book called “Culture Making.” It was an excellent read, re-framing the discussion on Christianity and culture. Instead of just condemning, critiquing or consuming culture, we ought t be creating it. An example of this is Tolkien: he didn’t write a “Christian book,” but he created something that was new and good. It was based on Christianity (themes of returning kings, suffering servants, and light contending with darkness), but it cannot be put in the “Christian” section of the bookstore. It’s too good for that.

Here is the challenge to Christians. The question that Crouch leaves hanging is this: What do we do? What do I do to create culture in medicine? What is the ‘Lord of the Rings’ of medicine? The question is relevant for any Christian. What can be created that is new and good, from Christianity but not only helpful for Christians?

What can be done in law? International Justice Mission is a great example (though partly of the old Christians-only model), where Christians lawyers work to use legal means of suing or prosecuting those who oppress the poor and weak.

The question is pressing. Those of us in positions of power generally do not think about this question in terms of faith. Our work in business is our work in business. It has no special holiness; God should have nothing to say about it. We have been de-spirited; our work and thinking has become secular.

This is an important message which is becoming more popular, but how do we reach those who are already in positions of power?