Kingdom in Culture

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SUNSET CHURCH WORKSHOP KINGDOM IN CULTURE: POLITICS KINGDOM IN CULTURE: Maintain Focus Maintain Witness FRAMEWORK MODELS OF Maintain Distinction Maintain Inﬂuence CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT KINGDOM IN CULTURE: POLITICS HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE CHURCH KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT CHURCH LIFECYCLE IN SOCIETY

• 4 Seasons: Winter; Spring; Summer; Fall

• Paas, Church Planting in the Secular West (2016)

• Pre-Christian

• Pre-Christendom

• Christendom

• Post-Christendom

• Post-Christian KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT DISCUSSION QUESTION:

• What category for culture’s secularism in relation to Christianity do you feel we are in today and why?

• Pre-Christian: Church is non-existent in culture; Christianity is absent

• Pre-Christendom: Church is in its beginning stages of formation; seen as alien and foreign; Christianity is a small presence, but foreign, thus not prominent

• Christendom: Church has gained a position of power and prominence; Christianity is dominant

• Post-Christendom: Church has lost its position of prominence and is declining in influence; Christianity is present but losing prominence

• Post-Christian: Church has lost its influence and respect; Christianity is neither prominent nor obviously present MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT PRE-CHRISTENDOM

• ca.30-300 AD

• Rise of Christianity in Jewish and Graeco-Roman society

• Two-Kingdoms

• Church as Embassy

• Christians as Ambassadors KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT PRE-CHRISTENDOM

• ca.30-300 AD

• Rise of Christianity in Jewish and Graeco-Roman society

• Two-Kingdoms

• Church as Embassy

• Christians as Ambassadors KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT PRE-CHRISTENDOM

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

2 CORINTHIANS 5:20 KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT PRE-CHRISTENDOM

DISCUSSION:

When looking at the Church as an Embassy model in that particular time in history, what are good aspects of their engagement in culture? What are the problems of their engagement and are those problems relevant today? MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT CHRISTENDOM

• ca.313-1453 AD (Eastern Roman Empire) • Constantine establishes Christianity • ca.800-1700 AD (Western Roman Empire) • Rome/Pope (Catholicism) • Transformationists • Church as Castle • Christians as Kings KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT CHRISTENDOM

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

1 PETER 2:9 KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT CHRISTENDOM

DISCUSSION:

When looking at the Church as a Castle model, there’s a side of us that desires being a Christian majority culture. In many ways, there is a safety that goes with it.

However, when there is a dominant Christian culture, what are the problems that can arise? MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTENDOM

• ca.1700-1950

• Decline in Enlightenment Era (18th C.)

• Rise of Secularism (20th C.)

• Counterculturalists

• Church as Fortress

• Christians as Soldiers KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTENDOM

• ca.1700-1950

• Decline in Enlightenment Era (18th C.)

• Rise of Secularism (20th C.)

• Counterculturalists

• Church as Fortress

• Christians as Soldiers KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTENDOM

“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”

2 TIMOTHY 2:3-4 KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTENDOM

DISCUSSION:

The Church as a Fortress model reminds believers of the need to be distinct representatives of God’s people in the world. But what are the problems in this particular way of engaging in our culture? MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTIAN

• ca.1960—Present

• Post-WWII and Secularism

• Christian Engagement?

• Fear & Withdrawal?

• Assimilation & Syncretism? KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTIAN

DISCUSSION:

How should the Church engage with culture in our current period of “post- Christian”? KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTIAN

• Relevance

• Seeker Movement

• Church as Consul

• Christians as Liaisons KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTIAN

• Relevance

• Seeker Movement

• Church as Consul

• Christians as Liaisons KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTIAN

“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

1 CORINTHIANS 9:22-23 KINGDOM IN CULTURE | HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT POST-CHRISTIAN

DISCUSSION:

What does our current post-Christian period mean for how we as the Church should engage with culture today? MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT MODELS OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT HISTORY OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT High Christian Inﬂuence PRE-CHRISTENDOM CHRISTENDOM

ca.30-300 AD ca.313-1700 AD

Two-Kingdoms Transformationists

Church as Church as Embassy Castle MODELS OF CULTURAL Bold Public ENGAGEMENT Low Witness Involvement High Christian Christian HISTORY OF Presence Compassion Distinctive Presence & Empathy Holiness CULTURAL Church as Church as Consul Fortress ENGAGEMENT

Relevance Counterculturalists

ca.1960 — ca.1700-1950 POST-CHRISTIAN POST-CHRISTENDOM Low Christian Inﬂuence KINGDOM IN CULTURE MODERN ENGAGEMENT IN POLITICS KINGDOM IN CULTURE | MODERN ENGAGEMENT IN POLITICS JESUS AND POLITICS?

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

MATTHEW 22:15-17 KINGDOM IN CULTURE | MODERN ENGAGEMENT IN POLITICS JESUS AND POLITICS?

But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

MATTHEW 22:18-22 KINGDOM IN CULTURE | MODERN ENGAGEMENT IN POLITICS CHRISTIANITY AND THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM

• Package Deal Morality of the Left and Right

• Christianity fits Neither

• Matthew 22:15-16 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians KINGDOM IN CULTURE | MODERN ENGAGEMENT IN POLITICS DISCUSS

When you became a believer, how were you taught to engage in politics? KINGDOM IN CULTURE | MODERN ENGAGEMENT IN POLITICS EARLY CHURCH’S “POLITICAL” STANCE

• Muti-Ethnic Religion

• Care for Poor and Marginalized

• Posture of Humility and Non-Retaliation

• Pro-Life

• Radical Sexual Ethics KINGDOM IN CULTURE | MODERN ENGAGEMENT IN POLITICS PILGRIM THEOLOGY

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

1 PETER 2:9-12

SUNSET CHURCH WORKSHOP KINGDOM IN CULTURE: POLITICS